[Dixielandjazz] Horizontal music

[Larry Walton Entertainment]

Thanks Lewis,
This is an excellent set of definations for vertical and horizontal 
jazz, probably better than mine so I will gleefully "borrow" them.
Snip Snip snip.
Larry Walton
St. Louis.

Custode at aol.com wrote:
> A few thoughts regarding horizontal and vertical music:
>  
> When I hear that a musician plays horizontally, rather than  vertically, I 
> attribute the style as follows:
>  
> A "horizontal" player will improvise within the tonality of the song, very  
> often disregarding the passing chords within the piece.  If a song is in  the 
> key of Eb, the player will play lines that fit within that key.  When a  
> passing chord, such as B comes along, the improviser will usually not play the  
> non-tonal B and F# or ignore the change altogether.
>  
> Conversely, a "vertical" player will play through each chord he  comes 
> across.  Up and down through each chord change, hitting the non-tonal  notes of the 
> tune.
>  
> So, a "horizontal" musician plays across the tune, and a "vertical" player  
> plays up and down through the tune. 
>  
> Melodic jazz is one in which the listener can hear "melodies" within in an  
> improvised solo, as opposed to simply hearing jazz lines.  Very often, the  
> listener can walk away from a solo, and whistle some of the lines played.
>  
> Finally, whenever I hear a conductor, performer, director etc. say to the  
> audience "we are now going to challenge you", I hang on to my chair.  It  
> usually means that the upcoming piece is not going to sound horizontal,  vertical, 
> melodic, and musical.  It is usually "out of the box", and not  all that 
> enjoyable...unless of course you are on the bandstand playing it.   And then the 
> challenge is for the entire band to finish together.
>  
> A belated "Happy Thanksgiving" to all!
>  
> Lewis D.  Custode, Jr., CLU, ChFC, CASL
> trumpeter,
> "Bourbon Street Brass" and "Bar-room Buzzards"
> Buffalo, NY
>
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