[Dixielandjazz] Mighty Aphrodites

[Ken Gates]

Listmates---
Just returned from four fine days of music at San Diego.  Saw/heard three 
sets of the MAJB.
My observations are----Seven well trained musicians playing a continuation 
of the style of jazz
played by Armstrong, Bix, Basie, Teagarden, Wild Bill, Eddie Condon, etc etc 
(name your group).
They play it very well indeed, with taste, enthusiasm, dynamics of rhythm, 
sound, tempo, and
they do SWING.

That they are young and female (and nice to look at) is an added attraction, 
of course.  But the
important thing is that they can play.  Almost a miracle. Why? Not because 
they are good musicians.
Music schools are producing many fine musicians.  The miracle is that they 
chose OKOM.  Surely,
they were expected to follow the footprints of Charlie Parker, Diz, Miles, 
Coltrane, etc.  But they
chose not to play "Night in Tunisia" or "Giant Steps" etc etc---and instead 
a set of "Rosetta"--
"All of Me"---"Mood Indigo"---"Body and Soul" ---"Exactly Like 
You"---"Someday You'll Be Sorry" --
"Oh Baby".  They play the ensembles well, the solos well, trade fours (and 
twos) well, listen to
and feed off each other, can play as guest artists with other top level 
artists.  My God, what more
can you ask of them----and so young

And with time, they can even get better!!!  We can only hope that they 
choose to stay together
for a while.  After all, the Austin High gang was once very young--and so 
was Lu Watters etc---
and nobody at the time probably predicted that they were at the beginning of 
a minor musical trend.
Emphasis on minor,  it is too much to expect that any form of jazz will 
become THE popular music.

But who knows?  Perhaps they can create an upsurge in interest in OKOM.

Yes, there were other fine groups at San Diego.  But I'm getting long.

Ken Gates