[Dixielandjazz] Tempo markings

[Stan Brager]

Eric;

You have indeed opened a can of worms regarding the tempo of the times.

My experience as a listener is that while the recorded tempo is often
considered the "standard" for a tune, it is not always the same as how the
band will play a tune in front of the public. Furthermore, musicians who
have recorded a work several times will do it at a faster or slower tempo
than their first recording. This is true for classical music as well as
jazz.

What's important is whether or not the players are comfortable with the
tempo which at which a tune is played. Glenn Miller's version of "Take The
'A' Train" was recorded at a dreamy dance tempo and, for my money, it worked
quite well. Offhand, I can't recall who the arranger was.

Speaking of Lu Watters, there are 2 cuts each of "Big Bear Stomp", "Emperor
Norton's Hunch", "Annie Street Rock" and several others of his compositions
on the Good Time Jazz compilation of the complete Yerba Buena Jazz Band
recordings. If I have time later, I'll listen and let you know if Lu held
the tempii on both cuts of the same tune. Perhaps others who've heard Lu's
band will chime in with their recollections.

Good night;

Stan
Stan Brager
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Eric Holroyd" <eholroyd at optushome.com.au>
To: "DJML" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Friday, October 21, 2005 5:32 PM
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Tempo markings


> Hello folks:
>
> Thanks to those of you who got the CD of my Triangle Jazz Band charts, and
> the feedback I've had has been gratifying.
>
> However, in this morning's DJML Digest, Larry Walton made the chance
remark:
>
> > the metronome markings that Eric uses seem a little slow overall.
>
> THIS will open a can of worms:
>
> I'm a great fan of Lu Watters and Turk Murphy, and choose to play their
> style of music at the tempos (tempii?) that THEY played - which was always
a
> comfortable dancing tempo, which Lu apparently referred to as "Rocking".
>
> During my many visits to USA to play at many and various jazz festivals I
> was always struck by the very fast tempos at which many US bands play
> Watters originals.
>
> If Lu wrote the tune, wouldn't HE have had the best idea of what the tempo
> should be?
>
> I sat through four consecutive performances by popular US bands and
enjoyed
> their tight arrangements, good stage presence and instrumental technique -
> but deplored the fast tempos once again.
>
> Each of these four bands played 'Big Bear Stomp' (great programming guys!)
> and ALL were very fast.
>
> Reminiscent of Bechet's 'Maple Leaf Shag' in essence.
>
> Lying in bed that night the reason suddenly came to me!
>
> I do believe that the majority of those wonderful jazz supporters who
attend
> those festivals are the REAL reason for the fast tempos - and the LOUD
level
> of most of the bands.
>
> They are mostly 'Party Animals' - and there's nothing wrong with that -
but
> that's how THEY seem to like their jazz: Loud and fast!
>
> And THEY are the ones who dictate which bands get to play at the
festivals,
> for they diligently fill in their questionaires at the end of each
festival,
> and in answer to the question, 'Which bands should we program to ensure
that
> YOU attend our next festival?' they'll answer with the names of the
loudest
> bands which play the loudest tempos.
>
> There are exceptions of course, but I won't embarrass anyone by naming
> names, and some of the really famous West Coast bands still 'get away'
with
> playing slower tunes at lower volume now and then.
>
> All of this is my own, very personal, opinion - but after ten years of
> attending festivals from LA to Vancouver I DID notice a gradual increase
in
> both tempo and volume of many bands.
>
> So, to get the REAL tempo of West Coast tunes, listen to Lu and Turk...
>
> To close on another note: I wish they had never invented the REPLY button
> which really does get an awful lot of use on this list.
>
> I've just ploughed through three digests, and each of them was filled with
> the complete email to which they were replying - apart from one by Steve
> Barbone, which had a line saying something like >remainder of post was
> snipped.
>
> Goodonya Steve!
>
> If anyone needs any help in learning how to edit unwanted sections before
> pressing the Send button I'd be happy to oblige.
>
> It only takes seconds, and helps readers SO much.
>
> Kind regards,  Eric
> PLEASE DON'T SEND ALL OF MY EMAIL BACK WITH YOUR REPLY
> Web:  http://members.optushome.com.au/eholroyd/
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Kind regards,  Eric
> PLEASE DON'T SEND ALL OF MY EMAIL BACK WITH YOUR REPLY
> Web:  http://members.optushome.com.au/eholroyd/
>
>
>
>
>