[Dixielandjazz] PBS Concert and New Orleans music

[James Butler]

RIGHT ON MIKE!!

Jim Butler
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <Vaxtrpts at aol.com>
To: <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Tuesday, September 20, 2005 12:47 AM
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] PBS Concert and New Orleans music


> Well, I have to agree with my friend, Steve Barbone on this one!
> Part of the problem as I see it, is the OKOM fans are the biggest "tunnel
> vision" fans in all of music.  I have a lot of disagreements with things 
> that
> Wynton Marsallis has done, but to say he can't swing is preposterous. 
> And why
> should a group of musicians who haven't played together before, 
> performing
> "impromtu," sound as "tight" as a group that plays together  all the time? 
> And
> I WILL tell you this. Even though they are friends,  I have heard Titan 
> Hot 7,
> when they are trying to be cutsey and funny, also  NOT swing.
> You are also right, that the hurricane relief Concert was NOT- I repeat 
> NOT
> just about  OKOM!
> Anybody who doesn't realize that blues, rock, zydeco, funk, and many other
> forms of music also had roots in New Orleans, doesn't know anything about 
> New
> Orleans music.
> The person asked about where were all kinds of dixieland musicians for 
> that
> concert??????
> SIMPLE - they weren't in New York City.....................
> I must quote Steve here:
> "I certainly agree that you have every right to hear what you hear. 
> However
> respectfully disagree with what you hear as "it DIDN'T swing. I'll  not 
> doubt
> get blasted for this, but the reason I do not attend more OKOM  festivals 
> is
> that most of the bands that play at them, neither swing nor know  how to
> improvise coherently. They do copy, albeit poorly and without the fire  of
> the originals."
> How true you are, Steve.  There is way more copying than originality  at 
> most
> OKOM festivals.
> Now, I do enjoy a lot of those bands, BUT-----------------
> Here is something I hope that you OKOM people will think about:
> The musicians who were playing OKOM in the beginning, were "AVANT GARDE"
> musicians for their time.  They were treading new ground all the time, and
> creating as they went.  They were just as much innovators as any bebop 
> musicians
> were 50 years later.  They didn't play the same solo every  night.  Much 
> of
> what they played was learned by ear and then changed to  suit the 
> situation.
> They were the forefathers of EVERY kind of jazz that  has happened since. 
> If
> they were alive today they wouldn't be playing  exactly what they played 
> on a
> record in 1928.  That is one of my biggest  frustrations with many 
> audiences,
> they can't stand it when someone takes an old  standard trad jazz tune and 
> does
> something new with it.  I have known  for
> years,that my bands are not as popular on the trad jazz festival  circuit,
> because my idea of jazz is that it ISN'T a museum piece.  I like  to do 
> new
> things with great old tunes.
> Well, off my soapbox now!
> Thanks for listening.  Now slam away........................
> Mike Vax
>
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