[Dixielandjazz] Creating and Recreating

[Stan Brager]

Mike;

When you speak of recreating recordings, solos, etc., I fully agree with
you. That is not jazz! They may be a great learning tools and study guides
but that's the extent of it.

On the other hand, if we're speaking about a musician swinging and creating
in within the framework of the 1920's (for example), then that is certainly
jazz. It's boils down to an issue of substance and style. Just because
someone is using another form of playing doesn't automatically signify that
jazz has flown out of the window. If the substance is what we consider jazz
to be, i.e., innovative and swinging, then style or form doesn't matter.

Stan
Stan Brager
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <Vaxtrpts at aol.com>
To: <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Tuesday, September 20, 2005 9:08 AM
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Creating and Recreating


>
> In a message dated 9/20/2005 8:23:30 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time,
> dixielandjazz-request at ml.islandnet.com writes:
>
> How is  this relevant to enjoying OKOM? You professional jazz people have
> your own  brand of tunnel vision: when you put down mouldy figgism, you
> ignore the  fact that the music the dead guys recorded had its own
aesthetic
> validity  that exists regardless of what they might have done later in
life,
> and  therefore will grab
> some folks who listen to music purely to enjoy it and  others who play
music
> for enjoyment.
> --Sheik
> David W. Littlefield,  Piano, Guitar, Banjo, Washboard
>
>
>
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
> Ah, David, you hit the proverbial "nail on the head!"  The "dead guys"
> played it GREAT!
> By just recreating something that will never be done as well as the
original
> players did it, you are in my opinion, doing a disservice to their
legacy.
> THEY would not have wanted their music recreated note for  note.
> I know for a fact -- after hanging out with people like Louis Cotrell,
Frog
> Joseph, Sweet Emma Barrett, Placide Adams, Percy Humphrey, Freddy Kohlman,
> Wallace Davenport, Pappa French, Alvin Alcorn, and many others during  my
time
> in New Orleans more than 25 years ago, that they were always  searching
for new
> ways to play the music that they had been playing for so  long.  They
didn't
> just want to recreate what they had done 40 - 50  years earlier and they
> didn't want to hear younger guys like me do it  either.
> I love this music because of the freedom it gives the musician to "be
their
> own person."
> If you want to recreate old music, then that is your prerogative.  And  I
am
> sure that you do it well, and that you have an audience that will  listen.
I
> just don't feel that it should be called "Jazz."  The term  I like to use
for
> that kind of playing is "Early 20th century American popular  music."
That is
> NOT a put down, it just describes the kind of music you  are playing.  As
I
> said before, for ME -- in order for it to be called jazz  music, there
needs to
> be creativity and improvisation.
> Mike Vax
>
>