[Dixielandjazz] Creation and Re-creation

[Larry Walton Entertainment]

I agree with Mike but there is another dimension  when dealing with playing
the older OKOM from the 30's back and that is style.  Recreating the sound
and style of 30's and earlier music by a modern musician is difficult
because we swing and newer styles creep into our solos both recreated or
jazz.  Recreating or originating early jazz styles and solos even if they
are your own and pure jazz will often sound corny or dated.  What happens is
guys start filling in with other licks, more "modern" scales and the flavor
is lost.  Listen to drummers, very few do it right.  They invariably start
to swing and their drums and cymbals just aren't the same so the right sound
isn't there.  If you don't mind this then I guess it's ok.  My point is that
it is difficult to do something that you didn't grow up with and almost none
of us were musicians during that era.

It's like learning a language.  My son who has lived in Germany for 20 years
and speaks the language fluently still sounds like an American because he
didn't grow up with it. My granddaughter while fluent in English will always
sound like a German.  Musical Style and licks are like that.

I'm not sure very many really want to recreate the styles and sounds exactly
because they sound dated to modern ears.
Larry
St. Louis
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <Vaxtrpts at aol.com>
To: <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Tuesday, September 20, 2005 2:51 PM
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Creation and Re-creation


>
> In a message dated 9/20/2005 12:01:34 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time,
> dixielandjazz-request at ml.islandnet.com writes:
>
> I think  we're focusing more on what jazz ultimately can be, rather than
what
> it is,  ie, a type of music exclusively utilising syncopated rhythm.
> In other  words, it is possible to BOTH create jazz, and re-create  jazz,
> --
> Etc,
> Fr M J "Mike" Logsdon
>
>
>
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
> As a jazz educator, I must have some sort of "indicator" of what jazz
music
> is, for young people.  Since technically, jazz has encompassed so many
other
> forms of music and "brought them into the fold" (Pretty good analogy,
huh?),
> the old "syncopated rhythm" thing just doesn't work in 2005, since there
are
> the forms like latin jazz, smooth jazz, jazz/rock fusion, hip hop, and so
> many others.  Now none of you have to agree with me as to whether you like
or
> dislike these other forms of jazz music, but they do exist.
> Because if these things, the one thing that seems to "get" to the younger
> players, is the "creativity and improvisation" aspect of the music.
> In the genre of big band music, do we "create or re-create" any certain
> arrangement when we perform it?  If the solos are improvised and not "off
a
> record" or written out by an arranger (as is done in many high school big
band
> arrangements), then we technically create something new each time we
perform
> that arrangement.  To me, that makes it a jazz performance.  It is  like I
tell
> the young bands when I am judging at festivals, if you are playing  the
same
> written solos every time in a big band arrangement, then what you have  is
a
> "swing concert band," not a jazz band.
> I hope this explains my views better.......................
> Mike Vax
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