[Dixielandjazz] sounds of the twenties

[TCASHWIGG at aol.com]

In a message dated 9/22/05 10:38:45 PM Pacific Daylight Time, 
larrys.bands at charter.net writes:

<< 
 Saxophones were definitely darker in sound than today's horns.   Other than
 that I would imagine that the rest of the instruments sounded pretty much as
 they do today.
  >>
Yep in the hands of good players they sounded great, in the hands of the 
others they sounded like the records.  :))

I have heard africans beating on logs and elephant bones make better music 
than some of the finest made modern drums.  :))

It ain't always the instrument it is the player, and some of our OKOM heros 
played cheap junk instruments becasue that's all they could afford, just think 
if they had had all the modern day stuff how much better even those scratchy 
old records might sound.  :))

Now compare a 1920's pawn shop horn sound to that of a fine French Besson, 
does anybody think  Louis Armstrong had a fine Besson or better horn at the 
waif's school where he started.   ANd how the heck did guys like Bechet and 
Goodman get by with only a hand full of reeds a year. ?  :))

Some of those guys were even known to pick up discarded reeds that other 
players left in the dressing room as no good.

Now I can relate to the drums being different:

My first set I made when I worked in an Auto Wrecking yard.

I made the Bass drum out of a 55 Gallon oil Barrel cut in half
Floor tom was made from a washtub turned upside down and with four radio 
antennas welded on the side for legs.
two toms made from Lard tins were affixed on top of the Bass drum.

I had a 1948 Studebaker Hubcap for a ride cymbal with a toilet chain hangin 
across it for a sizzle.

I mounted two brake drums for percussion sounds, on the side of the bass drum,

I smashed two baby moon hubcaps for a hi hat, and made the hi hat stand with 
a worn out timing chain off of an oldsmobile.

Made a small splash cymbal out of a piece of Model A floorboard cover.

Fashioned a hollowed out Dusenberg Piston into a cow bell
and used specially elongated vale rods wrapped in duct tape for drum sticks.

Made my own brushes too, from accelerator cables frayed at the ends and  duct 
taped to two radio antennas.   Proving once again that you can fix anything 
with Duct tape.

I made a second cow bell out of a Stutz bearcat headlight housing.

And invented the first washboard by playing a 1932 Ford Radiator with two 
radiator caps.

Too bad nobody ever recorded me whan I was great, and at the top of my game 
with that set.   Bet I coudda played with Louis if he had only discovered me.

I am a legend in my own mind.

Cheers mates

Tom Clinka de clank Wiggins

Too bad me and Bill Gunter never hooked up back then  we coudda been sumthin 
else, well we are anyway so what difference does it make its all OKOM to 
somebody.