[Dixielandjazz] Listening to Live Guys.

[Steve barbone]

Shades of the past thread about listening to dead guys to get the nuances in
Dixieland, and/or be able to play it. Had a person come up to me at a gig
yesterday and tell me that I must be listening to _______ AND ______, dead
about 50 years because my playing sounded like theirs.

Told him I no longer listened much to dead guys, except classical and the
more modern forms of jazz. I asked if he listened to the live guys on the
scene today. He said no, not much. I then recommended the following two CDs
to him which he possessed nor even heard. Told him IMO, these were the best
Dixieland CDs of 2005 and so far, of 2006.

2006 pick, so far, is Ed Metz's Bob Cat release earlier this year. I got a
hold of a pre-release copy and was blown away by it, which I posted about
previously on the DJML. This CD is a MUST HAVE for OKOM fans. Many others
also posted about the professionalism of this CD. It is in my ears, equal
to, or better than the original dead guys of the Bob Cats.

2005 pick is Randy Reinhart's Arbors release 19313, "As Long As I Live". The
OKOM cream of the crop musicians are on this one. Kenny Davern Clt, Dan
Barrett Tb, John Sheridan Pno, James Chirillo gui, Frank Tate db and Tony
DeNicola Dms. This CD is Chicago Style with extraordinary solos, by a new
crop of jazz musicians who are neither ashamed of their roots, nor ashamed
to go where the music takes them even if that means a flatted fifth, or a
guitar solo on Clarinet Marmalade.

There is so much Dixieland currently being played that many folks seem not
to hear, even though they say they are fans. I've been playing both CDs on
the way to gigs just to get into the groove, and frankly, I'd rather listen
to Randy Reinhart than King Oliver these days.

Wonder how many of the 500+ members on this list have bought either, or both
CDs? Randy's has been out about a year and Arbors is making a second
pressing so hopefully most of us have it. And Kenny Davern? In my ears the
finest OKOM clarinetist on the planet. That's who I listen to now, though he
and I, together, listened to Pee Wee Russell when Pee Wee was alive.

If you don't have them, go out and buy them.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone