[Dixielandjazz] Guitar vs. Banjo

[Steve Barbone]

Bill Haesler at bhaesler at bigpond.net.au wrote:
 
> Dear Steve and Father Mike,
> You have both saved me a longer reply.
> I grew up in jazz as a 'mouldie fygge' but was always able to accept the
> Condon mob on record.
> Some of my peers that didn't claimed he was a useless guitarist, as you
> couldn't hear him.
> Rubbish! Those of us with 'ears' could and loved the way he drove a band.
> Steve, you mention the Mosaics, which includes the great late-30s, 40s and
> 50s Commodore and Columbia sides. But Condon can be heard on his earlier
> records too.
> I have spoken to visiting musicians to Oz who worked and recorded with Eddie
> including Wild Bill, Ed Hall, Dick Cary and Kenny Davern, and they all said
> that his musical contribution to his bands was as important as his
> 'directorship'.
> We heard this for ourselves in March 1964 when the Condon gang finally came
> down-under, even though Eddie was unwell and 'off the grog'.
> When we heard the Count Basie Orch in Sydney Town Hall (with its notorious
> acoustics) Freddy Green could be heard all over, even though other sidemen
> were drowned out or muffled. Magnificent!

Thanks Bill. No question in my mind that Eddie Condon musical contributions
to the band were big. And no question that his contributions to OKOM were
enormous. For guys like me that saw him live, and realized how expertly he
marketed the music, and how well he kept the time, drove the band, etc.,
etc., if was a life lesson.

Cheers,
Steve