[Dixielandjazz] Why guitar, not banjo?/Tubas, too

[Charles Suhor]

Thanks for the correction, Bill. All these years I've been assuming it 
was St. Cyr. on guitar and not noticing a banjo in the background 
during the rest of the record. I'm still bowled over by the brilliance 
and appropriateness of the guitar in interaction with Louis--don't 
think a banjo would have produced the same almost "modern" conception 
in the counterpoint and call/response. And Louis's scat where he sings 
on every third eighth note over an eight-bar sequence is both immortal 
and sooo far ahead of its time. I think the recording rivals "West End 
Blues" as a near-perfect jazz performance. --Charlie


On Dec 28, 2006, at 3:27 AM, Bill Haesler wrote:

>> (Looking back to the Hot Fives and Sevens, it's hard to imagine a 
>> masterpiece
> like "Hotter Than That" with St, Cyr on banjo rather than guitar.)<
>
> Dear Charlie,
> Because of my involvement in other current threads, this one almost got
> away!
> The guitar on the first part, then  behind Louis scat and in the coda 
> on
> "Hotter Than That" by Louis Armstrong's Hot Five (13 Dec 1927) is 
> guest,
> Okeh star, Lonnie Johnson. Johnny St Cyr is also on banjo, which really
> makes it a 'Hot Six'.
> However, on the session-mate "Savoy Blues", apart from St Cyr's banjo 
> behind
> Louis' introductory solo, both play guitar throughout.
> Sorry about that.
> Kind regards,
> Bill.
>
>
>