[Dixielandjazz] What is trad jazz - dancing

Tue Feb 7 21:22:22 PST 2006

Actually the demise of dancing - that is ballroom dancing - was about 1950 
but everyone was still dancing and dancing a lot throughout the 50's with 
spin off's of Ballroom and earlier types.  I know I spent zillions of hours 
playing Dances where people danced.  My mother made me take ballroom lessons 
about 1952 or 3. The picture started changing in the 60's with people no 
longer touching while dancing and slow dancing that had almost no steps. 
The 70's brought the concerts where no one danced much if at all.  I also 
played dances all through this period.  I made the comment once that we had 
the best band for people who couldn't dance in St. Louis.  Dancing for 
society events is pretty much the same as it has been since the 60's.  No 
one knows how to dance, that is dancing with some sort of definite steps or 
movements such as the waltz, foxtrot and other ball room types.  I played a 
dance last night with a local band that is definitely in the 40's swing era 
chart wise and people danced until we quit at one a.m..  They had a ball. 
It could have been all the free wine.  The gig was at Tan Tar A resort at 
Lake of the Ozarks for the Midwest Wine Growers Assn..

By 1960 almost all the dance halls had closed and the Admiral Steamer and 
Casa Loma were the only places that had ballroom.  Casa Loma stays in 
business because it rests in the middle of the Latin community.  They have 
Salsa dances several times a week and pack the place with sell out crowds.

My dad danced  at least three times a week until he got in a car wreck and 
ended up in a nursing home where he died.  He was coming home from a dance. 
He did ballroom.

There are several dance halls on the East side in Illinois very near St. 
Louis.  The Alton Ill. Eagles club has 6500 members and has bands two and 
sometimes three times a week.  They have Ballroom on Sunday and C&W on 
Saturday.  The Crystal Ballroom in Staunton Illinois brings in bands from 
around the country.  I have played with the Royal Canadians, Jan Garber band 
and several others there.  A friend of mine started a Mickey band and I 
thought that it was just going to be a rehearsal group but low and behold 
the guy is actually booking it.  You can still go to the Casa Loma Ballroom 
here on Sat Night and dance to a big band.  There are a coupe dozen  kids 
show up to these dances dressed in 40's cloths.

I would agree that on the heavy jazz scene that things did change to more or 
less non danceable music and lead the concert mentality that took over in 
the late 60's and 70's. with rock and pop.

I think that you should look at the C&W scene.  This is a huge dancing 
group.  I don't know about your area but here in St. Louis there are TV 
shows that have crowds of people line dancing and doing other kinds of 
dances.  It's not my cup of tea but it's big.

I think that dancing is alive and well and the old 40's ballroom dancing is 
available at moderate prices with a short drive from St. Louis.  I would 
admit that people aren't standing in line to get in and no one is getting 
rich but it still exists.
Larry Walton
St. Louis
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "EDWIN COLTRIN" <boreda at sbcglobal.net>
To: <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Tuesday, February 07, 2006 6:52 PM
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] What is trad jazz

> Right on Don'
>
>  My sentiments exactly, WW II was the break point between dancable jazz 
> and Artys Fartys music of the last of the forties and into the fifties.
>
>  Thanks for the insightful discourse
>
>  Slainte
>
>  Ye Olde Mouldy Fygge
>
>  Ed Coltrin
>  WA6FWU
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