[Dixielandjazz] Dixieland? New Orleans? Jazz?

[Vaxtrpts at aol.com]

In a message dated 1/28/2006 7:26:49 P.M. Pacific Standard Time,  
grahmartin at bigpond.com writes:

I feel  we have flogged the unpopularity of the word 'Dixieland' to death on 
this list  and there is no point in discussing it further. I would just to 
say, I  disagree with your summation of the situation on a worldwide basis. 
If you  want to play Dixieland-style music (call it what you will: Chicago 
style,  Condon style, West Coast, San Francisco) you can hardly call it a New 
Orleans  band! Well, not in Europe or Oz anyway! Why not just drop the 
'Dixieland and  retain the 'Jazz Band'. Or use some other non specific name like 
'Jazzband',  or 'Stompers' (my choice for my band), 'Strutters', 'Gang', 'Paraders', 
 'Jazzmen', 'Rhythm Kings', 'Traditional Band', 'Hot Five', etc. You will 
find  some other suggestions on this website, but by far the most popular is  
'Jazzband' - although your spell checker will probably have a problem with the  
word. 

Best, 
Graham Martin
Email:  grahmartin at bigpond.com
Website: http://tromjazz.netfirms.com
REDLAND  BAY
Queensland
AUSTRALIA
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Graham.  I couldn't have said it  better 
myself.  I disagree with the summation even in the US, that  Dixieland is a bad 
word.  The whole thing sounds like political correctness  crap to me.  If 
someone wants to call their music Dixieland, more power to  them.
I use the term Jazz Band because we play all kinds of traditionally based  
jazz, not just Dixieland, or New Orleans or Chicago or whatever!  My Great  
American Jazz Band (actually taken from the name of the Savings and Loan that  
sponsored our band years ago......) was one of the first on the so-called  
"trad-jazz" festival circuit to take the old repertoire and make completely new  
arrangements of the tunes, while also taking new tunes (pop and even be-bop) and  
playing them in a semi-trad style.  We have been doing this for well over  30 
years.  Many people in the "circuit" don't like the band because of our  
"irreverance" to the old "record imitation" loving crowd.
Jazz, to me, whether it is Tiger Rag, or A Night in Tunisia, or Eager  
Beaver, or some newer pop oriented tune, is a living, breathing entity that  
continually changes and re-creates itself.
How many other musical art forms are there, that you can play the same tune  
differently EVERY night?
I repeat a statement from an earlier message I sent  today.      I LOVE 
PLAYING JAZZ!!!!
Mike Vax