[Dixielandjazz] Re: 10 Representative Dixieland Recordings

[John Petters]

Steve Barbone wrote:

> 
> You took me out of context a bit John. My original reply said from the
> beginning that I was with Louis too etc., and that I spent my youth
> listening to all those guys as well as a lot of other guys.
> 
> But, yes, I agree with you too, that the music has changed. Problem with all
> those Euro trad bands, is that they tried to copy Barber. 

Yes that is the problem, many never searched out the originals
Problem with
> venerating the dead guys is that if a new Dixieland Band tries to copy them,
> they are doomed to failure. Happening right now with many bands that insist
> upon copying what was dome 50 or 80 years ago. The music is not relevant to
> today's audience, except for you and me and a few other mouldy figs. (At
> least in the USA, I don't know about Europe)

Was Marsalis aiming for relevance with his Jelly Roll recreation a few 
years ago? Playing in an older style can and does attract audiences. My 
Fats Waller Tribute Show aims to sound like it is from the era of the 
30s and 40s and we draw good crowds. Similarly when we play Spirituals 
in churches the band sounds like a NO revival band or as close as we can 
get to it(and that is quite some distance away). My recent Johnny Dodds 
tribute CD aimed at re-creating the style of some of those south side 
Chicago bands, yet the music is new, in that we did not copy the 
originals. The music is improvised it is jazz and it is popular with 
audiences.
So what is relevant to today's audiences? Adding a rock beat? Playing 
only top cymbal and no snare drum press rolls or blocks?
Style in my view does not matter. Attitude does. Go and entertain your 
audience whether you are playing Hot Fives or Condon.


> IMO, a band should find it's own voice, just as a player should find his own
> voice. The music moves on so what is the point of trying to sound like Chris
> Barber, or Pops, or King Oliver? 
If the music moves on too far it becomes something else, i.e. Be Bop

> 
> I like Miles Davis' answer when asked why he didn't reprise some of his old
> hits, years after he recorded them. Said Miles
> 
> ³Those songs to me don¹t exist, you know? ³So What² or Kind of Blue, I¹m not
> going to play that shit, those things are there. They were done in that era,
> the right hour, the right day, and it happened. It¹s over; it¹s on the
> record.²
> 
> I'm with Miles, those old OKOM styles don't exist today either. :-) VBG.

No Steve they they do exist and can be heard at festivals and clubs all 
over the world.
John Petters
www.traditional-jazz.com