[Dixielandjazz] 10 Classic Recordings

[Steve Barbone]

John Petters at johnpetters at tiscali.co.uk wrote: (polite snip)

> Without detracting from the All
> Stars and Ambassador Satch, which I have and treasure, I have to say
> that to me the Hot Five & Seven period is much more interesting and
> represents the classic New Orleans style. The All Stars on the other
> hand is really a 'Swing' band.

Therein lies the problem. We are disagreeing as to what Dixieland is. To you
it stopped short of the All Stars and started sometime after ODJB.

To me it started before ODJB and is still evolving. Ed Hall is one of my
favorite Dixieland clarinetists. To you, he is "not classic", and playing
swing. OK, no way to resolve that difference.

It is like arguing, since Dixieland starts with records from say 1920 and
ends on records by say 1940, that you need not listen to any other music.
and that if you do listen to the later music in preference to the earlier,
it is somehow not as valid.

That is also like saying, that one really can't understand music unless one
studies the entire history from the oldest known song, some 4000 years ago.

Buddy Bolden? Irrelevant. Ragtime? Irrelevant. James Reese Europe?
Irrelevant. Blues? Irrelevant, Gospel? Irrelevant.  No need to listen to the
music that influenced such "classic players as pre 1940 Pops, Dodds
Brothers, et al. Just listen to them.

Likewise, no need to listen to music that came after them, such as the later
Pops after 1940, Randy Reinhart, Dan Barrett, John Petters, et al. because
it is not "classic".

My view is that while one should have an overview, repetition of the same
old stuff time after time is really boring. Do what Louis, Bix, Oliver and
the others did . . . Improvise and invent your own work, and listen mostly
to those who are doing that right now. Swinging Dixieland? Is that wrong?

Cheers,
Steve Barbone