[Dixielandjazz] Jag playing

billsharp sharp-b at clearwire.net
Sun Jul 9 11:30:39 PDT 2006


  . .and "Nice try" to you too Mr Gunter, top jagboard player West of 
the Rockies.  Betja didn't know that "jags" are the little spaces 
between the ridges of  your chosen instrument, the washboard, and in 
early days the best of players were lauded with  large crowds shouting 
,"Go, Jagger! Go, Jagger!" when certain accomplished washboard players 
performed highly skilled licks, making special use of the "jag" spaces 
which extended to the  very edge of the ridges (hence also the phrase 
"jagged edge", stemming from the way early washboards were pushed to 
their limits, with players "going to the edge").   The phrase has 
evolved to the point where now certain rock crowds shout out the same 
phrases to  applaud the sounds coming from the lips of a certain rock 
singer whose words, as they cross his giant lips, sound just like the 
gratings made across the ridges and jags of the washboard.  How does 
this rock star do it? No one apparently knows, but crowds still shout,  
"Go, Jagger! Go, Jagger! Rock out, dude!" all the while paying homage 
to washboard players, and not even realizing it.  We must certainly 
lament the loss of the early historical facts - - -once again evidence 
that the schools are not doing their job .  .. . .





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