[Dixielandjazz] Relevant Dixieland

[John Petters]

Steve Barbone wrote:

> The 2 day Louis Armstrong Birthday Bash, featuring us, has been ongoing for
> 7 years now on the weekend closest to his birth. At one of the top 100 jazz
> night clubs in the USA. (According to a "Jazziz" magazine poll)
> 
> I have promoted the hell out of it, and the reason it sells is because even
> today, folks respond to the name "Louis Armstrong". However, what they
> respond to is music from his "All Star" years. The tune they most remember
> and enjoy is "Hello Dolly". Secondly, "Blueberry Hill", thirdly "Kiss to
> Build A Dream On", etc. Or they remember him from the movie "High Society"
> with Bing Crosby.

Steve, the question I have to ask is have you tried playing 'Once in a 
While' with the tricky stop time chorus behind the cornet solo, or 
'Willie the Weeper' with the off beats or indeed 'Snake Rag' with the 
showy trombone slurs that never fail to delight audiences. How many of 
the tunes you play have stop time,  off beats or charleston beats?
My experience is that young audiences go for them.
Our recent set at the Upton Jazz Festival started with 'I Found a New 
Baby' with tom tom intro and a 2 chorus drum solo, then 'Georgia Camp 
Meeting', followed by Buddy's Habit. Snag It, Down by the Riverside, 
Dinah, Gatemouth, Once In A While (with the stop time) were all included 
and the crowd loved it. We seldom need to fall back on Dolly, Blueberry 
etc unless playing a function gig. Classic hot jazz is popular if 
presented in a lively virile manner with lots of ensemble playing (a 
lost art with most bands these days).


> 
> They do not (except for us old folks) know a damn thing about Hot 5, Hot 7
> records. They do not know about his years with King Oliver, or Fletcher
> Henderson, or the mediocre bands he fronted in the late 1930s.
> 
> So I promote the name Louis Armstrong . . . and his birthday. (105 this
> year) But we do not play the "old stuff". What we play is updated,
> evolutionary Dixieland and a few tunes he is still associated with like
> Indiana, Struttin With Some BBQ, Shine, etc. All in the 4/4 swing based
> rhythm that he pioneered in the 1920s, refined in the 1930s, and used with
> piano/double bass/swing drummer from 1947 onward till his passing. That
> music is relevant to young people.
Many of them won't be familiar with the All stars either. the All stars 
started nearly 60 years ago, so what is the difference between playing 
old music that is 80 years old and music that is 60 years old. The whole 
concept of jazz is alien to many young people anyway.


> We also sell his love of life, sexiness (4 wives, numerous girlfriends),
> Swiss Kriss, Marihuana, Beads, and the general double entendre of jazz. And
> we sell quotes from his admirers like Miles Davis (kids knowa bout him) who
> said: You can't play jazz today without playing something Louis played."
> 
> Etc., etc., etc. In short, we are selling his legend, his mystique, and his
> influence on jazz. But not selling Potato Head Blues, or all that early
> stuff because the mass audience, and kids, are totally ignorant of it. And
> we are earthy jazz musicians, not art historians.
I'm really puzzled at your last comment. You can't get more earthy than 
'Gut Bucket Blues'. If your evolutionary dixieland evolves into 
politeness then you have lost the heat and excitement of the music.
Wild Bill and Art Hodes who were in their '80s when I played with them. 
They did not know how to be polite. Did they evolve? Maybe - but Art was 
still creating wonderful interpretations of 'Grandpa's Spells' 
'Washboard Blues' and 'Chimes Blues' and I have the recordings to prove it.
Cheers

John Petters
www.traditional-jazz.com