[Dixielandjazz] No chordal Instrument - was Two horn front line

[Larry Walton Entertainment - St. Louis]

Actually I totally agree with you that expert musicians and especially those 
same musicians who have played together for awhile and know what each other 
is going to do can bring it off.  Fine musicians can do about anything but 
unfortunately the vast majority of musicians don't fit this mold and I still 
maintain that instruments with similar voices and ranges have to be very 
careful to not step on others toes.  I'm not talking about a bass sax player 
doing melody while a tuba does one and five.  In Dixie with relatively 
simple chordal structure and more or less proscribed bass parts is just 
looking for a train wreck and doubling.  The problem grows less the higher 
you go because the higher instruments also have tonal differences that are 
more pronounced.

Again I'm not looking for the one or two instances that someone brought it 
off but the general practices of bands and why things work and typically 
don't.
Larry
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Gary Kiser" <gary at kiser.org>
To: "DJML" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Monday, September 18, 2006 5:22 PM
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] No chordal Instrument - was Two horn front line


> Larry Walton Entertainment - St. Louis wrote:
>
>>Another example, that I would think no one in their right mind
>>would try, is Tuba and Bass Sax.  Talk about a train wreck.  Players have 
>>to
>>be able to be sensitive as to what others are doing and why they are doing
>>it.
>>
>>
> You can double anything if the players are "sensitive as to what others
> are doing."  I don't know, I am often asked to sit in with bands that
> already have a bass instrument (bass, tuba, bass sax, etc.)  If you know
> what you are doing and understand the music, trains do not collide.
>
> To be honest, when I am asked to sit in and play a feature, it is a REAL
> treat to have a bass line behind me.  But, when I'm not playing the lead
> or soloing, you just have to listen to what the other bass player is
> doing.  If he/she goes high, go low; if he/she walks, go two beat or do
> a second trombone thing.
>
> And, I LOVE the Glen Ferris trio CD (trombone, cello, bass).  Nobody
> interferes with nobody here.  And, when Bill and John play together, I
> don't hear any problems with two trombones in the group.
>
> One of the bands I play with, the Mojo Brass Band, has no chordal
> instrument -- trombone, tenor sax up front; tuba, drums in the back.
> Judge for yourselves, our two demo CDs are at
> http://mojo.massifjazz.com/mp3/.
>
> All the best, Gary
>
>
>
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