[Dixielandjazz] When is it not jazz?

[Steve Barbone]

"Larry Walton Entertainment - St. Louis" wrote:
 
> Actually Jazz existed before swing was invented so it doesn't have to swing
> to be jazz but some musicians use that term for "good jazz" as in "He
> Swings" meaning he plays well.
> 
> One of the difficult things to get across and also do for jazzers is play
> music without swinging it when required.  The further we get away from the
> Ragtime and early Dixie eras is it becomes more and more difficult to find
> musicians that can switch between the two.  We are so ingrained (and like)
> swing that we just do it.  A good example is the Star Spangled Banner.
> About the only people that play it correctly is military bands and symphony
> orchestras.  Everyone else swings it and worse.

Well said Larry. The word "swing" can be used in many different senses. And
while many early jazzers might have swung, their music didn't.

Regarding the components of "Jazz", well, they have changed over the past
100 years as the rules keep getting modified. Whether we like it or not. So
what is jazz? Who the hell knows?

Cheers,
Steve Barbone