[Dixielandjazz] Condon Style

[Steve Barbone]

RoddyTpt at aol.com wrote:

> Hiya!
 
> have been asked into a band of the above style....could someone point me to
> an album that quintissentially displays the above style accurately...the
> description is not mine....
 

One of the best recordings of this style is the Mosaic re-issue. 5  CDs of
superb Eddie Condon with a variety of musicians in addition to him.
Including Cutshall, McGarity, Hall, Wilber, Hucko, Butterfield, Wild Bill
Davison, Hackett, Wettling, Schroeder and on and on.

Condon left a HUGE recorded legacy all of which is "Condon Style". Much of
it is still available.

But one note, from my listening experiences to various Condon groups live.
None of the recorded stuff, good as it is, comes close to the power of that
music LIVE. You had to be there to really see/hear the magic. For those in
New Orleans, ask Jack Maheu. He was there too.

Roddy, send me your snail mail address and I will send you a Barbone Street
CD (of a lesser band) playing (albeit loosely) in Condon style.

Basically one or two chorus' in, then everybody solos, then one or two
chorus' out. The key is the improvisational skill of the players. His bands
could play the same songs night after night, yet the solos were always fresh
and different. So guys like me, never got tired of hearing "Indiana" etc.,
because they made a new tune out of it each time.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone