[Dixielandjazz] FW: Condon Style

[dingle at baldwin-net.com]

Jim Kashishian wrote:

>>The sound of Condon's band of the 1950s is always what I have in my mind
>>    
>>
>for the perfect >band ensemble sound. 
>
>There have been two posts making the above comment, and expressing surprise
>at someone saying that "ensemble work" was not the main aim of the band, or
>words to that sort.
>
>I suspect that Steve was probably comparing Condon's style vs. the U.S. West
>Coast style fashioned after Lu Watters, where the band plays few or even no
>solos.  I doubt if he meant that the Condon band had no ensemble work to
>speak of.  
>
>A band can have very intricate head ensemble arrangements (where a sit-in
>would be completely lost!), but be more based around the solos of the
>individual musicians.
>
>Jim
>
>
>
>
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>  
>
For years I have wanted to point out that there were TWO schools of West 
Coast Jazz, not just one that centered on the Waters/Scober/Murphy
two cornet approach. There was at the same time far more jazz of the 
Chiicago-New York approach, thanks to  the presence of so many people 
associated with the Crosby era Bobcats and related Chciago styles. In 
the late 40's in the LA area you could hear bands led by Red Nichols, 
Pete Daily, Ben Pollack, Eddie Miller or Matty Matlock, Kid Ory, Clyde 
Hurley, Nappy LaMare, Ted Vesley, Eddie Skravanic, Rosey McHargue, and 
others. Jack Teagarden played in small bistro's on Hollywood Blvd., and 
even Louis held down the stand at the Streets of Paris there for a time. 
These were not bands in  the San Francisco/Turk style, and for those of 
us growing up and entering the ranks of this other style, the learning 
curve was wide and wonderful for  a student-jazzer-in-preparation. Yet, 
these days mention "West Coast" jazz and  most only  think Turk or 
Scobey or similar styled bands.
There were other faces to West Coast jazz, and for that....and for 
people like Clyde Acker and his Jump Records saving that style on 
records, it made  it  even more easy to lean to the "other West  Coast" 
school of jazz -- one that is often overlooked.
Ah, such is the world's attention span -- here today, forgotten 
tomorrow. But not by this child. (Card me please, barkeep -- it's been 
so long!)
Don Ingle