[Dixielandjazz] Bix's Tone and Jazz as Entertainment

[Hal Vickery]

I have to admit that since the links to the YouTube videos of Gunhild
Carling's bagpipe rendition of "Amazing Grace" and her rendition of Kid
Ory's "Muskrat Ramble" solo at age seven, I've become hopelessly enamored
with her playing, and I've found another couple of videos of her on YouTube
that fit into these topics.

 

This first video basically is the way I hear Bix's tone.  It's a cornball
arrangement of a cornball song (written by Gunhild's father, Hans Carling),
and maybe that's why it reminds me of Bix.  On so many of those Whiteman
records he just exploded out of the ensemble and made the whole thing
worthwhile.  As I said, her tone here is exactly the way I hear Bix, for
what that's worth.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TYwjlID8BI

 

This next video of "Skokiaan" to me is a tour de force of jazz as
entertainment.  This was recorded when Gunhild was 18.  That's her brother
Max on clarinet, Hans on piano, sister Gerd on t-bone, mom Aina on banjo,
and brother Ulf on drums.  To me it's both entertainment with a capital E
and great jazz.  (At least the people I've shared this with have been
impressed!)

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQZqWM9Hcas

 

Hal Vickery