[Dixielandjazz] Is it Jazz? was Brubeck

[Larry Walton Entertainment - St. Louis]

Pat
I had another thought about the ITM sax solo.  Normally I really dislike 
playing written solos.  When I was in college I constantly chafed at the 
exacting requirements of the first Oboe chair in the Orchestra as well as 
other groups I played in.  Some people seem to glory in it but playing 
something over and over just drove me nuts.  I could do it but I just didn't 
like it.  I felt like a record player.

This is were having a split personality helps.  I like to hear the ITM sax 
solo exactly as it is written as well as some of the other Miller solos.  I 
think they are hard to improve on and I have heard many players turn in less 
than good improvised performances.  They would have been better off reading 
the spots.  So I try to play them as accurately as I can knowing that the 
people listening to me probably prefer that I did.  I have to say that those 
are the only solos that I feel that way about.  But! I don't consider myself 
as playing jazz when I do it.
Larry
StL
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "pat ladd" <pj.ladd at btinternet.com>
To: "Larry Walton Entertainment - St. Louis" <larrys.bands at charter.net>
Cc: "jazz" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Wednesday, August 15, 2007 2:18 PM
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Is it Jazz? was Brubeck


> Lets call them Jazz A and Jazz B>>
>
> Hi Larry,
> I think that is a pretty neat explanation and no real argument against it 
> occurs to me.   I was already composing my reply by comparing a great work 
> of art to an indistinguishable copy but you beat me to the punch.
>
> One question which emerges is `how slightly does my Jazz B copy 
> improvisation have to differ from the original Jazz A to become Jazz A in 
> its own right?
>
> Cheers
>
> Pat
>
>