[Dixielandjazz] Some People Want To Dance

[DWSI at aol.com]

Our New Year's Eve dinner party opened my eyes. My wife, mother-in-law, and  
I attended a country club gala with a "7 piece live orchestra" and we were  
excited. My wife and mother-in-law love to dance. I mean really dance. We  
shouldn't have gone. The 7 pieces centered on a loud, very bop-oriented sax  
player, with a very strong, (one beat), drummer. Now, don't get me wrong. I  
understand why musicians must practice their scales. But aren't we supposed do  that 
when we're alone, instead of all night long, on a so-called, "dance  job?" 
With two song exceptions, this 7-piece "orchestra" focused on the  same 
up-and-down-the-scales sax solo, (at best approaching a poor man's Blues'  Brothers 
feeling), with all the old folks, (like me), moving-but not really  dancing-on 
the alledged dance floor. Even my sweet mother-in-law, who is  very forgiving 
and kind, said it was "jiggle" music, not dance music; you go out  on the dance 
floor and jiggle around. My point is a simple one. Isn't there a  huge market 
for OKOM dance occasions? I used to dance to Dixie and even Ragtime,  not to 
mention the world of other OKOM varieties. My god! Whatever happened to  
booking OKOM for dancing? What am I not getting? And why is a bopper even  playing a 
dance job?

Dan (backup piano) Spink