[Dixielandjazz] Playing Along - Was Jazz Is Alive and Well etc.

[Steve Barbone]

Russ Guarino <russg at redshift.com> wrote (polite snip)
 
>But It is not difficult to develop one's jazz improv chops with today's
>technology.
 
>Just get the CDs of the bands you like the best and fire up a "boom box" and
>play along. It doesn't take long to develop your own ideas as you play plus you
>can hear how great players  treat their solos.  This approach also is great
>training for finding "keys" and adjusting to modulations as they come along.

Good advice Russ. All of us old timers did that in the 40's when learning
how to play jazz. Even to the point of playing along with the radio shows
like Ted Husing's "Bandstand" or the New Orleans radio station late at
night. Both of which played Dixieland shows every day.

What was fun then is that many of the records played (or the turntables)
were not accurately pitched the to key the band originally played. Sometimes
we had to modulate up or down a half step, or a step, playing in weird keys,
or pull out the barrel or tuning slide and put the axe out of tune with
itself.

The new technology e.g. Archeophone repro of King Oliver, makes it a real
treat to play along.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone