[Dixielandjazz] Portenia "Jazz" Band/Please don't Misunderstand

[Charles Suhor]

On Jan 15, 2007, at 9:59 AM, Steve Barbone wrote:

> I agree that the Portenia Jazz Band exhibits excellent musicianship. 
> They
> obviously know what they are doing
> http://www.porteniajazzband.com.ar/principal.htm
> However, in my ears they are playing cartoon music. Not a bad thing 
> for us
> graybeards because we love that stuff. Conjures up all sorts of neat
> memories about Tom & Jerry, Fritz The Cat, and countless movie 
> memories from
> the 1930s. IMO if that's what they want to do great...

I listened to the band today but missed the earlier discussion. If it 
has focused on the EXTENT TO WHICH the group can be called a "jazz" 
band, Fred Hoeptner's  1/13 entry is 100% the best way of considering 
the question, IMHO. Fred sez:

>> In my opinion, musical styles are simply not subject to assignment of 
>> hard
>> and fast boundaries; instead, they are fuzzy.   A valid definition, 
>> say of
>> "trad jazz," must emphasize typical characteristics.  As a particular
>> example deviates away from these characteristics, at some point it no 
>> longer
>> should be called "trad jazz."

The characteristics of the Portenia band are (agreeing with Steve) 
those of roaring 20's reading bands--ragtime articulation, fast 
vibratos, zippy and unvaried 2-beat rhythm through, lack of 
improvisation, etc.--the opposite of what I suspect most of us would 
list as characteristics of jazz. Bands like the New Leviathian in N.O. 
and Karl Koening's group do this with vintage arrangements. It's of 
historical interest as period popular music, and I like to hear it 
occasionally for that reason, but if you want to call it jazz, I'll 
challenge you to a duel, or at least, a round of Scrabble. It has 
qualities that can be called "cartoonish" and "corny" as descriptive 
terms without ill intent.

Charlie Suhor