[Dixielandjazz] Porte ñ a Jazz Band (was Please don't Misunderstand)

[tcashwigg at aol.com]

Hi my esteemed colleagues:

Steve will of course speak for himself and reply to this reply from a 
list mate that I know is not only highly respected by Steve , myself 
and probably everyone else on this list, a true treasure for all of us.

Bill, I would like to comment on at least My Opinion, of this 
categorization of this fine band and your correct comment that they are 
adored and admired in EUROPE AND AUSTRALIA.   Having toured Europe 
extensively I can fully understand that and why.   Us yank's seem to 
always be on a mission for the new and most exciting New thing, and 
often throw away our greatest contributions to society and world 
culture ( Jazz Music) considering much of it old hat.   This comes 
primarily from being a Radio media driven society with the latest 
greatest hit being whatever they want to foist upon us every day.

In many European countries the love of American Music seems to still be 
about 30 years behind in general popularity ( which is not an insult to 
our European friends at all, but a GOOD thing for American music and 
TRADITIONAL JAZZ IN PARTICULAR.   Heck in this country we can't even 
keep a Spouse long enough to grow old together ( well at least 50% of 
us ).   We live unfortunately in a throw away society, now slowly 
turning into a recycling society ( hopefully we will soon recycle OKOM 
)  which some of us are trying to do.   we now must pay $33.00 for an 
import or out of print USA recordings of artists that were thrown out 
with the trash here thirty to fifty years ago that we could have bought 
here for $2.00   Hey in some places in South America a 1949 Chevy 
pickup truck is still considered NEW.

It is the fact that many other non USA societies that tend to embrace 
our music and hold it dear for a lot longer than we do at home, that 
keeps it alive and give some of us career opportunities to go abroad 
and play it where it is still respected and loved by the masses when 
often we can't even Give it away for Free in the USA.

So I would venture to say that our colleague Steve meant no disrespect 
to that fine Portuna Jazz band at all, just trying to put them into 
perspective as to how things are in the USA the birthplace of the 
music.   Which now prides itself on fine "Authentic Dixieland Trios", 
and even Two & three piece marching bands in New Orleans.   Shame on us.

Cheers,

Tom Wiggins



-----Original Message-----
From: bhaesler at bigpond.net.au
To: barbonestreet at earthlink.net; dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
Sent: Mon, 15 Jan 2007 9:55 PM
Subject:  Re: [Dixielandjazz] Porte ñ a Jazz Band (was Please 
don't   Misunderstand)

   Dear Steve,
I am not surprised that you did not 'really' care for the Porteña Jazz 
Band,
given your oft-stated jazz preferences on this and other forums.
A pity.
But to call it 'cartoon music' is to miss completely what it is all 
about.
Perhaps you feel the same way about the exciting music of Vince 
Giordano &
the Nighthawks?
It is music of a period with strong echoes of the early, pre-Swing black
bands like Duke, Moten, Charlie Johnson, McKinney, Jelly Roll Morton's
several big bands (think "Burnin' The Iceberg"), Henderson, Luis 
Russell,
Louis in the 30s, Calloway, et al. (Even the white Goldkette orch.)
A period music which many of us grew up listening to on records in the 
mid
40s when we were knee-high to a grasshopper.
A music which shaped our appreciation of what else was happening at the
time, and what was to come.
It is not just "good music for them [Porteña]", it is "bloody" good 
music
full stop, if you can ditch your 'cartoon/Mickey Mouse" pre-conception.
(Do what John Farrell does. Play it in hifi at full blast!)
OK, they may be reading, although it sounds like they know the charts
backwards, as it was with those early bands mentioned above.
It was consistent with the jazz (Condon called it music) mix of the 
time,
and the Porteña do it extremely well.
However, I concede that you have probably based your assessment on the
available <youtube> and Google extracts. This is the current band and 
the
swinging video clips/sound bites come from the 90s on.
Try and locate the LPs/CDs the band made in the 60s and 70s. Those from
which I first discovered them in the late 60s.
They contain 'hot' jazz, based on an understanding of the recorded 
music of
1923-29 Oliver and the Louis Hot 5/7s through to early 1930s Henderson,
Ellington and all in between. And it is not cloned.
Perhaps you hit it on the head when you said "My only point is that it 
is
not the kind of Jazz, if jazz at all, that will go anywhere at all with
TODAY'S GENERATIONS IN THE USA. [my emphasis]."
Perhaps you ARE right, but packed audiences in Europe, Britain and South
America would disagree with you.
Very kind regards,
Bill.
PS: I've Googled and Yahoo'd trying to find where to buy the Porteña JB 
CDs,
particularly those I do not have of the early LP reissues I have had for
yonks.
Perhaps someone 'listening-in' to this exchange of views might have a
definite lead.
Bill.




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