[Dixielandjazz] Porte ñ a Jazz Band/"cartoon music"

[Scott Anthony]

I'm really sorry, but I don't understand this whole "cartoon" label being 
placed on this band. It makes it sound like you guys are saying that any 
band that use charts cannot be considered a jazz band.

I think this band has incredible feel for the music and it sounds to me like 
they are having a really good time. When I played the mp3s on their site, 
the first thing I thought was, "Boy, this is great band" and started 
bouncing in my seat. They remind me of Paramount, Black Swan, the West End 
Jazz Band out of Chicago, and other really tight, extremely talented 
players. They could very well be improvising in places.

Turk had tight ensemble arrangements but I doubt many people would have 
considered him playing cartoon music.

Scott Anthony

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Charles Suhor" <csuhor at zebra.net>
To: "Steve Barbone" <barbonestreet at earthlink.net>
Cc: "dixieland jazz mail list" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>; "Russ 
Guarino" <russg at redshift.com>; "Bill Haesler" <bhaesler at bigpond.net.au>
Sent: Tuesday, January 16, 2007 3:12 PM
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Porte ñ a Jazz Band/"cartoon music"


> Agree with both Russ and Steve that the "cartoon" music and related
> styles are precise and take a good reader to play them well. In fact,
> you can ruin a good Mickey arrangement by getting either careless or
> too hip.
>
> I don't enjoy playing those styles, but that's a a matter of taste. I'm
> not a good sight reader, so that makes ANY reading gig a challenge, and
> "harder" than a fake/jam/jazz gig for me. Just the opposite for most of
> the players in the 18 piece band I play with. Jazz isn't just harder
> than playing the charts for 13 of them. They flat can't do it. I could
> improve my reading, a matter of degree, much easier than they could
> make what's a quantum leap for them into jazz. They've mastered the art
> of jazz section playing, no small accomplishment, but as Steve says,
> it's rarer to find competent jazz improvisers in any style. Of course,
> many are good at both, and they work a lot.
>
> Charlie Suhor
>
> On Jan 16, 2007, at 4:06 PM, Steve Barbone wrote:
>
>> on 1/16/07 4:40 PM, Russ Guarino at russg at redshift.com wrote:
>>> Call it what you will,
>>>
>>> If you have ever sat in a band that played this kind of music, you
>>> know how
>>> challenging it is.  Requires fast, precise playing in ensemble
>>> settings.
>>> Everybody had to be an exceptional musician.
>>
>> Yes, I totally agree and said so in my original post.
>>
>>> I have always found it exhilarating to play this music.
>>
>> Each to his own. I can understand that. I hate to play it. To me it is
>> like
>> playing Glenn Miller arrangements.
>>
>>> Trad jazz is easy by comparison.
>>
>> Totally disagree. Any trained musician can play cartoon music well.
>> Only a
>> very few musicians of any sort can play trad jazz well. Especially the
>> improvisation part which many cannot do at all.
>>
>> Cheers,
>> Steve Barbone
>>
>
>
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