[Dixielandjazz] Sitting In

[Steve Barbone]

jim at kashprod.com wrote (polite snip)


>>Steve has issued even another "truth":
>>The only way to become a competent jazz musician is to perform live with a
>>professional band........

>What happened to getting together with buddies of your own age, a record
>player (ok, CD player) & your horns?  This is how my original California
>gang started. So, sitting in is obviously not the "only way"!

Dear Jim: 

I guess, in your zeal to attack the messenger, you didn't notice the
disconnect in the above two statements. Let me help.

My statement which you quote, says nothing about "sitting in". Your
inference based upon it: ("So, sitting in is obviously not the only way!")
is a faulty. I would guess that almost all of us played first with people
our own age. I also think that doing so, by itself, did not make us
competent jazz musicians.

I simply stated that one must perform live with a professional band to
become a competent jazz musician and until someone can argue persuasively
that the statement is false, it is indeed a truth.

Please folks, don't bring up Denny Zeitlin MD. He was performing, for money,
at the Trident in Sausalito California in the 1960s with a PROFESSIONAL TRIO
that included bassist Charlie Haydn, while going to Medical School in San
Francisco. Hell of a player, hell of a trio. Martha and I would go see them
frequently when we lived in that beautiful town.

Hopefully we do not have to define "professional" and "competent jazz
musician" yet again, . . . sigh.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone