[Dixielandjazz] Beginner sit ins

[J. D. Bryce]

I'm inclined to agree with Ed.  My son got a degree in Music Education at
the University of Maryland, College Park.  He studied jazz performance with
Chris Vidala; a superb alto sax soloist who played and recorded with Chuck
Mangione. But in 4 years, he studied no trad at all.  It was all modern;
post WW II to the present.

I am certain that the reason high school jazz band directors select the
repertoire they do, is because that's what they've been exposed to at
college.  I played a gig with one of the heads of the UMD music department,
a tuba player. I asked him about why the kids aren't exposed to Eddie
Sauter, Jerry Grey, Bill Challis and the other trad arrangers. He really
didn't have an answer. The only Jerry Grey they play is "In the Mood."  They
all know that one!

My son is a fine sax player, but still is a bit at sea when it comes to the
trad repertoire.  He's used to playing tunes where there are perhaps 3 or 4
chord changes.  He gets in to Coltrane, exotic tri-tone substitutions and
altissimo passages. Sujperb technique with variations and extended solos.
But essentially, it does nothing for me. I need to hear changes and
direction in solos.

Jack Bryce
Soon to be back in Jersey, Ed!



----- Original Message ----- 
From: <Edmetzsr at aol.com>
To: "Jack Bryce" <brycejo at comcast.net>
Cc: <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Monday, July 09, 2007 6:42 PM
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Beginner sit ins


>
> In a message dated 7/9/2007 1:11:58 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
> larrys.bands at charter.net writes:
>
> We have had Jazz Big band contests but has anyone else done this before on
an
> individual or small group basis?
>
> Larry, each year, the Treasure Coast Jazz Society awards substantial cash
> prizes ($ thousands) to the "best" High School Jazz Musicians to apply
toward
> their College Treasure Chest.
>     For the past two years (in late March or early April), I've been asked
to
> serve as a judge for the "auditions", along with another local musician
more
> oriented toward the more contemporary forms of jazz.
>     The award(s) can be made to one, two or three of the students at the
> discretion of the judges, with a review of the liaison person from the
TCJS.
>     In the two years of my term, the decision of the judges has not been
> terribly difficult. No more than 6 students show up although they are
encouraged
> to do so by their band directors. The band directors seem to know which
kids
> have the kind of skills necessary to compete, at that age group. So far,
we've
> had graduating seniors only to judge.
>     The real talent jumps right out, because the kids have to play at
least
> one number with some local pros. This year we had Red Hawley on drums, the
> other judge on guitar and me on piano, and a local bass player, often
Rabbit
> Simmons. This was something that Parke Frankenfield was heavily involved
with for
> many years before his passing.
>     Although the students get through their rehearsed selections quite
well
> (allowing for some jitters), like a Coltrane tune or a Bossa Nova, when it
> comes time to play along with the pros, even on a simple blues like C Jam
Blues,
> they come apart. Last year, one young trumpet player played the heck out
of a
> difficult Myles Davis tune, but then sounded like a beginning freshman
when it
> came time to play along with a group - no ideas, no tone, no feel for
chord
> changes, etc. We were all embarrassed for him.
>     So there you are. They all practice, practice, practice or their band
> leaders wouldn't send them (more than a dozen High Schools are invited -
private
> as well as public) and they come in being able to play at a relatively
skilled
> level. However, most of them really fall down when it comes for knowing
how
> to play with a group, how to support other members of the group, and as
for
> repertoire - wow!!! Myles, Coltrane, are well represented. As for Bechet,
Louis,
> Bix, et al, WHO ARE THEY? That's a teacher problem in this day and age in
my
> opinion.
>     When my son Eddie (who is well known to folks on this list) did his
> senior recital for his Jazz Performance degree more than 20 years ago, he
asked me
> to join in and we did a bunch of obscure Benny Goodman things. The faculty
was
> astonished. In his 4 years at the school which included his stint with
Count
> Basie, never did any of his course work include taking a look at pre WWII
> jazz. Imagine, a degree in Jazz Performance with no exposure to early
jazz,
> ragtime, or swing. Little wonder that today's high school teachers are not
passing
> along our great legacy. They don't have a clue!!!
>     Time to quit!!
> Ed Metz (Sr.)
>
>
>
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