[Dixielandjazz] Expanding the Repertoire for OKOM/Dixieland

[Steve Barbone]

 DWSI at aol.com

> To all the hard working bands out there, I'd love to hear your opinion  about
> what I hope you won't call a dumb idea. It seems to me that OKOM's  appeal
> could be broadened considerably by augmenting the list of songs played.  Does
> anyone venture into the 60's through 90's guitar-based repertoire and do it
> in Dixie style, for example? When I played piano in a Dixie band we would
> occasionally do Broadway show tunes in Dixie style (even before Louie's Hello
> Dolly) and it worked. Am I stating the obvious that everyone does already or
> is there room for new experimentation here?

Yes. We do all sorts of 60's tunes. Beatles, Elvis, Show Tunes (like "If I
Were a Bell" etc. These are tunes that the "middle aged" audience recognizes
and responds to. If other bands are not doing Beatles etc., they are missing
out on "connecting" with the mass, OKOM challenged, audience. Many of these
tunes work quite well in Dixieland format. Just like the popular tunes of
the 1920s did during that time.

We also use an amplified guitar as our chord instrument. Works great. Hear
what Kenny Davern was doing with one, or two guitars and his repertoire. Not
new idea, shoot, Bechet went into Nicks in NYC with 2 guitars in the 1940s.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone