[Dixielandjazz] Why a modern jazz pianist studied Waller, Joplin and Morton.

[Steve Barbone]

Below is excerpted from a long NY Times article about Antoine Dowdell, a
modern jazz pianist in NYC.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone


"Antoine Dowdell, who teaches students classical piano, had years of musical
training, including the High School of Music and Art in Hamilton Heights and
Clark Atlanta University, but in his improvised playing he lacked rhythmic
and melodic direction. So his brother urged him to learn stride piano and to
get in touch with one of his brother's mentors, Ron Burton, who was Rahsann
Roland Kirk¹s pianist in the 1960s and played steadily with his brother
around New York for years."

"After a recent lesson in Mr. Dowdell¹s apartment, Mr. Burton explained how
playing Scott Joplin and Fats Waller tunes had helped Mr. Dowdell anchor his
playing with a strong rhythmic left hand. He said he then introduced
gradually more rhythmically advanced styles of Jelly Roll Morton and Erroll
Garner before delving into more modern playing."