[Dixielandjazz] Harlem Jazz? was Cartoon music of the Bratislava Hot Serenaders

[Jerry Brown]

Hi Steve,

Thou doest utter from the wrong place. As probably one
of the few DJMLers to have seen the Bratislava Hot
Serenaders live (Whitley Bay JF last year) I can say
that they are one of the best bands in their
particular field.

To suggest that what they play is not jazz is complete
nonsense. During the course of their performances they
play plenty of Dule Ellington material and similar
arrangements with improvised solos from individual
band members. Yes they also play 'popular' and 'dance'
music of the period but with a jazz feel but so did
the originators. I'm sure the King Oliver Creole Jazz
band played waltzs for the dancers although maybe they
did not record them. Certainly the ODJB did record
waltzs and we know their biggest success in the UK was
the appearances at the Hammersmith Palais, one of the
biggest dance halls in London.

You have achieved a landmark in the DJML annals in
companing Duke Ellington's music with that of Kenny G.
Wow!

Maybe it is not the kind of freewheeling music as
expertly played by Eddie Condon and his associates
(and attempted by your band) but neither was the music
of Jelly Roll Morton's RHP, King Oliver's CJB,
Fletcher Henderson and most other bands of the
originating period of jazz. 

I have been very quiet since returning to the DJML but
really could not these ridiculous remarks go
unchallenged.

Cheers,

Jerry
Norwich
U.K.

--- Steve Barbone <barbonestreet at earthlink.net> wrote:

> "Robert S. Ringwald" <robert at ringwald.com>
> 
> > Hey Bill,
> > 
> > Please don't call it Cartoon Music.  It is great,
> Hot Harlem Jazz.
> 
> 
> Hi Bob:
> 
> Do you mean Haarlem as in The Netherlands? I can't
> recall any bands in
> Harlem NYC playing as Mickey Mouse as that.
> 
> Seriously, though, the Bratislave musicians are
> excellent. The band is well
> arranged. BUT, Is it jazz?
> 
> Guys like Eddie Condon would have said no and
> reminded us that jazz in the
> 1920s/30s was popularly associated with Whiteman,
> Gershwin and Irving
> Berlin. and that the Bratislava Band was playing
> popular music.
> 
> Perhaps that kind of music in the "jazz age", as
> compared to the real jazz
> of the originators, (Oliver, Bolden, Armstrong,
> Bechet et al) is more like
> what Kenny G and his clones play today, compared to
> the real jazz of this
> and/or any other era?
> 
> Cheers,
> Steve Barbone
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>  
> 
> 
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