[Dixielandjazz] What is Jazz - Was Harlem Hot Jazz

[Steve Barbone]

Jerry Brown wrote:

>Dear Steve,

>I will not dignify your pathetic response with a
>detailed reply except to say you have your  very
>narrow definition of jazz whereby the rest of the
>world has a more catholic view of the subject.

How dare you categorize "my" definition of jazz when you don't know what it
is? (Read your own last paragraph below). And now you speak for "the rest of
the world" and its "catholic" view? How absurd is that?

>To accuse either John Farrell or myself of failing to
>comprehend the written word of simply illustrates the
>futility of your argument.

Obviously you both did not understand what I wrote. The exchange speaks for
itself. Not only before, but next contention below has the effrontery to
disagree with how Ellington described his own music.

>To make my position 100% clear:- The Dule Ellington
>Orchestra played 'jazz' as did the orchestras of
>Fletcher Henderson, Luis Russell,etc. and therefore a
>contempory band playing in the style of the aforesaid
>is also playing 'jazz'.

Let me quote Duke Ellington for you AGAIN, since you seemed to have missed
it the first time around:
"I am not playing jazz. I am trying to play the natural feelings of a
people. I believe that music, popular music of the day, is the real
reflector of the nation's feelings." Interview with Florence Zunser in "The
New York Evening Graphic." December 27, 1930.

Since Duke Ellington said that, who are you to challenge it?

>Ediue Condon's mob also played jazz albeit in a
>different style as did Bunk Johnson, Dizzy Gillespie,
>Chick Corea, Red Allen, Benny Goodman and an amazingly
>long list of others. Maybe, Steve, you could enlighten
>us with your definition of 'jazz'?

Gee, I thought you already knew. What is it? Like Louis Armstrong said;
"Jazz is what you are." How's that for Catholic?

Cheers,
Steve Barbone