[Dixielandjazz] Bratislava Hot Serenaders

[Tamas Ittzes]

Dear listmates,

Thanks God I missed the original postings about the Bratislava Hot
Serenaders - it seems to be quite a flaming even now. Please, Steve and
everyone, accept my 10 cents here:

I have invited the Bratislava Hot Serenaders to my festival twice and we
most probably will have them again next year. First of all, let me tell
you that I strongly think that they are playing jazz. But I also think
that the original recordings that they are mostly copying (Goldkette,
Whiteman etc.) are jazz. Well, Bix, Venuti, Rollini, Charmichael and
others played in those bands. Who knows the difference between the best
dance bands and jazz bands of the era? In many cases they were the same.
(I'm not talking about "society dance" bands.) Well, Armstrong was Mr.
Jazz himself, everybody seems to agree in this - and he played lots of
pre-arranged, not-improvised charts, sweet shit with lots of strings
etc. and still we think that it was jazz - maybe only because of him.
Was the New Orleans Rhythm Kings jazz? Blacks, creoles. And they played
the very same (and not very jazzy) solos on three or even more tracks of
Tin Roof Blues, for example.

I had the privilege to be invited to play two tunes with the Bratislava
Hot Serenaders (and not Bratislave, Steve, they are not slaves). Juraj
Bartos, leader of the band was VERY strict about phrasing and wanted
everything to sound the same as on the original recordings. So when I
wanted to play something a little more jazzy on the fiddle, he said "NO"
- and I knew what he meant. And yes, it was better then. Occasionally,
they leave space for individual, improvised solos but they are always
within the idiom. And not many can do this. Being strict about these
kinds of things is the secret of their greatness. They sound exactly as
the original recordings - but I have never felt that they were just
preserving the era; they always re-created it for us who never had the
chance to experience it ourselves. By the way, most band members can
play improvised music and Juraj, who is not only leader but a great
trumpet player, is a very good be-bop and free jazz musician as well.
And he also plays classical music in orchestras, too, especially
contemporary music. And he is a GREAT musician, because he knows the
borders of the idiom he has to stay within musically. And that is very
important. If you break the rules, you play shit. (Yes, I know that
pioneers always broke the rules and never cared for the rules - but you
always need boundaries as also pioneers erected then their new
boundaries in a newly created style, think of Bird and many others.)

Steve, you wrote about jazz:
-------
What is it? Like Louis Armstrong said; "Jazz is what you are." How's
that for Catholic?
-------
Well, if Juraj Bartos and his musicians feel that the music, they play
and recreate, means them, then it is jazz. By the way, if I can
assimilate myself into Bach's music sometimes, or identify myself with
it - just as I really can - is it jazz? I think that definitions can't
help, whoever said them. As soon as you put it down on paper, it can be
a good basis for misunderstanding.

And, finally, sorry to write this, Steve but I think, I have to tell you
now that as a DJML member, who is mostly just lurking, I am not very
happy to read your arrogant comments from time to time. I enjoy most of
your postings but when you get personal you intend to act as someone who
always knows better. I am VERY critical myself, too but I wish you would
accept others more. You know that we are many different people here on
this list from many different countries with many different views, so
please, don't be a judge. Jerry and John are among the most
knowledgeable members of the list - you can have different views and
express them as gentlemen. Please.

Thanks for listening,

Tamas from Hungary
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Tamas ITTZES
violin teacher, ragtime pianist, festival organizer
Bohem Ragtime Jazz Band
Kecskemet Jazz Foundation
Mailing address: H-6001 KECSKEMET, Pf. 652., Hungary
Phone: +36(20)82-447-82
E-mails: tamas at bohemragtime.com, bohem at fibermail.hu
Web site: http://www.bohemragtime.com
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