[Dixielandjazz] Now You Has JAZZ !

[David Dustin]

Given the bleeding landscape of world events as we head into the Ides of
March, 2007, it¹s beyond unfortunate that an amazing community of music
lovers, united around the world in reverence for ³OKOM² jazz, should have to
contend with voices who glory in sowing artificial divisions. Certainly in
the U.S.A., ³our kind of jazz² appears threatened so sufficiently by
commercial forces that one would not expect patronizing and exclusionary
attitudes toward excellent European jazzers such as the Bratislava Hot
Serenaders.  (Kudos to these superlative bands for their dedication and
artistry.)  Per-capita today, it¹s conceivable that there are more great
OKOM jazz bands and musicians keeping the music alive OUTSIDE the borders of
the United States of America than are left scuffling for dwindling audiences
within.  (I bet we know someone who will quickly supply the answer to this
question.)  To the extent this hypothesis is in any way valid, one could
argue that any Yankee¹s entitlement to be the arbiter of when ³You Has Jazz²
is diminished or entirely bogus.  If it feels like jazz, sounds like jazz,
and makes you want to dance like jazz does, it¹s JAZZ whether played in New
Orleans, Liverpool, Paris, Amsterdam, Munich, Madrid, Budapest, Moscow,
Beijing, Sydney, Perth, or Tokyo.

I sometimes ask my Japanese friend if anything I played in a gig sounded to
him like OKOM jazz.  So far, he¹s unwilling to concede that I am even
playing in a recognizable key, given that I am cursed with a trombone
instead of his beloved piano.  But if I keep woodshedding long enough, I
might reach a point where Goro says it almost sounds like Jazz.  And that¹s
my goal.

Bells up,

David Dustin