[Dixielandjazz] SxSW

[Steve Barbone]

Dan Augustine <ds.augustine at mail.utexas.edu> wrete

> Where is the music going?  Nowhere near OKOM.
> Here's the list of performers who won at the Austin Music Awards
> (http://www.austin360.com/calendar/content/events/stories/2007/03/15awardwinne
> rs.html). 
> Note that the winner under Jazz was Blaze (who/whatever that is) and
> that the closest any group came to OKOM is under Novelty, with the
> White Ghost Shivers (http://www.whiteghostshivers.com/ ) winning
> (actually, somewhat of an achievement even in that category).
> As a friend of mine explained, all of these bands and categories
> carry the invisible label of "guitar-based".  Thus the answer is
> clear: play an electric guitar (and maybe also for good measure, an
> electric bass) in your OKOM band, even to get noticed by anyone in
> this crowd.  Y'all also need to let your hair (if you have any left)
> grow, or maybe comb your eyebrows up over your bald head . . .

Well at last there is some jazz at SxSW. Check out this group, currently
based in Kobe Japan, with some players originally from China. Maybe not
OKOM, but jazz per the current definitions. You can listen at: (click
"stream")

http://2007.sxsw.com/music/showcases/band/38612.html

OR this jazz group from Austin Texas:

http://2007.sxsw.com/music/showcases/band/40951.html

There is more jazz there, but one must search for it. :-) VBG.

BTW, electric guitar in a Dixieland Band is not a bad thing. We do it and it
works, witness the Wedding lead for a "foot stomping jazz band" just passed
on to New Orleans Band Leaders. Kenny Davern used one almost exclusively
during the last decade of his life. Note the recent Arbors CD he made as a
sideman with Randy Reinhart fronting. Swings its ass off with Kenny's rhythm
section. Not many small OKOM bands in the world are that good.

Perhaps we oldsters need not have any hair, but rather have, besides  an
awareness of what the past years of steady development have brought in jazz,
an awareness of the contemporary scene with all its shadings of feeling.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone