[Dixielandjazz] vocals - Musical ADHD

[Don Ingle]

And she is married to Russ Whitman, perhaps the best bass sax player to 
come along the pike since Joe Rushton and one hell of a fine tenor sax 
and clarinet player. Carol is what is known in the trde as a "belter" 
and that she can.
Good guys to work with, both of them.
Don Ingle

Ron L'Herault wrote:
> The Salty Dogs' vocalist was/is? Carol Leigh.  She was super when I saw her
> several years ago and to top it off she wore authentic twenties era clothing
> (and wore them very well, indeed!).
>
> Ron
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: dixielandjazz-bounces at ml.islandnet.com
> [mailto:dixielandjazz-bounces at ml.islandnet.com] On Behalf Of Larry Walton
> Entertainment - St. Louis
> Sent: Friday, May 25, 2007 2:36 PM
> To: lherault at bu.edu
> Cc: Dixieland Jazz Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] vocals - Musical ADHD
>
> With my big Dixie band I have a Female Vocalist who is pretty good and works
>
> the crowd.  There is room for improvement but I think she's worth having in 
> the band.
>
> We are starting to do a lot of vocals.  When I work as a duo I do a lot 
> more, almost every tune has a vocal chorus.  With the big band I don't do as
>
> many.  I tend to sing the old favorites like Jada, Carolina In The Morning 
> etc.
>
> Just having a female vocalist is also not the norm around here.  I was 
> impressed with a vocalist that was with the Salty Dogs.  I think that was 
> the group anyway.  They were here at a jazz fest about 7 or 8 years ago. 
> She could really work the crowd and was a big hit.
>
> So I'm giving it a try with a vocalist and a couple of others sing some too.
>
> I just think it helps you connect with people more and if you do that you 
> can do well.  I have performed with strictly instrumental groups and some of
>
> them have been very good but there's something lacking.
>
> I understand that musicians like to stand up and play solos and show off but
>
> I'm not so much about that.  I prefer doing a lot of tunes an hour and that 
> the band be more ensemble oriented rather than a string of solos.  There is 
> another advantage to this and that is you don't have to have killer 
> musicians in every chair to put on a good show.
>
> If you expect a musician who hasn't the chops to play solos every tune then 
> you will have a hole in every tune.  I think it's better to let people do 
> what they can do well and if it's only 8 bars then it's only 8 bars.  I 
> would much rather have a musician be able to take a good 8 bar solo than 
> expect the same person to hack through things he isn't capable of.
>
> I guess I must get bored fast but I just don't like long extended solos.  I 
> came to that conclusion when I was in the AF and I was playing lead tenor 
> with the big band.  There was an extended solo that went like 3 or 4 
> choruses on Sweet Georgia Brown. At least the second two choruses had 
> something to play against.   I would just run out of things to say by the 
> end of the second chorus but it went on and on and on.  I'm sorry but 32 
> bars is enough for anyone and even that's too much a lot of times.
>
> I like things changing off -  That could come from the clicker mentality 
> that we have now - get bored - Click!!  Maybe I have Musical ADHD.
> Larry
> St. Louis
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Jim Kashishian" <jim at kashprod.com>
> To: "Larry Walton" <larrys.bands at charter.net>
> Cc: "Dixieland Jazz Mailing List" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
> Sent: Friday, May 25, 2007 10:28 AM
> Subject: [Dixielandjazz] vocals
>
>
>   
>> I'll just have to add my thoughts to this one...
>>
>> Vocals/singers have always been the "naughty word" amongst 
>> instrumentalists.
>> Standing in the background while a singer "fronts" the band is not 
>> normally
>> what we like to do.
>>
>> However, in our kind of music, one tends to run into the "singer within 
>> the
>> band" more than having to back a singer for a whole set.  And, yes, I do
>> believe strongly that this is something audiences like.
>>
>> Perhaps the common person is able to "connect" easier with the vocalist 
>> than
>> a musician.  (Everyone can sing, well or poorly, but not all have the
>> knowledge of a musical instrument.)
>>
>> I carry the tune in our band, and I know as a fact that without the vocals
>>     
>
>   
>> a
>> lot of our gigs wouldn't happen.  That is not because I have some kind of
>> great voice, but has more to do with the above mentioned fact.
>>
>> Those in our band have all had too many years backing some very well-known
>> singers, and prefer to leave all that behind us.  The odd chorus sung by
>> yours truly is acceptable & works commercially.
>>
>> Funny story:  once, during a sorta wild version of Darktown Strutter's 
>> Ball
>> I dropped the microphone.  Instead of picking it up, I threw myself on the
>> floor after the thing....misjudged the distance, & smashed my lip on the
>> mic.  When I stood up (still singing energetically), there was blood all
>> over the mic, my shirt, etc.  The audience went wild! I think it brought 
>> out
>> the bullfighting spirit in them & they probably wanted to see if an ear
>> would be cut off next!!   :>
>>
>> Jim
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> To unsubscribe or change your e-mail preferences for the Dixieland Jazz 
>> Mailing list, or to find the online archives, pleas visit:
>>
>> http://ml.islandnet.com/mailman/listinfo/dixielandjazz
>>
>>
>>
>> Dixielandjazz mailing list
>> Dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
>>
>>     
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> To unsubscribe or change your e-mail preferences for the Dixieland Jazz
> Mailing list, or to find the online archives, pleas visit:
>
> http://ml.islandnet.com/mailman/listinfo/dixielandjazz
>
>
>
> Dixielandjazz mailing list
> Dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> To unsubscribe or change your e-mail preferences for the Dixieland Jazz Mailing list, or to find the online archives, pleas visit:
>
> http://ml.islandnet.com/mailman/listinfo/dixielandjazz
>
>
>
> Dixielandjazz mailing list
> Dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
>
>
>
>