[Dixielandjazz] Early Jazz Bands and musicians who read

[Mike]

The only arrangements my college group does is Panama, New 
Orleans Stomp, Black Bottom Stomp, Gatemouth & Drop That Sack. 
We've found that it takes a balance of good ears and decent 
reading skills to get through the arrangements. Most of us were 
classically trained initially so the reading part isn't so much 
of an issue. With us it's style and improv that gets the most 
attention.

  Of course, once you practice something long enough you'll be 
able to hear it and won't need the chart. We even find ourselves 
building on arrangements.



Larry Walton Entertainment - St. Louis wrote:
Small groups tend to be more free wheeling as well as groups 
that have
> been together for a long time.  My big Dixie band reads charts which is 
> heresy to many in the local jazz club.  Actually most of our charts 
> require both skills since they are made up of major stretches of chord 
> symbols in all parts.
> 
> If your band is an ensemble based band, then today, you need readers 
> that can do arrangements.  On the other hand if you are doing the 
> standard play the Dixie head, everyone takes solos then the Dixie out 
> chorus with someone doing the intros and hope to end together then you 
> don't need charts.
> 
> The division comes when you have a fairly large pool of players that can 
> play together at least a standard number of tunes.  This requires 
> musicians that have a good knowledge of the style, soloing and tunes.
> 
> The ensemble based groups can draw from a much larger pool of musicians 
> whose improv skills aren't on as high an order or are even beginners in 
> the idiom as long as they can read and play fairly well.  The high 
> knowledge of Dixie as a style isn't as needed either.  Don't take that 
> as I think you can be devoid of knowledge of Dixie either.  A 
> satisfactory performance can be achieved with less time spent.