[Dixielandjazz] Dixielandjazz Digest, Vol 58, Issue 24

[Stanley A. Klein]

On Mon, October 15, 2007 3:00 pm, jazzchops at isp.com wrote:

> Message: 3
> Date: Mon, 15 Oct 2007 07:44:22 -0000 (GMT)
> From: jazzchops at isp.com
> Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Uptown, Downtown and out-of-town
> To: dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
>
> All of that "Uptown" and "Downtown" stuff is, IMO, ridiculous, because
> viewed under the scrutiny of what really was going on in New Orleans it
> doesn't make any sense at all. It doesn't make geographic sense and it
> doesn't make stylistic sense, either.
>
> For example, King Oliver lived Uptown but he played downtown, but then
> sometimes he played uptown. Sometimes he played with Johnny Dodds, who was
> an Uptown musician, but he played "Downtown" style. But then sometimes he
> played with Jimmie Noone, who lived Downtown, but played "Uptown" style.
> The whole concept was someone's misguided attempt to quantify something
> that is basically too complex to be easily pigeon-holed.

The "someone" is Tex Wyndham.  I seriously doubt that he has email,
although his wife might.  He was the one who came up with a categorization
of jazz styles.  I first learned about them from Peter (I'm having a
senior moment on his last name) who founded this list.  Eventually I
bought a book of Tex Wyndham's columns that included the columns that
discussed the jazz style categories.  I think I may also have a tape
somewhere of a lecture Tex gave providing examples of the categories.

If you want to see the criteria he used, you would have to refer to his
columns, the book, or his other materials.  And if you want to criticize
the categories, other people just quote them.  Tex originated them.


Stan Klein