[Dixielandjazz] That Funny Jas Band From Dixieland

[Larry Walton Entertainment - St. Louis]

Why is it that big business always gets a hold of art and takes the life
> blood out of it?
________________________________________________

Well the way music is played often has to do with what the particular 
audience wants or what the band or music producers think will sell.  Sorry 
if I offend the true music gourmets out there but 90% (well a lot anyway) of 
the listeners really don't like jazz as much as they like other things. 
What they like is tunes and sometimes it's hokey.

Just an example.  Yesterday I played a 50's sock hop.  The first three tunes 
we played got little reaction.  The people just sort of stared at us 
until.......we played How Much Is That Doggie In the Window?  We got half 
the people up and they danced.  They even clapped.  Go figure.

It's not always big business.  Like today, musicians at that time probably 
wanted to make money and if you are making a living at it and you are trying 
to sell records or book engagements you can't always be true to your 
feelings of what Jazz really is.  I think Pogo had it right, "We have found 
the enemy and he is us."

Novelty and Hoke sells.  As they say " A little Bit of Sugar Helps The 
Medicine Go Down".  If you want to play jazz try a little hoke so that the 
other people can get something out of your performance.  That doesn't mean 
you have to go stupid but some novelty helps.  Why do you suppose people 
like bands with a washboard in it?  It's the novelty and they like to watch 
the guy play.  Just what's wrong with people enjoying themselves or playing 
to that desire?

I know a band that does Be Bop and are just really good at it with killer 
musicians.  I'll tell you right now I book circles around them, yet every 
one of them plays better than I even hope to in the next life.  Maybe I know 
something they don't.
Larry
St. Louis
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Robert S. Ringwald" <robert at ringwald.com>
To: "Larry Walton" <larrys.bands at charter.net>
Cc: "Dixieland Jazz Mailing List" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Thursday, October 25, 2007 11:03 AM
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] That Funny Jas Band From Dixieland


> Marek Boym asks:
>
> > Any idea why I cannot get proper reception on redhotjazz?  It takes
>> ages to downloead and then either stumbles, or is so noisy as to be
>> impossible to listen!
>
>
> Marek,
>
> Do you have DSL, cable or dial up on telephone for your Internet service 
> provider?
>
> The recording in question, " That Funny Jas Band From Dixieland" sounds 
> very commercial for the time.  Doesn't sound like what I imagine the real 
> Jass bands of the era were playing.  It is more of a novelty, Ragtime 
> piece.
>
>
> While we do not have a recording of the black bands of that era, shortly 
> after, in 1922 or so we hear Kid Ory playing the real stuff.
>
>
>
> Why is it that big business always gets a hold of art and takes the life 
> blood out of it?
>
>
>
> It happened with Tin Pan Alley in the 20s & 30s and of course, is still 
> happening today.
>
>
>
> --Bob Ringwald
>
> Fulton Street Jazz Band
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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