[Dixielandjazz] Thoughts about Sound and Standard Dixieland Tunes

[Steve Barbone]

Simply my opinion.

SOUND: Sound depends upon the individual. Everyone is an "expert" regarding
what he/she thinks the correct sound is. And there will be various opinions
that range all over the lot. So, what to do?

The band leader is responsible for the sound being corrected to his/her
preferences. It is a given that not everyone in the band or audience will
agree. Too bad, but that's the way it is. And so band leaders like me will
smile, but politely ignore individuals who tell us we are too loud, too soft
etc., at the same performance. My view is that the sound has to carry to the
last row in the venue. That will make it too loud for the folks up front in
a large venue. So if one has sensitive ears, don't sit up front. <grin>

I'll never forget sitting in the 6th row, right side near a speaker bank at
a Harry Connick Jr. Big Band Concert in a 5000 seat open air venue. Couldn't
hear properly for 2 days afterwards.

It is also a given that not all sound crews will understand you and/or be
the professionals that you hope for. In that case, do the best you can. It
is my experience that sound crews want to do right by the band leader.
Sometimes they lack the expertise to do so. Hopefully that's rare.

Basically, Barbone Street has worked with experienced and helpful crews. My
post earlier this year about an inexperienced crew was the exception. And
when we get an inexperienced amateur, we find they want to help but
sometimes cannot. One solution for us is to mic the bass and guitar amps,
and if using monitors, only put the front line into the mix so the rhythm
section can hear us in large venues.

Foreign sound crews? Well in Eilat, Israel, Tom Wiggin's Ambassadors of New
Orleans did one sound check on a large stage, 3400 seat outdoor venue. That
crew did a fantastic job for the band if the audience reaction was any
measure. Tom and I both went out to the last row to hear both the individual
mics and overall mix during the check. The crew did exactly what we asked
for and couldn't have been more helpful.

Plus, each stage manager was fluent in the band language and Hebrew and made
sure we were satisfied. And since there were 6 acts on that stage, the his
band played Mon and Wed nights there, they were amazing because the crew had
everything written down and changed both mic placement, sound levels and
monitor mix to suit each band over the 3 day period.

STANDARD DIXIELAND TUNES: Again, from my opinion. Goes back to what the
individual band likes to play. What tunes swing and what tunes do not. For
example, others have said "Four Leaf Clover" works well for them. OK, but it
does not work for us and so we do not play it.

But we do play "I Got Rhythm" because it swings from the first 4 bars.
Played it yesterday with Jonathan Russell at our High Profile Equestrian
Event. Will play it again today there in a few hours. Why? Because we can
trade unrehearsed 8s, 4s, and 2s with Jonathan while he swings his little
butt off. Those who have played with him know exactly what I mean.

I think bands just found the popular tunes that they like to play. They may
have heard Louis do them, they may have heard Bix do them, they may have
heard Assunto do them, etc. But where they heard them is less important than
how they play them. E.G. I heard "If I were a Bell" at the original B'Way
show. Added it to our song list 15 or so years later when I resumed playing
because I liked the tune and it swings right out of the box. I choose our
band tune selection based upon what I think the audience will react
favorably too, what swings, and what we can have fun with. I don't think
Bunk, or A.J. Piron, or Buddy Bolden did it any differently.

By the same token, many current band leaders have told me that they don't
play "Hello Dolly" or "Indiana" because they are "boring". Disregarding the
fact that Louis Armstrong played them at virtually every program since he
made Dolly famous in 1963. And that current audiences love them. Go figure!

We play them often, but we never play them the same way twice. <grin>

Cheers,
Steve Barbone (going now to challenge Jonathan with bebop 8s, 4s, and 2s, as
well as High Society quotes)