[Dixielandjazz] West End Blues "cadenza"

[tduncan]

Anton is correct in picking this out and another possible misapplication of
a musical term by traditional jazz adherents is the use of the word "fugue"
to describe a "rhythm out, horns only, polyphonic section or chorus during a
tune." When our cornet player with a doctorate in music bridled at the use
of this term, I changed my call to "chaconne, fugue, call it what you will."
It still works.

Also, our much-maligned banjo player once referred to "playing a credenza."
He has never been allowed to forget this and we now always play a
"credenza". Another variation on the term . . . Jack Teagarden announces on
Basin Street Blues that he is "going to take a trambone coda."

Regards,

Tom Duncan
Doctor Dubious and the Agnostics
PO Box 2118      Teaneck, NJ 07666
P   (201)836-6076     FAX   (201)833-4143
www.doctordubious.com
 
 

-----Original Message-----
From: dixielandjazz-bounces at ml.islandnet.com
[mailto:dixielandjazz-bounces at ml.islandnet.com] On Behalf Of Anton Crouch
Sent: Thursday, September 13, 2007 4:54 AM
To: Tom Duncan
Cc: Dixieland Jazz Mailing List
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] West End Blues "cadenza"

Hello all

It's time to be picky, picky, picky  :-)

Strictly speaking, since it is played at the start of the performance, Louis
Armstrong's intro to "West End Blues" is not a cadenza.

Grove has: "A virtuoso passage inserted near the end of a concerto movement
or aria, usually indicated by the appearance of a fermata over an
inconclusive chord such as the tonic 6-4. Cadenzas may either be improvised
by a performer or written out by the composer; in the latter case the
cadenza is often an important structural part of the movement. 
In a broad sense the term 'cadenza' can refer to simple ornaments on the
penultimate note of a cadence, or to any accumulation of elaborate
embellishments inserted near the end of a section or at fermata points."

"Toccata", in the 17th century sense would be a better description. If
that's too heavy, "flourish" will do.

Pedantically yours,
Anton


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