[Dixielandjazz] A Funny Bit and a Comment on Jazz Societies

[Chris Tyle]

Back to jazz history 101...

Early jazz bands played for dancing. Even those in Chicago. End of story - there were no "jazz fans," per se, in those days. The people who went to listen and not to dance to bands like King Oliver and the New Orleans Rhythm Kings generally were musicians. Even the 78 records were geared for dancers - just check out all those record labels that read "fox-trot" or "one-step" or "waltz." 

Although there are not a lot of records by early jazz groups playing waltzes, they did indeed play them. Listen to the Original Dixieland Jazz Band's recording of "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles." http://redhotjazz.com/songs/ODJB/blowingbubbles.ram 

"Western Swing" is NOT a type of beat - it's a style of music. Check out Bob Wills' recording of "White Heat," an uptempo "jump" number. Then check out his recording of "Let's Ride with Bob" - which is a blues. His band played for dancers, and was very popular because they played a wide variety of music for dancing. I was told by Danny Alguire, cornetist who played with Bob Wills, that Bob was very careful about the tempi he kicked tunes off at, so that the music would be danceable. 

As a bandleader, I've always preferred to play tempos that are danceable. As a professional, if someone came up to me and asked for a certain tempo, I would oblige. 

Regards,
Chris Tyle


Randy Fendrick wrote:

At our monthly dance (gig) yesterday, a dancer asked us to play a cha 
cha, our leader was looking through the book, when I saw "Hey, Look Me 
Over"  which had been placed in the book as a special request for one 
reason or another.  Anyway, we played it as a cha cha.  Later, I was 
chatting with a regular member who commented that we had rehearsed some 
new material since our last gig. I assured him that we hadn't, but made 
up the arrangement on the spot.   Which leads to a comment on the 
plight of jazz societies.  Our society was started as a jazz society, 
but as the cliental began to die off, the jazz members are being 
replaced by dancers.  Dancers are o.k., but they bring requests, that 
really don't mix with the Chicago style jazz that we play, or for that 
matter, dixieland.  Yesterday, for example a man came up and asked for 
a tune that had a western swing beat, at 120 mm.  Which is much too 
fast for that type of beat,  the leader told him to "get lost" in a 
rather sarcastic way which passed over his head.  We later played 
"Caledonia"  at the agreed upon 100 mm beats per minute.  Our singer 
quickly got the tempo up to his correct tempo.  The point being 
listeners understand that jazz is an improvised music, where performers 
dictate the tempo.  There is really no correct tempo, only how the 
performer chooses to take it.   An example is St Louis Blues, many 
folks recall the Miller band playing St Louis Blues in the Glenn Miller 
Story as being used as a march at about 120 beats per minute, or march 
tempo, whereas the Count Basic Band played it on one recording at about 
80 beats per minute.  We do it ala Basie! at the 80 beats per minute.   
  My point is as in economics there is no such thing as a free lunch, or 
there is a cost to everything, and if you choose to make your jazz 
society a dance society then get ready for less jazz music.
later,
rf
Randy Fendrick
Southside Chicago Seven
Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra, ret