[Dixielandjazz] Stylistic differences

[PHIL WILKING]

>  JDut953944 at aol.com asked:

> Could someone explain to me the difference between the three?  I
> was  asked
> that question yesterday and I didn't have a clue, except I know that
> N.O.  was
> first.
> Carol, Clarinet

Many on this list know much more than I, especially Chris Tyle, but I find 
that the older New Orleans jazz bandsmen  have a different synchopation 
technique from other jazz musicians.

Your typical "dixieland" front-liner will tend to jump the beat to 
synchopate and then try to drop back to it. Unfortunately, unless the 
drummer and other rhythm players have superhuman tempo sense, they will have 
tended to advance the beat to try to match up with the fellow playing in 
front of it, and the result is that the band plays faster and faster.

The old New Orleans men would synchopate by lagging the beat slightly, by 
putting a very brief rest at the start of the first measure to be 
synchopated. Then they would adjust the length of the notes at the end of 
the synchopated passage to get back on the beat. The rhythm section finds it 
much easier to resist being slowed down than to resist being dragged into 
going faster, so the result is better tempo control and a more "relaxed" 
feel to the music.

Phil Wilking

Those who would exchange freedom for
security deserve neither freedom nor security.