[Dixielandjazz] Herb Gardner - arguably the finest trombonist?

[Stephen G Barbone]

Marty Nichols wrote: (polite snip)

> .
>  No one, I repeat , no one qualifies as "the finest OKOM trombonist  
> alive in the world today" and I am aware of most of them. You may  
> have your favorite, but that will never qualify them for the above  
> mentioned distinction.
>
>  Well, at least this animated me enough to post a response after  
> lurking for months without seeing anything that "moved me to post."


Hey Marty Good to hear from you.

I agree completely with what you said: "no one qualifies as 'the  
finest OKOM trombonist alive in the world today'."  Especially if we  
are not familiar with all of them. (and who is?)

However the meaning you have given my words is neither  what I said  
nor what I meant.

My exact words about Herb Gardner were (polite snip)  " arguably the  
finest trombonist alive in the world today".

"Arguably" is the operative word, an adverb that means  "can be  
supported by argument".   It is not an absolute, but merely something  
that one could argue for or against. To leave it out, as you did in  
quoting me, completely alters the meaning of what I said.

Similarly, I could also have rightly said that:  "Dan Barrett, (or Tom  
Artin, Bob Havens,  Marty Nichols or anyone else of similar stature)  
is arguably the finest OKOM trombonist alive today."

That is also basically why I use "(polite snip") when quoting others  
out of context. To reassure the readers that I did not alter the  
original meaning.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone