[Dixielandjazz] drums

[Phil Pospychala]

I only can add that in the rare films portion of our Tribute to Bix fests over these last 18 years (March 13-16, 2008 is the next.  See www.geocities.com/bixfest) old films and film shorts show drummers featured in most dance bands of the 1920s and early 30s.  They are not only featured but they are elevated on stage in the center and in back or right in front like Abe Lyman.  I suspect if there were more African American band films we'd find the same thing.  My impression is drummers were always featured in popular music, which is what jazz was in the 1920s.  Look at the legendary Tommy Christian Orchestra Vita-Phone film short.> From: BillSargentDrums at aol.com> Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2008 13:35:38 -0500> Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] drums> CC: dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com> To: bixguy at hotmail.com> > Clive said> > <<Its an hoary old question, I know, but why is it that the great bands of > the> 20's and early 30's (Oliver, Armstrong, Morton, Bix, Bechet et al) seldom if> ever featured drum solos (I am talking about the days of electric> recordings) - if they had featured drum solos when playing live, would they> not have recorded with said drum solos included? >>> > Two things,> > 1. For a long period of musical history, and in some prejudiced circles > still today, the band consisted of "5 musicians and a drummer". The prejudices > dictated that the drummer surely couldn't be a musician.> > Frankly, today, in many cases the reverse is now true. In many, not all, but > many cases the drummer is the most advanced, most musically educated > musician in the band. Drummers for the past 3 decades have been elevating their > skills to levels never before seen.> > I can tell you when a chord change or voicing is wrong. I can discuss > musical phrasing, melodic choices. I choose my cymbal at any current moment in a > song based upon the overtones from the cymbal matching the harmonic structure of > the section of the song being played at that moment. can sing you the key a > song is usually played in, etc. etc., and I am, by far, NOT anywhere near as > skilled as some of my contemporaries.> > Furthermore, in many cases a drummer today is well versed in many different > genres of music. I wear so many different hats, musically . . . people > pigeon-hole me in the particular genre they hear me in, usually having no clue as > to the other circles I travel in. And, once again, I am no-where near as adept > at that as some of my contemporaries.> > 2. You can't base the present, or the future, on the past. If that was the > case, then none of us would be doing what we're doing now. It is highly > irrelevant what anyone did or did not do in the 20's or 30's. If that's the case, > the why draw the line there. Why not the 18 or 1700's?> > The drum set itself is only about 100 years old. Gene Krupa brought the > drums from the back of the band to the forefront in '38. Don't know exactly when > singers started using a microphone.> > But things evolve and drummers deserve a piece of the pie just like every > other musician. We have something to say too. That's said, there are many times > I'm totally content with playing no solos at all and just making everyone > else sound good. But, when I have something to say, I like to be heard too.> > I guess it's a matter of taking one's eyes off one's self and being > considerate to others . . . including the drummer.> > > > Bill> 414-777-0100> BillSargentBands.com> > Just released: "The Best Of Bill Sargent Bands - Volume 1"> > Available at: http://billsargentbands.com/recordings.htm> > > > > > > > > **************Start the year off right. Easy ways to stay in shape. > http://body.aol.com/fitness/winter-exercise?NCID=aolcmp00300000002489> _______________________________________________> To unsubscribe or change your e-mail preferences for the Dixieland Jazz Mailing list, or to find the online archives, please visit:> > http://ml.islandnet.com/mailman/listinfo/dixielandjazz> > > > Dixielandjazz mailing list> Dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
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