[Dixielandjazz] Mississippi Rag article/Bolden photo

[Rob McCallum]

Hi Dan and listmates,

I enjoyed your article about Bolden. Regarding the correct view of the photo, here's my 2 cents: 

The hands of the standing clarinet player suggests that the view with him standing on the left and the bassist on the right is correct (which is the view that you support) .  In that view, his hands are positioned correctly (left on top).  In order for the the other way to work, he'd have to be holding his clarinet the opposite way (which would be more awkward, given the way the keys are set up).  To my knowledge, there aren't any left-handed clarinets!  And if there are, well...how likely is that?  

Also, the way the valve trombonist is holding his horn suggests that he would be likely to play it on his left shoulder, which would also be correct.

Also, the seated clarinet player is holding his horn farther down the instrument with one hand, suggesting the area where the right hand would be.  In addition, if one were holding the clarinet with only one hand, it would be more likely to be with the right hand...wouldn't it be?  That's the hand the stabalizes the instrument while playing.  BUT, that isn't very convincing because, if it's looked at from the other (bassist on left) view, the neck of the guitar would be over the clarinet player's right knee, so he would switch and hold it with his left hand on his left knee.  In doing so, he would hold the instrument where it would be comfortable, but with his left hand instead of his right, and therefore not as high as he would if he were playing (which would be awkward seated).

The way Buddy is holding his cornet, I think, doesn't make it clear (at least in the resolution of the online photo I'm looking at).  I can't tell if his fingers are on the valves.  Though, it looks like they might be.  I think it's common for cornet/trumpet players to hold their horns with the right hand if they put a finger in that hook.  However, I think they just as often hold it with their left.

HOWEVER, in the "clarinet-left" view, the bassist is holding the fingerboard in a mock playing position with his right hand (and therefore would be plucking with the left hand), which is incorrect.  Even left-handed bassists I don't think would be likely to play this way.  

It is not too uncommon for left-handed guitarists to re-string the guitar so that it points in the opposite direction (which may account for the original swapping of the direction of the picture when it was first published).  BUT, what is the liklihood that there are two left-handed rhythm players, who would've re-strung their instruments, in the same band in the same photo?  This seems to be the strongest evidence that the correct view is the other (with the bassist on the left).

In order to believe that the view with the clarinet on the left is accurate, we'd have to believe that both the guitarist and bassist were either posed that way by the photographer (which I think is possible), or that they both play their instruments in a different "left-handed" manner--which, though not impossible (given that many New Orleans musicians were self taught), is unlikely, or a combination (one left handed, one posed).

After looking at some clarinet pictures, when looking head on at the fingerboard, the ones I saw clearly had the line of vertical key connectors (sorry, don't know the technical term), above the bell, on the clarinet's left side (if looking at the photo, it would appear to the right in the photo).  This appears the same on the instruments of both clarinet players (at least with the poor resolution that I'm looking at) in the clarinet-left view.  So, I think the clarinet design and the manner in which the standing clarinet player is holding his horn are key.  If that is the way clarinets are designed, then the photo with the clarinet on the left has got to be correct--so, Dan, I think you're correct.  The bassist and guitarist were either posed, played the instruments with opposite hands than normal, or one of each.

Interesting photo...

Cheers!
Rob McCallum
myspace.com/solarjazz
_________________________________________________________________
Need to know the score, the latest news, or you need your Hotmail®-get your "fix".
http://www.msnmobilefix.com/Default.aspx