[Dixielandjazz] Couple of points - Woody & Hot Dance

[Stephen G Barbone]

Hey Andy:

I didn't miss your point. I certainly agree that some bands can turn  
prospective OKOM fans off. I just commented that your "IF" in Woody's  
case, was not consistent with his reviews. The reviewers say that  
folks have a good time at his concerts, cheer him, and danced in the  
streets in Montreal to his band's rendition of Sweet Georgia Brown. It  
would therefore appear as if Woody Allen is turning prospective fans  
on to OKOM.


Hey Chris:

I was, I thought, being humorous in my response to your comment that;   
"hot dance" was not an irrelevant term. It was not an attempt to put  
you down, but rather  an attempt to fully explain my point. Plus, I  
thought those You Tubes of the young ladies doing a Hot Dance were  
very funny.

There are many opinions about hot dance that do not fully agree with  
your definition. There are those,like Tex Wyndham, who say that hot  
dance is a style of Dixieland that includes three attributes: His  
definition is:

"Hot dance is a pre swing, OR Dixieland jazz style in which the  
ensemble passages are generally arranged (either via written scores or  
memorized voices) leaving only the solo passages available for  
improvisation."

That disagrees with your definition that hot dance "is NOT dixieland."  
He states further:

"How do you tell if you are hearing a hot dance performance? First,  
you satisfy yourself that it is, on the whole, a jazz  
performance . . . Second, you satisfy yourself that it is a Dixieland  
performance . . . Third you listen to try to determine whether the  
ensembles you're hearing, for the most part, must have been voiced in  
advance. If all three are present, you have hot dance."

His opinion differers from yours. That is precisely what I mean by the  
term is irrelevant. I am not trying to put him down either as I  
certainly don't know whether he is correct, you are correct, or if  
anybody is correct.

As to the other styles of jazz, remember that we disagreed on Uptown  
and Downtown,  styles of New Orleans Jazz. I use them, you do not. So  
for you they are meaningless and for me they have a meaning.

What both you and I contribute has meaning. Are you trying to put me  
down by inferring that I didn't contribute anything useful while yours  
was thoughtful and intelligent?

Cheers,
Steve Barbone

www.barbonestreet.com
www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband