[Dixielandjazz] Conrad Janis' New Film

[Marek Boym]

Hello Steve,
You say "It is a great pity that most of the Dixieland output of these
> mainstream players was not recorded, possibly because the record companies
> couldn't see the value of it.  (Black mainstreamers playing Dixieland)"
Well, I remember the Wilbur de Paris Plays Cole Porter album (my
favourite de Paris) being put down in the Jazz Journal on those
grounds  exactly - "what are those mainstreamers doing playing
dixieland!"   Another reason for discrediting that excellent recording
was Lee Blair's banjo - why should mainstream musicians use a banjo in
their band (while not a great banjo fan myself, I protested, arguing
that, when played as Lee Blair did, the banjo was just great).
Cheers


On 21/07/2008, Stephen G Barbone <barbonestreet at earthlink.net> wrote:
> > "Stan Brager" <sbrager at socal.rr.com> wrote (polite snip)
> >
> > Please read the following announcement from Conrad Janis and his wife.
> >
> >
> > We have an announcement, ON JULY 29TH AT THE REGENCY THEATERS IN WEST
> HOLLYWOOD, Conrad & my film BAD BLOOD (Conrad both Stars and Directs with
> Piper Laurie as his co-star and 10 gorgeous young up and coming Stars as
> well as many of our regular B.H.U.J.B. group playing a totally original
> > sound created for our film, including Doug Mattocks, Dick Hardwick, Raul
> Reynoso, Brian O'Rourke, Westie Westenhoufer, Kenny Blackwell) which will be
> Premiering at the WHIFF (WEST HOLLYWOOD INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL)  at
> 8:30 p.m
> >
>
>
> Here is part of a note from Conrad Janis sent earlier this month. The first
> part of it describes his experiences on the NY Jazz scene during the time Al
> Levy posted about. The last paragraph explains a bit about his upcoming
> movie:
>
> BEGIN SNIP. . . "the Dixieland chapter about all the great black musicians
> (mostly from Kansas City) and their influence on Dixieland music has yet to
> be written. I remember the first time Hot Lips Paige sat in with my New
> Orleans Revival group The Tailgate Jazz Band. We were playing a steady gig
> at Jimmy Ryans on 52nd street and Lips was playing at the Famous Door or one
> of the 52nd street jazz clubs and he dropped in to hear our group and then
> asked to sit in. I remember we played "That's A Plenty" and Paige's trumpet
> was soaring an octave above the regular lead and it just blew my mind! It
> was electrifying! And I made up my mind right then and there I would try to
> work with as many of the great "Mainstream" players as I could.
>
> In the following years I was lucky to have in my band drummers Jo Jones,
> Panama Francis, Sonny Greer, Baby Dodds,Kansas Fields, Hal West, trumpets
> Roy Eldredge, Charlie Shavers, Rex Stewart, Herman Autry, Johnny Letman,
> reeds Buster Bailey, Coleman Hawkins, Gene Sedric, and so many others. Their
> concept of hot swing when applied to Dixieland was in my opinion
> transformative! To hear Eldredge, Shavers and Hawkins play the Dixieland
> book was incomparable (also Vic Dickenson, who was one of the great
> trombonists in Swing, Dixieland or whatever!)
>
> At one time I had Autry on trumpet, Sedric clarinet, Art Trappier drums and
> Wellstood on piano which we realized was really the Fats Waller Band! . .
> .(snip to)
>
> I'm still playing, and my wife and I have just finished editing our movie
> "Bad Blood" a sort of Hitchcockian thriller and we are concentrating on
> getting it released! So that has occupied us for the last several years. .
> ."
>
> ---END SNIP
>
> I am looking forward to seeing the movie. But I also look forward to his
> playing again.
>
> Conrad Janis made a great contribution to the development of Dixieland when
> he used those players above in his Tailgate Jazz Band. His music was indeed
> electrifying. It is a great pity that most of the Dixieland output of these
> mainstream players was not recorded, possibly because the record companies
> couldn't see the value of it.  (Black mainstreamers playing Dixieland)
>
> IMO, this is a direction in which Dixieland could well have travelled but
> for one reason or another did not.
>
> Hey festival directors, why not seek out Conrad Janis and his Beverly Hills
> Unlisted Jazz Band?
>
> Cheers,
> Steve Barbone
> www.barbonestreet.com
> www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband
>
>
>
>
>
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