[Dixielandjazz] Miff Mole "The Break"

[Stephen G Barbone]

On Aug 22, 2009, at 6:51 PM, Marek Boym wrote:

> On 17/08/2009, Stephen G Barbone <barbonestreet at earthlink.net> wrote:
>> Dear Don and Bill:
>>
>> Mole was special. Since you both probably have the record, listen  
>> to his 16
>> note break on Original Dixieland One Step. Okeh- circa 1926/7 -  
>> Miff Mole
>> and His Little Molers
>>
>> Instead of the "traditional" two bar smear on the intro, he does a  
>> beautiful
>> and very cleanly executed 15/16 note break. Now that's inventiveness.
>>
>> BTW: Since Mole recorded prior to Kid Ory, why do we always say  
>> Mole changed
>> the Ory canon. Why don't we say Ory changed the Mole canon? <grin>  
>> (just
>> kidding)
>
> Why the reservation?  It might well be true!
>
> Cheers

I guess my reasoning is that Mole was influenced by Eddie Edwards and  
Georg Brunies. The Brunies influence is evident on Mole's Tin Roof  
Blues solo in 1923. A virtual copy of an earlier Brunies solo on the  
same tune as a list mate pointed out.  Mole, being classically  
trained, soon developed his own technically excellent style. Then  
later on he seemed to get more legato, perhaps under the influence of  
Teagarden.

Ory, on the other hand was always Ory.

My opinion is that Mole and Ory developed their respective styles  
pretty much independently of each other. Even though they played/ 
recorded at the same time, the bands each worked with were very  
different stylistically.

I think they were just playing the music the way each of them heard it  
within their styles and technical abilities. Ory's trombone was New  
Orleans Folk music, while Mole's was not.

So I think there were two (at least) canons of Dixieland trombone

Cheers,
Steve Barbone
www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband