[Dixielandjazz] Condon

[Stephen G Barbone]

I believe I have consistently stated in all my posts on the subject  
that the records are wonderful. All of them. Bottom line? What's to  
forgive?. All I have said in the below post is that the recordings, as  
good as they are, do not do justice to the music these guys performed  
live. That, in my not so humble opinion needs to be said.

The evidence for that is plentiful, in many books like Sudhalter's  
"Lost Chords"  As well as in oral history from guys who were there at  
the time like Jack Maheu, whom Sudhalter quotes, and others who worked  
with Condon, and music lovers who hung out with them on the OKOM scene.

No knock on you, Bob, or those who were not privileged to be there at  
the time, that is an accident of birth.  I was lucky to have been  
there then, and still be here now. That is also an accident of birth.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone


On Jan 6, 2009, at 4:31 PM, Steven Holzer wrote:

> Stephen G Barbone wrote:
>>
>>> "Robert Ringwald" <rsr at ringwald.com> wrote
>>>
>>> In my (not so) humble opinion, this may be true in some cases.   
>>> But in the
>>> Condon mid 50 recordings, all that is missing is the crowd noise  
>>> and smell
>>> of beer and cigarettes.  The music has not lost any energy of a live
>>> performance.
>>
>> Hey Bob:
>>
>> What leads you to that comparison?
>>
>> How many times did you hear Condon in a Live Performance at West  
>> 3rd Street in the 1950s? Those who both heard him live, and then  
>> bought the records around the same time they heard him live, would  
>> probably disagree. I know I do.
>>
>> Cheers,
>> Steve Barbone
>> www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband
>>
> Those of us who were not privileged to spend our time listening to  
> Condon and his gang live might be forgiven for casting a less  
> discerning eye on the examples of his music that we do have than we  
> might otherwise. No doubt the lack of a tougher comparison allows  
> people in my and Bob's position to get something that is not wholly  
> objective out of the Condon studio recordings that those who were  
> more blessed in life are sadly denied. I wonder if you will become  
> more forgiving of the recordings as the individual musicians become  
> inevitably less available ...
>
> Steve Holzer