[Dixielandjazz] C & W and other stuff

[Tony Pringle]

Hi,

The Black Eagles recorded a gospel/spirituals CD and it was our best 
seller for years.

On tour with the Albion JB the other year Mike Fay and I decided that 
after pop there were three other successful music styles - Gospel, Blues 
and Country. On that tour the Albion played Blue Eyes Crying In The 
Rain, Cold Cold Heart and some other C & W and they were well recieved. 
In fact Louis Armstrong recorded Cold Cold Heart and was not averse to 
stepping outside the strict OKOM style.

Years ago, back in Liverpool, when I had my first band. We were all 16, 
17 and 18 and were dedicated to the George Lewis sound. Our clarinetist 
was 16 and sounded like Lewis on the Bunk Victor sides. So we knew what 
we wanted to sound like, but our trombone would bring boxed 78 sets 
loaned to him by an uncle. We got to listen to Gerry Mulligan with Chet 
Baker - My Funny Valentine, etc, an LP with Buck Clayton with only one 
track on one side was a special favourite, Eddie Condon jam sessions and 
even some stuff by Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker. It wasn't what we 
wanted to play, but we certainly dug it.

The Black Eagles have just recorded a Blues CD. So now we have done 
Gospel and Blues, but I think C & W might be a harder sell. I'll just 
have to learn some tunes and sneak them into the repertoire.

Cheers,

Tony Pringle
New Black Eagle Jazz Band

"There's two kinds of music, Good music and Bad Music" - Louis Armstrong 
(paraprased from a faulty memory)