[Dixielandjazz] DeParis Dickenson et al was Buck Clayton & Terrassi's

[Marek Boym]

> Clayton's experiences were similar to those of a lot of black, big band
> "swing" musicians around that time
> in New York City. Big band swing gigs virtually disappeared and so guys like
> Clayton, Vic Dickenson, Jonah Jones, Wilbur DeParis, Sidney DeParis,
>
>
> I though so, too, until I heard the DeParis Brothers' Commodores, and
> later - Sidney de Pris' Blue Notes.  Other swing musicians (Webster,
> Eldridge) recorded swing for Commodore.  Not so the de Paris Brothers
> - they recorded Dixieland.  The de Paris band on Blue Note  also
> played dixieland.  So it seems that, for them, it was a matter of
> choice, not lack thereof.
> As to Dickenson and Sandy Williams - I don't know.  I first encounered
> both as Dixieland players (although, on some records, the numbers are
> Dixieland warhorses, but the playing is hardly Dixieland; for example
> - listen to The Golden Era of Dixieland Jazz on Design).
> Dear Marek:
>
> To what Commodore records do you refer?

Since Roger Wade replied to this question, I don't need to.

>Here is Yanow's bio of Wilbur DeParis:

Unnecessary.  I know all that.  And that he used the Conrad Janis
style and arrangements, despite his claim of having no repertoire, but
rather jazzing "...anything that can be jazzed on."


>
>> DeParis, put his Dixieland Band together in 1951. He modeled it partly on
> what Conrad Janis was doing with New Orleans Revival music in NYC at Jimmy
> Ryans. The he cut the price and took the gig from Janis. Prior to 1948, he
> was clearly a big band trombonist. Then the big band business ceased to
> exist for most musicians. He sat in Ryan's for a while soaking up what Janis
> was doing, even to copying routines and then formed his own New
> Orleans/Dixieland Band using a real New Orleans clarinetist (Omer Simeon) to
> make it "authentic". List mates who know Conrad Janis can get his take on
> that situation.
>
> The reason DeParis formed a Dixieland Band is because that's where the jazz
> work was in NYC from 1947 or so on, not because after 25 years of big band
> work, he suddenly decided he preferred to play Dixieland. He, like many
> others, had to play Dixieland in order to make a living. Ryan's was a long
> running steady gig when big band steady gigs had become virtually
> non-existent for him.
>
> You may disagree, however, the above is what really happened, not what you
> or others may infer from record collecting.


I know.  But, if so, why did he and his brother choose to play
Dixieland on Commodore and Blue Note?  On Blue Note it is especially
conspicuous, as almost the same band, under James P. Johnson's
leadership plays swing, and becmes Dixieland when S. de paris assumes
the leadership role?
>
> Also for your edification, here is a short Vic Dickenson bio. He was also
> clearly a big band player who switched to Dixieland in NYC when the big band
> business died.

Sure.  When there was big band or small group swing work, he did not
need to change.  I did not argue that he preferred Dixieland - that
related to the de paris brothers.  I just said that I heard him play
Dixieland before I heard him playing swing (with his septet which
included Ruby Braff).  I came to jazz in the mid-fifties.  as to
Clayton, I did not realize he, too, played Dixieland before joining
condon in the mid-60's.  And I know that this happened to many others
- Trummy Young, for example.
>

Repeating  what we all have read is superfluous.

Cheers,