[Dixielandjazz] Tenor Guitar

[Rick]

Eddie Condon was one of my earliest influences on 
guitar.  He was famous for being able to put 
together backup groups and did that for Fats
Waller many times.  My favorite album of Eddie's 
was a 10" LP which had cuts by "The Mound City 
Blue Blowers."  This included Kazoo, Guitar, and
a suitcase wrapped in paper in lieu of drums.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mound_City_Blue_Blowers
Interestingly, the Wiki article does not mention 
Eddie!

The Tenor gives a lighter sound than a big Arch 
top 6-string, and is more percussive (but less so 
than a banjo)  Benny Goodman said that he
wanted rhythm guitar for the PLAYERS, and not 
necessarily for the audience.

The Blue Blowers were a precursor to The Hoosier 
Hot Shots, who started on the National Barn Dance 
& migrated to Hollywood.  They had Clarinet,
Washboard, Bass and Tenor Guitar, and their sound 
was very distinctive.  You can here that sound 
here by a modern counterpart:  "The Washboard
Wizardz"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fTKjdIairY
In that youtube vicinity, you can hear the Wizardz 
with banjo, and the original Hot Shots.

Spike Jones cites the Hot Shots as one of his 
major influences.

Skiffle Music (rent music) was a natural offshoot 
of this type of music.  When I formed a skiffle 
group in Colorado Springs -- with Annie Lenoir on 
Clarinet & Dave Deason on Washboard -- I could get 
a pretty decent facsimile of a tenor guitar sound 
by playing close to the neck (away from the 
bridge) with the same sort of rhythm stroke you 
can see Kurt Abel playing.

Fun music, but we couldn't find a place to play in 
that town which is now (sadly) dominated by Blues.
(Couldn't make a trad band fly either.)

Rick (Jolley) Zahniser
Tombstone, AZ
http://rixwest.com

PS:  You can hear "Rick Jolley and the Green 
Giants" here on my website.
http://rixwest.com/green_giants.htm