[Dixielandjazz] Tunes on a CD (was Back to Asylum Street Spankers)

[Allan Brown]

Ginny, you write so well about music. All your posts are a delight. 

You articulated something I wasn't even aware of at the time of writing my original post but it's an interesting question to ponder on.

There are a couple bands around Brighton, here in the UK, that are very much in the spirit of the Asylum Street Spankers and I love catching them live. But I realise I've never tried to get hold of any of their CD's despite them being excellent musicians. Perhaps, songs with a more comedic bent are just better suited for the passing ephemeral moment and don't translate to repeated listening. 

For the last few years Brighton, with it's long tradition of saucy seaside entertainment, there seems to have been a blossoming of Burlesque nights. More often than not the music of choice is bands playing music from the 20's and 30's, cabaret, swing etc. as well as early rock 'n roll. For the most part these bands don't seem to be recording CDs, they just sort of come together for occasion. And whilst the music may be a bit loose and chaotic at times, and probably wouldn't stand up to close and repeated listening, it works perfectly on the night. 

(I must add that, frustratingly, I don't get to catch many of these nights, but I have pals that play in some of these bands and my wife Alex is a dab hand with the sewing machine and creates marvellous costumes for Burlesque dancers, Drag Queens and carnival processions etc. so I've got my ear to the ground.) 

Whilst there has always been great jazz players round these parts, I think partly off the back of the resurgence of Burlesque/ Cabaret scene, as well as the general folk revival there has been astonishing blossoming of appreciation of old time music. For about a decade and a half electronic dance music dominated the scene - you were hard pressed to even hear an electric guitar- however the last few years has seen ukulele and banjo sales blossoming and more and more people seem to be playing and listening to old time music and playing acoustically. (Perhaps I'm just getting old here!)

Loved that 'Original Wildcat Jass Band' clip. 

Best,

Allan


On 13 Apr 2010, at 00:11, Gluetje1 at aol.com wrote:

> Hi Marek, Bill, and List,
> I find my vocabulary leaves me when I try to write about music.  Good  
> thing I never had aspirations to be a critic.  I'll let music speak for  itself 
> with two YouTubes.
> 
> Here's an Asylum Street Spankers video that I have actually watched  more 
> than once, but have no desire to play multiple times per CD.  (The  longer 
> you listen to this one, the better the music gets.)  How long since  you've 
> seen a crowd respond like that to a concert you attended?  Oh, and  the 
> monkeys that Wammo spanks and then shoots out into the audience during  their 
> shows -- my husband caught one for me -- is that sweet or?  Anyhow,  it hangs 
> from my rear view mirror in the perfect Redneck location.
>> _http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmsOIjzQ1V8_ 
> (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmsOIjzQ1V8) <
> 
> And a second video of a group whose tunes I do like to listen to multiple  
> times on CD, the Original Wildcat Jass Band: 
>> _http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dJ-nntVi4A_ (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dJ-nntVi4A) <
> 
> Meanwhile, I did watch the video of Asylum Street's "Scrotum Song".   Ahhh, 
> Jada re-parodied.  Now dare I ask how many "daring" verses of that  this 
> list could submit?
> 
> Ginny
> 
> 
> 
> 
> In a message dated 4/12/2010 12:49:54 P.M. Central Daylight Time,  
> marekboym at gmail.com writes:
> 
> Hello,
> You both seem to be siplifying the issue.
> What makes a  good record?
> In 1983, a firend brought me the Polish Old Timrs' Lp from  Edinburgh.
> I was disappointed - they sounded like just another  run-of-the-mill
> traditional group.  But she was adamant as to their  ecxellence and,
> luckily, had tapes made at their performances to prove  it!  Some of
> the numbers were identical, yet on the lo-fi live  recording they came
> to life, while on the LP they wer bland.  I have  since acquired all
> their subsequent LPs. and find them all extremely good,  the live
> recordings at a German festival being slightly less  so.
> 
> Anotehr example is a CD which, on paper, looks great: a stellar  lineup
> (names that would make me run to the check out and pay before  the
> record is snatched away), goo arrangers, a set of good tunes, some  -
> such as Cherokee, Limehouse Blues, etc., and the music itself,  though
> not played badly, sounds lifeless.
> 
> Hence, I don't be;ieve  it's the tunes, but the moment!  It's just that
> records which are not  so good should not be circulated, as was the
> practice in the old days, when  they recorded multiple "takes" untill
> one seemed  satisfactory.
> 
> Cheers
> 
> On 12/04/2010, Bill Haesler  <bhaesler at bigpond.net.au> wrote:
>> Gluetje1 at aol.com wrote [in  part]:
>>> I've also noticed that even in my favorite Dixieland  genre, what may
>>> delight me seen and heard live, does not  necessarily mean I will want 
> to listen
>>> to it multiple times on  CD...........  Yet, there are ensembles who 
> manage to record tunes that I  want to
>>> listen to again and again.
>> 
>> Dear  Ginny,
>> Well put and an interesting topic.
>> One, some of us here  in Sydney, Oz have been discussing for several 
> months.
>> What tunes from  a working band's repertoire should be included on its 
> new CD?
>> How do  our DJML groups/artists, with numerous issued CDs, select the 
> 'best' titles  for each recording?
>> Kind regards,
>> Bill.
>> 
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