[Dixielandjazz] George Probert

[David M Richoux]

As Bob will remember from some performances with Tom Wiggen's New  
Orleans Brass Band we have done together, the tradition of those  
ensembles playing very long versions of songs frequently happens. Some  
dirges and even "up" songs can easily go on for 20 or 30 minutes. This  
gets pretty old quickly for tuba players, playing every chorus! It may  
be reasoned that it is harder to start or stop a tune with a large  
ensemble...

Probert's recording of Canal St. with Natural Gas I mentioned earlier  
was also very slow tempo. BTW.

Dave RIchoux

On Apr 13, 2010, at 8:48 PM, Bob Romans wrote:

> George Probert played "Canal St. Blues" with Cell Block 7 in  
> Chiliwack, BC, our last set there, about 5 years ago...he counted it  
> off..his request...and it was gawd-awful slow! Then he took about 9  
> choruses on it...and it SWUNG! It was great! I wish I had a  
> recording of that set! We played our trio of three double-bell  
> euphonium arr of Ory's "Savoy Blues"...and he went to the mike and  
> said told the crowd in the hall that he had played that tune  
> probably with 60 jazz bands, and the arr we had was the closest to  
> Kid's arr he'd ever heard! But "Canal St. Blues"...WOW!
> Warm regards,
> Bob Romans,