[Dixielandjazz] Nat Gonella

[Stephen G Barbone]

Bill Haesler wrote: (polite snip)

> Here is what I posted:
>
> Marek Boym wrote [in part] in reply to Steve Barbone:
>> Bill did not really disagree - he just considered Gonella more a
>> jazzman than swinger.
> and
>>
>> My listening experience shows that Gonella was a natural jazzman,  
>> with
>> instinctive - rather than studied - swing.
>
> Dear Marek,
> You are spot on.
> On both counts.
>
>> Take a CD of the Gonella band and listen, and then judge.
>
> Unfortunately, that may be harder in the US than you think .
> A check of Worlds Records and Venerable Music shows only 5 CDs  
> between them, although Amazon is slightly better.
> There is nothing on the Red Hot Jazz Archive.
> Very kind regards,

Dear Bill:

I finally saw your post.

I respectively disagree with your and Marek's assesment that Nat  
Gonella "was a natural jazzman, with instinctive - rather than studied  
- swing."

Chalk it up to a difference in they way we listen to jazz. As I hear  
him,  Gonella was far from "Instinctive" concerning jazz, or swing.  
The way he plays sounds to me like he copied down every Louis  
Armstrong solo he could, then practiced them over and over until he  
could play something close to their notes, and then used them in his  
performances. His attempts to copy Armstrong's phrasing, articulations  
and tone are quite evident (and quite lacking) also.

Ditto as a singer vs. Bing Crosby.

I am in the camp of those who say that Nat Gonnella was pretty square.  
IMO there are many other British jazzmen to chose from, who more  
exemplify what jazz and swinging are.

The comparison between Nat and Bing 1937 vs. 1932 on the same tune  
shows that Nat and his band were far behind in their concept of jazz,   
swinging and scatting.

BTW, did anyone besides Bob Ringwald marvel at Bing's 1932 singing and  
scatting on "Some Of These Days?"  He was a good example of a "natural  
jazzman, with instinctive - rather than studied - swing." <grin>

Here's the link again: (Notice the way he scats using his voice as an  
instrument. He scats a MELODIC improvisation while making all the  
chord changes) That's Jazz. Hmmm, did Ella, Mel and the others copy  
Bing?  Bill Haesler can you identify the band backing Bing on that  
record, for us?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgzR4jINXF8

As Bob said, Bing;  "opted to go commercial for the big bucks. I can't  
say I'd blame him. If they paid me enough I'd sell out also." Who  
among us does not agree? For an example of his commercial success,  
circa 1931, see:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yib17tXwxj4&feature=related

Cheers,
Steve Barbone
www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband