[Dixielandjazz] Jazz vs. Classical - was Sigurd Rascher

[Stephen G Barbone]

>  "Larry Walton Entertainment - St. Louis" wrote
> 	<larrys.bands at charter.net>
>
>> When Eugene Ormandy conducted the Philadelphia, he forbade Glenn and
>>> other orchestra members from recording jazz on pain of dismissal. He
>
> You hit a nerve with this one.  When I was in college my instructors  
> almost
> to a man disapproved of me playing sax.  My major was the Oboe.  I  
> played in
> all the clubs on the East side of the river at Cape Girardeau, MO  
> along with
> many others over a 5 state area.  I was married with a baby.  I had  
> to work
> wherever there was a gig,
>
> There was a lot of pressure put on me to mend my evil ways and stop  
> playing
> in the dives and clubs.  I almost lost my scholarship several times  
> over it
> and I am sure I received lower grades because of it.
>
> They made no bones about it.  If I expected to graduate I would quit  
> playing
> jazz in the clubs.  It didn't happen but the threat was there.  My  
> piano
> player did flunk out but came back a year later and finished his  
> degree.
> I'm not sure if my drummer ever finished school.
>
> Many years later I retired as a teacher and since I worked for the  
> state
> they gave me the opportunity to see all my records and remove  
> anything I
> wanted.  I came across the packet of recommendations that the college
> placement bureau sent to my employer.
>
> I have to tell you I was shocked.  I would not hire the guy they were
> describing.  The recommendations ranged from luke warm to bad.  To  
> this day
> I still can't believe I ever got a job teaching.  Those guys stabbed  
> me in
> the back.  I think that it was because I played sax in the clubs and  
> this
> was the way they could get back at me.
>
> When they started a big jazz band I was barred from participating.   
> While
> this all happened almost 50 years ago it still bothers me some.

Hi Larry:

That's because you and I are of the generation where many (not all)  
classical musicians/teachers/conductors believed that jazz was  
illegitimate music. I too was told by my high school music teachers  
and the conductor of our HS band, that jazz was evil, as were those  
who played it. The scum of the earth was one comment I remember.

Nowadays, I think the times have changed. My jazz band played the  
final 3 numbers at the celebration of Glenn Dodson's life in the  
Curtis Institute of Music auditorium. The venue was SRO, and the other  
players were 16 of the top low brass players in US Orchestras. (Joe  
Alessi, Nitzan Haroz, Christopher Dudley, Debra Taylor etc)

Both the school and the classical guys and gals loved what we did and  
commented how Glenn was so fortunate to have played both Classical and  
Jazz trombone well. Some of them commented that they wished they could  
improvise jazz and have as much fun as we did, doing so.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone
www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband