[Dixielandjazz] Your thoughts on rushing

[Bruce Stangeland]

Larry,

I was recently invited to join a well-established Dixieland band. At my 
first rehearsal, my first question to the leader was "Who maintains the 
beat?"
I was told it was the drummer. Knowing who to sync with is very helpful. 
I have been know to both speed up and slow down the tempo.

Cheers,
Bruce Stangeland
Berkeley banjoist


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Message: 14
Date: Tue, 8 Jun 2010 00:41:53 -0500
From: "Larry Walton Entertainment - St. Louis"
	<larrys.bands at charter.net>
To: "1-DIXIELAND JAZZ POST" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>,	"Rick
	Campbell" <ricksax at comcast.net>
Cc: Dixieland Jazz Mailing List <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Your thoughts on rushing
Message-ID: <2CC21AC2B72B48BE9103EEC8C48587A1 at COMPACSR1320NX>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="Windows-1252";
	reply-type=response

Unfortunately there are some musicians that have a one speed approach to 
music and no matter what you do you end up at their speed.

I have known few players that held excellent speed.  The best I ever played 
with was a drummer from the AF band, Ken French.  I think Ken is now 
somewhere on the West coast should anyone run across him.

Horn players simply cannot control the band because their sound isn't 
percussive.  A good bass player can really help but no matter who it is 
someone has to be a leader of that section weather it's the drummer, bass 
player or whoever.  That person has to take charge musically and control the 
section.  If you don't have that then you will always have them chasing 
their tails.

Whoever it is that person has to be a leader and be able to insist on the 
others following him and not try to out play him or musically take over 
which will lead to imbalance in the section.

I get tired of someone from the rhythm section blaming the horn players for 
rushing.  Horn players have to stay within the confines of the patterns laid 
down by the rhythm section.  Who is following who?  A rhythm section should 
generally never follow a horn player.

The other thing is that the rhythm section has to listen to each other and 
lock in.  If you have people that are just listening to themselves then you 
have problems.

A solid rhythm section is actually a fairly rare thing.  I have been 
privileged with playing with some of the best but also some of the worst 
too.
Larry
StL