[Dixielandjazz] Dogfight

[Jack Mitchell]

> IMO the bands of the mid 1880s were not jazz bands in any sense of the 
> word. Everything I read about those years indicate that the more 
> adventurous bands were playing Ragtime, while the rest played the  popular 
> tunes of the day. I think jazz development is quite a bit more 
> complicated than Mr. Flynn asserts'

Stephen, neither John Flynn nor myself asserted that jazz began in the 
1880s, just that brass band musicians began playing outside of marches and 
Sunday afternoon concerts in the local park rotunda that early, instead they 
began playing for dances and parties. That eventually led to jazz, and it's 
no surprise that the early kings of jazz were all cornet or trombone 
players. Countries outside America that had a brass band tradition found it 
easy to have dance bands led by a trumpet rather than a violin, although in 
many cases it took a long time to come to fruition.

Best wishes
Jack