[Dixielandjazz] Dogfights & Finger Signals

[Jim O'Briant]

Eric Holroyd wrote: 

> Scott Anthony pointed us toward these links:
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xn_3T4vbtE 
> At about 1:00 and 3:09 in "That's A'Plenty" in the following clip:
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZ8t1UpIJ-Y 
> 
> I've played those nominated parts many hundreds of times in 
> my jazz career, and have always referred to them as 'the bridge'.

I believe you're using the term "bridge" to describe something very
different from the bridge of a popular song, The bridge occurs most often in
the Chorus of a song that has but two strains; the second is 32 bars long;
bars 1-8, 9-16 and 25-32 are similar passages, while bars 17-24 are
different. This is the bridge. I'd venture that you've also used the term
"Bridge" here, and that's a correct use of the term.

> ... Spike Milligan ... created a character called Adolphus 
> Spriggs - who he described as being a non-playing musician.
> 
> Could Mr Spriggs have somehow infiltrated the DJML and be 
> using someone else's name I wonder?

I'd say it's more likely that several who are participating in this
discussion of the "dogfight" (what it is and what it isn't) are long-time
experienced players who have picked up their knowledge of musical form on
the job, sometimes from other players who had an incorrect understanding of
what some of these terms mean.

Unfortunately, Eric Holroyd also wrote, in the same message:

> The dogfight saga has gone beyond beyond childish and 
> puerile, and would be better now described as dogshit.

> Indeed, when calling a keychange to G, I used middle finger 
> right hand pointing upwards to signal the key.

> I offer that same signal to all who perpetuate these current topics.

Classy, Eric, very classy.

Jim O'Briant
Gilroy, CA
Tuba & Leader, The Zinfandel Stompers