[Dixielandjazz] stirring the pot

[Robert Ringwald]

Jim Kashishian wrote in part:

>I recall that when I first joined djml at the very beginning of its
> existence I was shocked to hear that the word "Dixieland" had taken on
> something of a dirty word meaning to some.  One member actually left djml
> out of hatred over the word.  And, of course, it is part of the title of
> this list!  I'm not really sure how he managed to join in the first place!
> 
> I moved to Madrid in1966, and don't recall any bad feelings about the word
> then in the U.S.  I was literally out of contact completely through the
> "Franco" years, and not much better off than that up until the discovery of
> this list when I first went "on-line".  So, the sudden appearance of such
> hatred seemed strange.  
(snip)


When I was growing up in the 40s and listening to Eddie Condon, the Firehouse 5+2 and Bob Scobey, (Actually got to watch Scobey with Clancy Hayes on KPIX Channel 5 in SF in aprox 1949 or '50, on a TV show called Clancy's Corner) I used the term Dixieland.  When I discovered a Lu Watters 78 in my parents record collection, I also called that Dixieland.  Dixieland was my favorite type of music.    

It wasn't until years later when I began hearing how Dixieland was a dirty word.  

I guess I was obvlivious to the connection of the word Dixieland and the way that blacks were treated in the South.  It wasn't until many years later that I realized what  the word "Dark" meant in the song "Darktown Strutter's Ball."  I wasn't obvlivious to the ratial problems, I just didn't put the two together.    Also didn't realize about the song "Shine" or "Down In Honky Tonk Town."  

If I am correct, it was Turk Murphy who first used the term Traditional Jazz?  If not first, I know he was an advocate of using the term.  

When he sang "Darktown Strutter's Ball," he always left out the word "Darktown."  
 
    

--Bob Ringwald
www.ringwald.com
Fulton Street Jazz Band
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