[Dixielandjazz] stirring the pot ... Banjo battle

[Gluetje1 at aol.com]

Thanks, Jude, in fact thanks a lot.  As you know, I like to try to  play 
decent banjo, also know some wonderful rhythm guitarists.  So I  had to sit on 
my hands yesterday not to try for some quick, spiteful  retort.  It helped 
that my first grand child, baby Eli, had arrived the  night before and I had 
other wonderful things to see and think about.
 
But as they say, look to your own self, so I had time to reflect on my  
comments this year about not being able to appreciate jazz violin.  And  yes, 
there are plenty of other, maybe even musical, events that I  cannot 
appreciate such as overpowering string bass and/or cymbals.
 
Tis so true, we need to look to the noise-maker, not the instrument, and  
maybe the leader for not leading, or the band for not having the sound we 
wish  to play amidst.
 
Finally, Bela Fleck is an avant-garde, unbelievably skilled  five-string 
soloist equally astonishing with classical music, think Bach and  such.  Also 
does jazz on five-string.  But I have no knowledge of him  playing via 
strumming rather than finger-picking.  No doubt he has played  some great 
Dixieland tunes along the way on five-string.  Doubt he has ever  spent significant 
time in a rhythm section trying to insure that he is giving  the front line 
clean, simple rhythms with correct chords and plenty of space for  their 
solos.  I'm sure there is plenty on YouTube and via googling for  those 
curious about the phenomenon that is Bela Fleck.
 
Ginny
 
 
In a message dated 2/24/2011 5:01:37 A.M. Central Standard Time,  
jude at judyeames.co.uk writes:

Steve  Voce and my mate Louis L/i/nce.

As my Mum used to say ..... this will  end in tears.
Some of our US cousins will take your British irony seriously  and 
there'll be war.

>From my point of view the "clanking" of banjos  can be easily matched by 
the thudding of a string bass apparently doubling  with the drums giving  
scant reference to the  chord structure  .  It's the player not the 
instrument that's to blame.

I'd  never heard of Bela Fleck but I do know  excellent players in the US  
and in Europe ... Kurt Abell springs to mind; he was the first person I  
heard getting lovely tone and tune from his banjo, but there are many  more.

Now I think it's not often we British take the DJML stage so  .......time 
for a Royal wedding thread  (irony!)

Jude