[Dixielandjazz] Is Western Swing OKOM?

[Harry Callaghan]

On the other side of that coin, I should point out that "Austin City Limits"
a program heard here in Houston for many years (and probably made available
to PBS stations elsewhere) has gone well beyond their earlier policy of
having programs strictly devoted to country music.

As a matter of fact, while I don't always watch, I will check each Saturday
night to see who the performers are.  In recent months, I find that country
performers are becoming a very small minority on the program.

Likewise, the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo, which boasted a roster of top
name country stars when I  first came to town in 1975 has expanded the
variety of musical performers that it books each year.  While the majority
of stars each year continue to be in the country vein, they will mix it with
rock acts and one time I believe they even had Bill Cosby doing standup
comedy.

I don't know how famous he is nationwide  but following the success of Bob
Wills and his Texas Playboys, there arose a group called Kinky Friedman and
his Texas Jewboys, that performed and recorded several numbers of a somewhat
irreverent nature through the years.

Kinky also ran as an independent in the 2006 gubernatorial election here
and garnered approximately 19% of the vote but of course, was unable to
unseat the incumbent Rick Perry

Not just because I enjoy a wide variety of music (even including classical
and opera) but I think people who are what I think of as "pigeon-holed" in
terms of their musical tastes, and not willing to listen to other types of
music beyond their favorite genre, are just cheating themselves out of
enjoying the vast world of entertainment available to them.

If you're lucky, you probably won't have to hear from me for another month

Tides
HC



On Sat, Jan 8, 2011 at 3:32 PM, Fred Hoeptner <fredhep at earthlink.net> wrote:

> I'd like to add a few additional points to Steve's post.
>
>
>
> (1) The San Diego Thanksgiving Dixieland Jazz Festival this past November
> included, as one of the featured bands, Billy Mata and the Texas Tradition.
> As a long-time fan of the music of Bob Wills, Milton Brown, the Lightcrust
> Doughboys, Bill Boyd, and so forth I was concerned about the reception that
> jazz fans might give the band and also how authentically they would cleave
> to the styles of the vintage groups. I was very surprised on both counts.
> The Mata sessions were well attended and the audience reaction was
> enthusiastic and favorable. Mata knew and played many of the Wills
> favorites
> (I requested "Cherokee Maiden") in a style reminiscent of the 1950s Wills
> groups.
>
>
>
> (2) The term "western swing," which was first applied to a style that was
> then nameless in the late 1940s, is a misnomer considered from a strictly
> musicological standpoint. The style was developed and established many
> years
> before big band "swing" exploded onto the scene.
>
>
>
> (3) The Quebe Sisters, three attractive young lady fiddlers and vocalists,
> is another western oriented group that jazz festivals should consider.  To
> see and hear them perform "Georgia on My Mind," go to
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PC6GpzAcIDE.
>
>
>
> I strongly support the retention of trad jazz as the primary focus of the
> festivals.  But in an attempt to broaden appeal the festivals seem to be
> experimenting with allied improvisatory musical genres. I think that
> western
> swing is worthy of being included.
>
>
>
> -Fred Hoeptner
>
>
>
> >Message: 8
>
> >Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2011 10:27:38 -0500
>
> >From: Stephen G Barbone <barbonestreet at earthlink.net>
>
> >To: DJML <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>, tradjazz at list.okom.com
>
> >Cc: Dixieland Jazz Mailing List <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
>
> >Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Hot Club of Cowtown
>
> >Message-ID: <7EEE68AB-9877-4ED4-BC57-DDB567BAF126 at earthlink.net>
>
> >Content-Type: text/plain;           charset=WINDOWS-1252;
> format=flowed;
>
>            delsp=yes
>
>
>
> >Is Western Swing OKOM? Before reading the below, check out:
>
>
>
> >http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YUI15MuoRY
> <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YUI15MuoRY&feature=related>
> &feature=related
>
>
>
> >Cheers,
>
> >Steve Barbone
>
> >www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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-- 
Beware of Greeks bearing gifts
      - Vergil: The Aeneid Book II