[Dixielandjazz] Western Swing?

[Rick]

Western swing started with Bob Wills, but he 
originally was trying to play what we now call 
"Trad Jazz"

Back in 1928-29 Bob was listening to the 
Coon-Sanders Nighthawks -- "The Band that Made 
Radio Famous"  (I get a kick out of thinking about 
Bob, down there in Oklahoma, listening to that 
good jazz and trying to figure out how to 
reproduce it with the instruments he had -- 
fiddles, guitars, and one or two horns.)

He did that.   The Texas Playboys played all over 
eastern Oklahoma.  {When my son and I were 
traveling there, every bar would say proudly
"Bob Wills played here."

They didn't call it "Western Swing"  -- they 
called it "Music" and damn fine music it was.   
Some of the guitar players were HOT!!!    Charlie 
Christian grew up in that country, and went up to 
New York and started playing those hot licks  
(notably for Benny Goodman) and it because the 
foundation for Bop!!!

You can read on Wiki about where the term western 
swing came from.  There was "country" (hillbilly 
music) and there was "western" (cowboy music) and 
there was this other stuff, which was great to 
dance to.    A lot of it was played in California, 
by Spade Cooley and Tex Williams, and they started 
calling it "Western Swing" to set it apart from 
the stuff in Nashville.  It has Guitars, and 
Fiddles, and Drums, and sometimes a harp. <grin>

The guitars are rhythm guitars, lead guitars and 
steel guitars.  If you don't know the difference, 
then you're hopeless, and I'm just wasting my time.

It may not be OKOM, but it's part of MKOM.

Rick Jolley
guitar/banjo/dobro/bass
http://rixwest.com