[Dixielandjazz] What is Dixieland?

[Stephen G Barbone]

Oh my, here we go again.

Dixieland has different meanings to different people. Regarding  
Hawkins playing "The Chant "with the band I mentioned, "Southampton  
Dixie Racing and Clambake Society Jazz Band", it was most assuredly  
played as DIXIELAND. The way Henderson's Band played it, it was not  
Dixieland. But then, I never said it was. I merely said that Hawkins  
knew the tune which surprised me.

Regarding what others think is Dixieland, or not, I remember well my  
band playing "If I Were A Bell" at a night club and a blue haired lady  
coming up to the bandstand and saying with some displeasure: "Huuumph,  
I didn't know that show tune was Dixieland."

I smiled and said "It was the way we played it."

I guess one of my points is that virtually all Dixieland songs as  
folks describe them, are pop tunes played in Dixieland style.

Another of my points is in  agreement with Richard Sudhalter who in  
discussing Dixieland vs. Small Band Swing made the following  
observation in "Lost Chords". (page 279)

He opines that "by the mid 1930s, the word 'dixieland' was being  
applied freely to certain circles of whited musicians, first by the  
trade press and then the public."

"Often such compartmentalization ignored the sound of the music" he  
continues and then compares 2 records of "I've Found a New Baby"

1) 1937 with a Teddy Wilson band, with Buck Clayton, Buster Bailey,  
Lester Young in the front line.

and

2) 1939 Summa Cum Laude with Max Kaminsky, Pee Wee Russell and Brad  
Gowans in the front line.

He goes on to say that the two records are similar in structure and  
feel, have ensemble polylinearity and band riffing and have vigorous  
solos.

Yet the white band's music was called Dixieland and the black band's  
music was called small band swing.
by the trade press and the public. The rest of the discussion on that  
page is worth noting if folks have the book. Especially the Bud  
Freeman comment about how a "substantial musician" will say he just  
plays music and stays away from categories imposed mostly by people  
who are not musicians. Kind of like some Max Kaminsky comments that  
fans, record collectors, the media, the critics etc., etc., should  
stop trying to categorize jazz and just let the musicians play.

Or those comments we get from time to time that Dixieland MUST have a  
tuba and banjo. Or that if it has a swing rhythm, it isn't Dixieland.  
What then did those Condon bands play, or Louis 's Allstars? Or Roy  
Eldridge?  There is a great story about a fan going up to Roy at the  
new Ryans where he was playing Dixieland, and saying to him: "Gee Roy,  
I didn't know you played Dixieland." Replied Eldridge; "I've been  
playing Dixieland all of my life."

What is Dixieland? Who the hell can define it with any authority?

Cheers,
Steve Barbone
www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband