[Dixielandjazz] Dixie vs. Trad

[Rick]

I can't /define/ dixie, and apparently no one else 
can!!

When I was at Little Rock High School -- 1952, we 
did a minstrel, and we did "Are you from Dixie"

Well... I'm from Dixie, and I can't define Dixieland.

I can define "Trad"

Lu Watters put a band together in SFO, to play 
"music"  It was patterned after the King Oliver Band.
It was the start of the "Trad Jazz Revival"

I cut my eye teeth on The Fire House Five Plus 
Two, and then Turk Murphy.  We called it "Dixieland"
but it wasn't.  Troublemakers said "you can't call 
it 'dixieland' because it's not from DIXIE"

Well that's right.  I can define Trad!   It has

Tuba
Banjo
The front three (trumpet, clarinet, trombone)
TUBA.
(why tuba??? because IT GOES WITH THE BANJO!!!)

Unfortunately, the early trad bands didn't pick up 
the Splash Cymbal, which was a 20's staple.

So, the best trad bands now are not even in the US!!

Sharkey -- from the 70's.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mx9eyBJmBs

La Porteno -- from the present.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9CJVGxwnLI&feature=related

Except for, of course,
Vince Giordano, who's Nighthawks obviously capture 
that Coon-Sander's element from the 20's.

Vince was the bass coach at the Adult Trad Jazz 
Camp I went to in San Diego, but I really didn't 
get to know him!!

Anyway... historically... when the Firehouse Five 
plus 2 started playing, people called it Dixieland.

"It's not Dixieland" -- the purists screamed -- 
it's from <gasp> California.   Yes.. and so was 
Turk Murphy.

And Bob Schultz.   And we know -- it's not Dixie 
-- it's TRAD!!

So.. anyway... I can't define "dixie" but I sure 
can define TRAD.  And that's what I want to play

Rick Jolley, banjo
The Colorado Nighthawks
Colorado Springs, CO