[Dixielandjazz] Kenton Changes Big Band Sound

[Stephen G Barbone]

On Mar 12, 2011, at 2:42 AM, Marek Boym wrote:
>
>> Barbone wrote
>> I would add that perhaps Sinatra Jr. was referring to Kenton's  
>> Mellophonium
>> band circa 1960-63. This version had its own 4 mellophonium section  
>> and was
>> a change from previous Kenton sounds. He even won a Grammy and it  
>> was the
>> foundation of his educational work with colleges and high schools  
>> which
>> legacy and big band influence continues today.
>
> And what good it has done is reflected by todays musicians synthetic
> sound.  Somehow, most "jazz" graduates manage to sound the same - lots
> of tecnique, complete lack of any originality or soul.
> Cheers
>>
>> Cheers,
>> Steve Barbone
>> www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband
>>

Ouch Marek: You tar all the GREAT high school musicians with the same  
brush. Perhaps you should spend more time in the USA listening to the  
plethora of wonderful high School Jazz Bands we have here.

Want some soul at the high school level? see Garfield HS with Wynton  
Marsalis, at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tJZZIWui5Q&feature=related

Or hear them again at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CA-nAIpuge8

For more esoteric Jazz, which you will not like, but is astounding go  
to:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkPCtUg6-vY&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgnIjDCmWfY&feature=related

Plenty of great High School Jazz Bands here that compete every year.  
Like those at the Folsom CA Jazz Festival every year, or at the  
Essentially Ellington high school competition sponsored by Jazz at  
Lincoln Center, or at the Mingus high school band competition in  
Massachusetts.

I particularly like the Essentially Ellington program at Jazz at  
Lincoln Center. They claim to have helped 300,000 students in 5000  
schools master the fundamentals of jazz.

http://www.jalc.org/jazzed/ee/welcome09.html

Once on that page, click on the "Announcing the 2011  etc., (in blue)

Like I said, lots of GREAT high school bands and players are around  
the USA.  And in cities like New York, there are lots of great young  
jazz players working in small clubs. They too have lots of soul.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone
www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband