[Dixielandjazz] High School Bands (or graduated bands as Marek calls them)

[Stephen G Barbone]

On Mar 12, 2011, at 4:36 PM, dixielandjazz-request at ml.islandnet.com  
wrote:

>  Bill Haesler <bhaesler at bigpond.net.au>
>
> In his reply to Marek Stephen G Barbone wrote [in part]:
>> 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........
>     [Then posted some  tenuous links to support your contention.]
>> .......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.
>
> Dear Steve,
> Of course there are lots of GREAT high school bands and players ...  
> around the USA.
> But are they playing Marek's and my jazz?
>> From this distance, with my usual tunnel vision, I think Marek can  
>> rest HIS case.
> *>)
> Very kind regards,
> Bill. (Stirring the pot on this lovely Sydney Autumn Sunday morning.)

Dear Bill:

Some are and some aren't playing Marek's and your jazz. Then again,  
what do you mean "Marek's Jazz" He is not a musician and therefore  
doesn't have a claim to "his" jazz. The jazz he listens to is someone  
else's which he happens to like. <grin>

As you have seen from Bob Ringwald's posts, Sacramento does a fine job  
with High School Bands that play Dixieland. As do Jazz Clubs in other  
areas like Potomac River in Washington DC which sponsors the Capital  
Focus Jazz Band as a youth learning program. Teachers like MikeVax,  
John McClernan, or Dave Robinson do a great job with high school kids,  
working very hard to improve the young player's jazz skills. And many  
bands like mine work with kids in these programs at our gigs.  A  
simple google search will reveal quite a few kids playing jazz that  
Marek likes

Marek stated:   "what good it has done is reflected by today's  
musicians synthetic sound. Somehow most "jazz" graduates manage to  
sound the same - lots of technique, complete lack of any originality  
or soul"

First of all, that statement is simply not true.

Secondly, Marek has absolutely no idea what "most 'jazz' graduates"  
sound like since by his own admission he does not have the time to  
listen to them.

Thirdly: Marek has no idea about "originality or soul". It is patently  
obvious that the more modern jazzers are quite original. Much more so  
than we Dixielanders. As for soul, I'd like to hear a definition of  
soul from those non-musician critics who talk about it.

For Marek to insult the "graduates" of jazz programs in schools, as  
well as those who work very hard teaching them as either paid  
instructors, or as volunteers, without any knowledge of what the kids  
or teachers are doing is simply the prattle of an ignorant man. A  
complaint from a complainer.

Maybe some of the jazz being taught and played today in schools and by  
these graduates is not his kind of 'jazz' but then his kind of jazz is  
not the definitive measure of originality and soul. Far from it, in  
fact. Of course it may not be your kind of jazz either but then, you  
don't go around disparaging folks just to hear yourself talk.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone
www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband