[Dixielandjazz] Young Kids in Big Bands

[Stephen G Barbone]

Great points by Kash and Bob Ringwald. Also, many of the big bands  
today travel with only 2 or 3 regulars like the chord instrument, plus  
horn soloist and drummer. Then they hire the local pros in what ever  
city they visit to fill in and play the charts. The young guys love to  
do this as they possess the reading skills and the technique to cut  
the gigs and will work for scale.

A while back I gigged opposite Tito Puente Jr. who had a 14 piece  
latin dance band at the event in Delaware. His band is based in Miami.  
He brought himself and 3 members of that band. The other 10 were local  
Washington DC musicians, young and fiery, who read the charts for the  
gig.

Also, lets not forget that when Louis Armstrong was 21, he was a  
sensation with King Oliver and by 23 or 24, starring with Fletcher  
Henderson and by the time he was 25, was changing the way jazz was  
played with the Hot 5.

IMO, it is the young who are leading the way in jazz. (and always have)

Cheers,
Steve Barbone
www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband