[Dixielandjazz] Band Sound

[Larry Walton Entertainment]

There is a big band here in St. Louis that improves directly according to 
the number of subs.  I'm not saying anything out of school because everyone 
in the band including the leader jokes about it.  Their sub list is stronger 
than the regular players for the most part.  It's a reading band so you hire 
a good reader / player and the band isn't hurt.

It's different if the band is using head charts.

I am having problems finding subs because all the guys that can not only 
play the tunes but make an arrangement on the fly are dying off.  I haven't 
found anyone below 60 that can do it.

I use lead sheets and young (below 60-65) horn players don't know what to do 
with them except read them down which usually sucks.  They have no idea what 
to do when I'm playing lead.  Most don't know what trading 4's is and can't 
do harmony or counter melodies.  They don't know the other things that you 
need to know such as keeping eye contact with the leader to see who takes 
the next one, not practicing on stage, etc.  A lot of musicians act like 
they just got off the Turnip truck.  It's all because there are few places 
to play and learn the skills.
Larry
StL
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Stephen G Barbone" <barbonestreet at earthlink.net>
To: "Larry Walton" <larrys.bands at charter.net>
Cc: "Dixieland Jazz Mailing List" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Friday, May 13, 2011 2:36 PM
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Band Sound


> While I agree with Jim and Larry that a band should have its own  sound, 
> there are many cases where band sound was not hurt by a sub, or  even 5 or 
> 6 subs.
>
> Consider this case in point to which all of us who were in NYC in  the 
> 1940s, 50s and 60s will
> attest . Eddie Condon's band. He appeared at Nick's and then at his  own 
> joint with a rotating group of at least 50 different musicians in  his 7 
> piece band.  On any given night one would listen to a band with  a Condon 
> Sound that was comprised of Condon plus 6 different players  from the 
> previous night.
>
> He used WBD, or Billy Butterfield, or Bobby Hackett, or Max Kaminsky 
> etc.,  on trumpets, Lou McGarity or Miff Mole, or Munn  Ware or Brad 
> Gowens or George Brunies, or Jack Teagarden etc., on trombone, Pee Wee 
> Russell or Tony Parenti or Albert Nicholas or Peanuts Hucko or Bob  Wilber 
> etc on clarinet, Gene Schroeder, or Joe Buskin or Joe Sullivan  or Art 
> Hodes etc., on piano, Bob Haggart or All Hall or Sid Weiss or  Bob Casey 
> etc., on bass and George Wettling or Freddie Moore or Danny  Alvin or 
> Johnny Blowers etc., on drums. The only constant was Eddie  Condon.
>
> The personnel varied widely,but the sound was always "Eddie Condon's". 
> Even today, many bands say they play "Condon Style". It differed  somewhat 
> with personnel on a given night, but it was always  identifiable as a 
> loose, swinging sound. The musicians were all  competent jazz 
> professionals and Condon just let them do their thing.  They knew how to 
> communicate with each other and that sound hit you  like a blast of hot 
> air when you opened the door to his joint on 3rd  Street.
>
> Cheers,
> Steve Barbone
> www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband
>
>
>
>
>
>
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