[Dixielandjazz] Here's an even better job offer

[Bert Brandsma]

Bart,
In a way I used to agree with what you state here, but I do not 100% stand behind this vision anymore nowadays.Players like Beiderbecke, Adrian Rollini, Jack Teagarden brought something new to the music, and were creatively as capable as any of the black musicians of their days.
Take for instance the famous recording of Copenhagen by Fletcher Henderson, with Louis on trumpet, it is great, but Bix did it before.
Rollini was also very unique, what player can you mention that played more creative, swinging and original bass lines then he on his bass saxophone? He was an inspiration even to Coleman Hawkins on his tenor.
Then there was in Jack Teagarden days no other trombone player regardless of skin color, that was such an original improvisor.
Another example is the Benny Goodman big band. What the trumpet section is offering at 1938 Carnegy hall, I mean the first concert, there was no other section at that time that could match it.
Also listen to Oh, Lady be Good, the video version of Artie Shaw with Buddy Rich on drums (see dailymotion) , it even outswings the early Basie band in it's heyday!
That is not to deny that to my ears the biggest figures in jazz history are Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington and Charlie Parker, but stating that only black jazz is good/original and white players only do a cheaper imitation is unfair.
Kind regards,
Bert Brandsma


> From: dixiejazzdata at aol.com
> Date: Mon, 16 May 2011 19:39:49 -0400
> Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Here's an even better job offer
> CC: dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
> To: mister_bertje at hotmail.com
> 
> 
>  Marek: 
> 
>  me thinks the definition is simple, it is the difference between the original Black musicians feel for the music and the white musicians attempted interpretations of it which suffers the same fate as many White Dixieland bands attempting to play Traditional Black New Orleans Jazz, agreed or not there is definitely a subtle difference in the sound between great Black players and white players of the same music often even with charts in front of them.   Although some of our colleagues on this list will vehemently disagree no doubt.
> 
> cheers,
> Bart.
> 
>  
> 
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Marek Boym <marekboym at gmail.com>
> To: B.B. Buffington <dixiejazzdata at aol.com>
> Cc: Dixieland Jazz Mailing List <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
> Sent: Mon, May 16, 2011 1:43 pm
> Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Here's an even better job offer
> 
> 
> Hi,
> 
> It's been a long time since the Duke's passing.  In the meantime, the
> 
> number of loyal followers and people who heard the Duke has dwindled.
> 
> New audiences stand a better chance of exposure to Dixieland (busking
> 
> bands, swing dances) than to Ellington.  Too bad, but that's the way
> 
> it is.  It is up to the media and the schools to expose young people
> 
> to Duke's music.  And, unlike Dixieland, no "Ellingtonian" band can
> 
> really represent Ellington's music properly.  The British "Echoes of
> 
> Ellington" do an excellent job, but it's not Duke.  Most bands I've
> 
> heard sounded too owed to take any chances, so their music sounded
> 
> rather bland.  I've obtained recordings by some of my favourite
> 
> musicians, only to find out that they sounded much better playing
> 
> other stuff.  The Ellington "spirit" (and don't ask me to define it -
> 
> I can't) is missing.
> 
> 
> 
> 
>  
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