[Dixielandjazz] Ghost Bands - EARS.

[Stephen G Barbone]

Speaking about how ghost bands seldom duplicate the original you can  
test how good your ears are in determining an improvised solo, and a  
duplicate of that improvised solo by someone else reading the music.  
Improvised piano solos were recorded. Then various other pianists were  
given the transcribed solo music, and a record of the improvised solo.  
They practiced to get the "feel" and then recorded their reading  
renditions of the solo.

A computer can tell the difference between improvisation and reading.  
But can you? Go to the below site for an interesting article about  
"Brains on Jazz Feel The Music". Fun read, but then at the end, you  
can take the test. There are two tracks of different improvised piano  
solos, and likewise two tracks of a pianist reading the solo music.  
See if you can tell the difference, and then click on the answer.

Hint: Most folks cannot tell the difference. If so, I would think that  
if a ghost band cannot pretty much duplicate the original, it is  
because they haven't practiced/listened enough, or are inferior  
musicians.

Then again, (IMO) players like Louis Armstrong and Thelonious are more  
difficult than most to duplicate

Thank Norm Vickers for finding this link and passing it on to folks on  
his jazz musicians/fans chat list.


http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2011/05/brains-on-jazz-feel-the-music.html



Cheers,
Steve