[Dixielandjazz] Ghost Bands - EARS.

[Stan Brager]

I think that most jazz musicians would have a difficult time exactly
duplicating an improvised solo of their own creation. Armstrong tried to
duplicate his "West End Blues" solo several times but none comes close to
the first.

Stan
Stan Brager

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Stephen G Barbone [mailto:barbonestreet at earthlink.net]
> Sent: Wednesday, May 25, 2011 11:52 AM
> To: DJML
> Cc: Dixieland Jazz Mailing List
> Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Ghost Bands - EARS.
> 
> 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