[Dixielandjazz] Repeated solos

[Stephen G Barbone]

> Steve Voce <stevevoce at virginmedia.com>
>
>
> *   * From my column in the current issue of Jazz Journal: . . .  
> (polite snip)
>
>   Louis and Johnny Hodges both had their set pieces, as I mentioned  
> couple of
> months ago. So did Tea--/Sheik Of Araby/and/Basin Street/  for
> instance. A host of the great soloists, particularly Bud Freeman,  
> took the same
> road. As professionals they expected to play for audiences that came  
> once and
> went away impressed, not for aficionados who knew every note in  
> advance or
> even, ridiculously to them, attended both first and second houses of  
> their
> dates. And in return those audiences couldn't understand how the  
> giants, who we
> saw as improvisers in the grasp of unstoppable and continually renewed
> inspiration, could be so crass as to repeat the same programme twice  
> in one
> night, to say nothing of at every concert throughout a tour.

An addition to those who sometimes repeated solos (or worked them out  
in advance) is another of the jazz giants, namely Sidney Bechet. This  
from  a 1949 issue of "Melody Maker" which as a huge fan of Bechet, I  
still have in my possession:The article by Dennis Preston talks about  
Bechet in 1949 rehearsing young Pierre Braslavsky's band prior to  
their appearance together at the club St. Germain.

(Paraphrasing here), He  said that Bechet rehearsed the band down  to  
minute detail and meticulously balanced their background harmony he  
wanted on his solos. Every time they went over the same tunes,  
Bechet's solos were exactly the same. Then when they played the St  
Germain gig, his solos were the same ones they rehearsed.

Further "proof" of how he often worked solos out in advance can be  
heard on his
January 1949 recording with His Blue Note Jazzmen. Bechet plus Wild  
Bill Davison, Art Hodes, Pops Foster and Freddie Moore. (no trombone)

Listen to his solo on Tiger Rag. And listen to how WBD harmonizes  
perfectly with that solo. No doubt, at least to my ears, that they  
worked it out in advance.

And this to Bill Haesler or John Petters. How do they make the tiger  
growl in the first chorus?

Cheers,
Steve Barbone
www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband