[Dixielandjazz] Showmanship and Dixieland

[Stephen G Barbone]

> Steve Voce <stevevoce at virginmedia.com> wrote
>
> And with regard to improvising at concerts Louis said "When you get  
> a good solo together, don't change it." He was also very hurt by the  
> jazz fans who denigrated the "show business" duets
> that he used to do with Velma Middleton. Ed Hall was the only one of  
> the All Stars who really improvised. Tea, Trummy, Barney Bigard and  
> Billy Kyle all stuck rigidly to set solos. Understandably
> so, considering the nightly repetitive work.
>

Yes, when you do as many concerts as the All Stars did, or work 6  
nights a week at a joint like Condon's, Nicks, Jazz Limited, etc.,  
etc., it is quite impossible to continue creating fresh improvisations  
at every performance.

In effect, one becomes a jazz zombie, gets stuck in certain routines  
and repeats many portions of previous solos, if not entire solos. Ask  
any OKOM musician who has been there.

Some folks may dislike that, but then, on the other hand, they will  
also bitch and moan if the clarinetist does not play the Pjcou (or  
Dodds) solo EVERY NIGHT on "High Society" EXACTLY AS WRITTEN.

Go figure.

I must have seen Omer Simeon do that 50 different nights at Jimmy  
Ryan's in NYC with the Wilbur DeParis band. He looked and later  
confirmed in conversation, that he was bored as hell with doing that  
every night for many years. He was simply on automatic pilot for that  
solo, yet it was one of the most requested tunes at the club and the  
audience, elites and kids, loved it.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone
www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband