[Dixielandjazz] Sweet Georgia Brown

[John Petters]

On 22/09/2011 22:42, Ken Mathieson wrote:

>>
>> I don't see Sid as anything other than a swing drummer.
> 
> I'd disagree on that: His playing changed throughout his life, as you'd
> expect from a creative, musical player. When it was needed, as on some
> of the sessions with Bechet, he could go back to his roots and play very
> convincingly in an older idiom. He was also very interested in what the
> younger drummers were doing and was able to play their music without
> being a fish out of water. It's that business of playing in the idiom
> again.

All the older players were interested in what was happening around them.
Even Dodds played ride cymbal on the Mutt Carey New Yorkers and the
'This is Jazz' sessions. Sid was no different. His drumming is totally
different to Max Roach, whose use of the bass drum is way removed from
Sid's approach.

The concert to which I referred is a good example. In my view the idea
that Sid and Dave Tough made the transition from swing drummers into
boppers is not borne out by the recorded evidence. Be-bop messed up
nearly all the drummers in the '40s. It certainly affected Krupa badly.
He never was a bopper.

Cozy Cole played with the boppers but was never a bop drummer. Even
Zutty played with Bird and Diz - but those Be-bop groups came into their
own with the likes of Kenny Clark, Max Roach, Roy Haynes and Art Blakey.
Their whole concept was different.
> 
>> I would always point a would be traditional Jazz drummer towards Baby
>> Dodds, Zutty, Ray >Bauduc and Tony Sbarbaro, then Wettling Tough and
>> Krupa.
>>
> That depends a bit on how much the would-be drummer has heard of the
> older styles and how far back he wants to go. 

Ken, in my view, there is a fundamental error in principle in leaping
into jazz half way through its history. If you want to build a house,
you first have to lay foundations. The foundations of jazz are the
fathers...Dodds etc. No Dodds, no Roach.

Young drummers today
> generally haven't had much exposure to jazz in their formative stages,
> let alone the older styles of jazz. If I've got a pupil who shows an
> interest in the history of jazz drumming, I'll point him at Catlett, as
> Sid's playing methods and kit are still recognisable today, so it's not
> a huge step backwards for the pupil to assimilate. If he/she wants to
> become an early jazz specialist (it's never happened so far), then I'd
> introduce Zutty, Baby etc

Maybe it's never happened because you've not pointed them towards the
early styles.
> 
>> I don't see jazz as a single music and I didn't think that the Marsalis
>> SGB swung mightily. I was left longing for Big Sid or Jo Jones, who
>> would have caused it to do just that.
>>
> We'll have to agree to disagree on that.

We certainly will, Ken.
Keep swinging,
John

www.traditional-jazz.com
Amateur Radio Station G3YPZ