[Dixielandjazz] Dixielandjazz Digest, Vol 110, Issue 32

[Stephen G Barbone]

> "Ken Mathieson" <ken at kenmath.free-online.co.uk> wrote <polite snip>
>
> Mitchell's reliable lead is probably why he was picked for the  
> Chicago Red Hot Peppers dates. Jelly wasn't just a great pianist and  
> composer: he was a non-pareil arranger in his favoured idiom and  
> tightly-arranged music requires accurate lead playing, whatever the  
> instrumentation or idiom. Listen to the alternative takes of most of  
> the Chicago Victors: they're musically largely indistinguishable  
> from the issued takes. Generally the differences lie in the  
> engineering, usually in the sound balancing of the band, since, in  
> the main, the performances tend to vary only in ornamentation. Many  
> of the solos are markedly similar from take to take, which leads me  
> to conclude that most of the music, including solos, was written  
> down or learned by rote.

Dear Ken:

Another factor in Morton's choice could well have been the tremendous  
popularity of Armstrong as compared with all other jazz musicians at  
that time. Armstrong overshadowed everyone he played with. No matter  
how good they were, Louis dominated them all and perhaps JRM did not  
wish to be put into direct competition with him. Surely JRM wanted his  
own personal ensemble stamp on his music, and Armstrong even had he  
played precisely as JRM wanted, might well have still detracted from  
Morton's desire for personal fame and recognition.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone

www.barbonestreet.com
www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband