[Dixielandjazz] Thread-- Charlie Suhor's post "New Rules for Jazz Bands"-- various responses collated

[Norman Vickers]

To:  Musicians and Jazzfans list;  DJML

From: Norman Vickers, Jazz Society of Pensacola

 

Interesting posts responding to Charlie Suhor's post about "New Rules for
Jazzbands" with fines for various infractions.   While Charlie's post was, I
think, tongue-in-cheek there was a bit of truth residing inside.  Most
responses were thoughtful and, most, also clever.  I post these, unedited
and I did not correct any spelling errors. (Who was it who said, "It's a
mighty rigid fellow who can spell a word just ONE WAY?" )

 

If this is a redundancy on DJML, accept my apologies.  Some are on one list
but not the other.  So as not to miss anyone, I elect to post to both.

 

Thanks all.  That's what makes this list fun!

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Trumpeter/ jazz educator/ leader Stan Kenton  Alumni Band Mike Vax writes: 

 

 

 

Funny post, but I will take one exception with lumping "What a Wonderful
World" with "Hello Dolly."

Case in point.  I have a really exceptional big band arrangement of
"Wonderful World" written for me by Bob Secor. It is the most requested of
all the charts that I do at clinics all over the USA.  I happen to love the
tune!

Example:  I just performed the chart at the International Trumpet Guild
Conference in Georgia last week.  There were over 800 trumpet players from
all over the world attending.  On the main big band concert there were six
great trumpet players who were featured, plus me.

Andrea Toffinelli from Italy, Claudio Roditi (one of my favorite trumpet
players today), Patrick Hession from Maynard Ferguson's Band, Vaughn Nark
from the Airmen of Note, Jeff Jarvis, Roger Ingram, and little old me.
(Definitely the oldest player of the bunch.......)

One of the biggest and longest ovations of the evening was for "Wonderful
World."  Many people came up to me and said that it was one of the high
points of the five day convention for them.  

One of the things that I do to announce it, is to say that I believe that
the words talk about what the world would be like if was run by musicians
instead of politicians.  This always get a great round of applause even
before I start the chart.  (Hey --- I'm not above a little good "show
business" at all.....!)

Anyway, I guess some people think it is trite, but I think it is a
masterpiece in its simplicity.

Mike Vax
www.mikevax.net
www.bigbandjazz.net
www.prescottjazz.com
www.getzen.com_______

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Pianist/ bandleader/ famous father/ moderator of DJML Bob Ringwald writes:

 

Norman, I agree with Mike. I think Wonderful World is a beautiful song. I do
it and the audience loves it. Some musicians put the song down and I really
don't know why. 

 

I also take one exception with Charlie's rules for musicians, $50 fine for
imitating Louis Armstrong? The punishment for doing that should be being
shot by a firing squad, and not even waiting for sunrise. 

 

Whenever I hear someone do that, its like running your nails across a
blackboard.  

 

It is an insult to the greatest Jazz musician that ever lived, or will ever
live.  

 

--Bob Ringwald

 

Jazz journalist Ken Dryden of Chattanooga, TN writes:

 

Maybe Charles should have added:

 

$5000 fine (from the festival promoter) and a lifetime ban from all future
jazz gigs if the leader invites Kenny G to join the band to play "What a
Wonderful World."

 

The band would likely walk off the stage or hogtie the leader if this
unlikely event were

to take place.

 

Ken Dryden

P.S.: If you haven't heard the clown prince of soprano sax's dreadful
recording, which included

a dub of Louis Armstrong's vocal, consider yourself lucky.

 

 

Trombonist/ sound engineer Jim Kashishian of Madrid, Spain writes:

 

Mike Vax referring to the song "What A Wonderful World":
 > Anyway, I guess some people think it is trite, but I think it is a
masterpiece in its simplicity.

I'm with you on that, Mike!  I can't understand why this one song takes so
much flack, when a lot of songs in our genre could be classified as trite.
Just depends on how it's played/what you put into it.  I always think of my
five kids, now all grown, when I sing the last phrase "they'll learn much
more than I'll ever know".  One son is developing a drug against leukemia,
for example.  Look up Adam Kashishian on Google.  I can't even understand
the titles of his medical papers!

>(Hey --- I'm not above a little good "show business" at all.....!)

Again, agreed!  I don't understand why "entertainment" is taken by some as
being a bad word!  Part of that means playing songs like "The Saints".
Folks know it/love it.  Play it, you get hired again.  All part of the
business.

 

Jim Kashishian

 

 

Our Israeli listmate Marek Boym writes:

 

With gravel voice imitation of Armstrong, Mile?  That, not the tune itself,
was given as the reason for fime payment!

Personally, I've heard quite a few "jazzy" versions of "World" which I lied,
but cannot take Armstrong's.

Cheers

 

 

Clarinetist/ bandleader Steve Barbone of Oxford, PA writes:

 

 Dear Norm & Mike:

 

I love the song WWW also. Harmonically it can be a gem and one of the
reasons it is popular worldwide is that the first few bars are Twinkle
Twinkle Little Star, Who can hate that? <grin>

 

Re your idea Mike, that this is what the world would be like if musicians
ran it instead of politicians. Do you mind if I steal it? I've been saying
that this is what the world was like before we humans screwed it up. I love
your take on it.

 

Funny thing about Hello Dolly and WWW. They are among the most popular songs
we play as far as audiences are concerned, especially when our Black trumpet
player sings them. We use Hello Dolly to highlight Armstrong's preference
for the LEWIS pronunciation of his name over LOUIE. As in the lyric "Hello
Dolly, this is LEWIS, Dolly". 

 

Cheers,

Steve Barbone

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