[Dixielandjazz] Today's Jazz - Was Tears

[Stephen G Barbone]

> "Robert Ringwald" <rsr at ringwald.com> wrote
> 
> Steve Barbone wrote:
> 
> For my ears, todays top jazz musicians are far superior to yesterday's. Perhaps because I grew up in NYC listening to Condon and the other GREAT Jazz Bands who kept OKOM popular. My ears heard much more energy in most Condon bands than on the records of the old masters.
> 
> Steve,
> You often mention that while the Condon recordings are good, they do not contain the same energy and power that you experienced when you heard the band in person.  
> Have you thought about the same scenario with bands such as the Oliver band? What if you had heard it in person?

Good point Bob. No doubt, at least in my opinion,  that Oliver seen/heard live was much superior to Oliver on recordings. I think that's true for most recordings as compared to live performance. I hear music with my eyes, as well as my ears and having seen Armstrong live several times, remember those performances as some of the most exciting jazz I've ever heard. Condon too. Ambassador Satch, recorded live in concert is a good example of Armstrong's energy, when compared with his studio recordings of that period.

The Condon recordings after 1945 or so exhibit tremendous energy. But my original point was that as good as those recordings were, the band seen live, was better. In my opinion because when recording, most musicians play it safe so as not to make mistakes. I think creativity suffers.

I am not dissing Oliver. He was an an original. He innovated. He gave us Louis. What more could he have done? In context of the times, those recordings are superb. But that was then and Jon Erik or Randy are now. 

I am just saying that I prefer todays players and what they impart to the performance of the music. Also, I am not into revivalist bands, but rather those that have evolved and bring something new to the party. I prefer today's top of the heap Dixieland Jazz Bands that play their own styles. But I do listen to revivalists and appreciate what they do. New Black Eagles Tears is one example, as was Wilber's Bix project and Gota River is another. They are all superb in my ears.

I don't think the music of Oliver and Armstrong et al, was meant as "art", but rather as dance music. I believe Armstrong,  like Bechet, considered himself a musicianeer, not an artist. Nothing wrong with that. It only became art when latter day fans decided to call it that. 

I note that some folks don't like vibrato the way some of the current guys do it. I look at it a different way. I loved the way Bechet did it, love the way Artie Shaw did it vs. Benny Goodman, adore Tony Scott's vibrato and I love the way it is done by the trumpeter in New Black Eagles. To me, it all goes back to Caruso.

Different strokes for different folks is all. Viva la difference.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone
www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband