[Dixielandjazz] NYC Dixieland Scene redux

[Stephen G Barbone]

Dear Mike:

Forgot to mention what I think was the impetus for such a vibrant scene. To answer your question , IMO it was:

The same thing that drives kids to R &  R, Rap, Hip Hop or whatever, today:

Wine women and song. It was the party music of the times for young people. Frat parties, college weekends in New York, the 18 year old legal drinking age, the slightly naughty feeling that jazz personified sex, that jazz musicians were easy, or that jazz clubs were owned by shady characters, if not the mob, some clubs where blacks and whites could mix, the general euphoria that pervaded the time after WW 2 ended, etc., etc., etc. And if you were a musician, of course you wanted to play jazz, to be a part of that scene.

Got a date? The place to go was to a jazz club. Didn't have a date? The place to go was a jazz club. Yep, IMO that was the impetus and that's why the music was full of energy as well as danceable.

Now, the old folks view the music as art. <grin>  Short memories.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone
www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband