[Dixielandjazz] a good solo

[ROBERT R. CALDER]

I remember an excellent solo from one CD I reviewed a long time ago, 

I won't identify it, because the CD's not worth buying for that,
besides which, after the completion of the solo the musician in question
does not stop but goes on with no more to say.
The leader of the band whose guest had been induced to go on too long
was decidedly unhappy with my review. 

I was told I knew nothing about music, 
and even less about jazz!!!  
I always thought jazz was music. Enough about that!

Alas I forget the name of a gentleman who with his sister sold 
excellent second-hand and uncommon LPs long ago. 
I think his first name was Desmond. He used to append comments,
how pleased he was to offer a record of Boots and his Buddies, 

and how sorry he was it didn't include The Raggletaggle =
He had a thing about Red Allen's "Roll Along, Prairie Moon"
(he also requested it successfully on JAZZ RECORD REQUESTS on the BBC)

There's a great sample of an excellent solo: from Higgy. 

It seems to have been an informal session, early in the long series 

of Allen small group recordings, before the steady production of 

performances had to make do with poorer and poorer material.
Higgy does his wonderful business, never better, then Red Allen yells
to him to take another chorus. Having performed a solo with a 

beginning, a middle and an end, Higgy is at a loss, briefly, 

anyway that is exactly what it sounds like. 

Continuing, Higgy is progressively less and less at a loss, 

and then he's triumphant, and he plays the thing out hallelujahing!

I have listened through the different takes of Red's New York Orchestra
-- the Louis Russell band on Victor, Biffly Blues, etc., 

I recommend this, take two makes take one sound in retrospect like a rehearsal
and take three does the same to take two. 

I wonder what preparation there was on "Prairie Moon"
If it was rehearsed rather than a spontaneous change of plan 

it is a further ideal study in the jazz solo: it doesn't sound rehearsed. 


Hallelujah again!

Robert R. Calder