[Dixielandjazz] Traditional, Dixie

[John Gill]

Hello
Interesting thread. It has been my experience that when the old time New Orleans musicians call music "sweet" they seem to mean that it has a sentimental or nostalgic quality to it. The song " Kiss Me Sweet" by Piron's Orch would be a good example. But, "Working Man Blues", "Sweet Baby Doll" by King Oliver's band could also be referred to as sweet. Oliver's recording of Jazzin' Babies Blues" and "Krooked Blues" would be more along the "dirty" blues style but still retain a certain sweetness. This so called "sweetness" is found in much New Orleans music but it really has nothing to do with the so called "sweet" dance bands of the 1930's and 40's. That kind of sweetness means a polite or gentle playing style, not too loud, and easy to dance to. Both kinds of "Sweetness" can be delightful but, it's easily overdone.
As for the reference in the Pops Foster autobiography to "dirty' Affairs, I've always assumed that was a typo and should have read "dicty" which means putting on airs, or high class and rich.  But I suppose he could have meant dirty.
I don't put much faith in labels like "Traditional" or "Dixieland" or "Swing" because they don't seem to be appropriate anymore. Many groups who refer to themselves as "Traditional" rarely are. Real "Dixieland" seems to be very hard to find. And while "Swing" groups seem to be everywhere, they don't really swing well.  I guess I've come around to agreeing with Louis Armstrong and Fats Waller and other old timer's conclusions that there are simply two kinds of music, good and bad. 
John Gill