[Dixielandjazz] FW: Dixieland v. Trad Jazz

[Jim Kashishian]

Back in the 1950's, when I lived in Southern California, the term was always
Dixieland Jazz, but you could see Tradicional Jazz written on Turk's LP's.
There were no bad connotations then to the term "Dixieland", as I believe
there are now in the U.S. amongst some crowds.  

My first band, the original South Frisco Jazz Band, even had a Confederate
flag that we hung on the bandstand, without any serious thoughts about what
the flag represented. We played a happy style of jazz and we called it
Dixieland, without a further thought!  The term "Trad Jazz" was linked at
that time to what was being played in the U.K.

In today's world, I am pleased that we didn't include the word Dixieland in
our band's name here in Madrid.  Not because I don't like the word, or that
it might mean something one way or another to someone, but because it might
restrict somewhat our play list.

Back a few years there were folks who joined DJML, and then left because
they couldn't even TYPE the word Dixieland.  They just wrote in a bunch of
dots!  I always wondered why they even bothered to join a group called the
Dixieland Jazz Mailing List!!

I go along with the thought..."if it was good enough for Armstrong"....

Jim
P.s.  We're playing a private birthday party tonight and wearing our striped
vests!  Oh, horrors!  The thought of it....belittling our beloved jazz?
Nope!  It's called showmanship.