[Dixielandjazz] Dixieland v. Trad Jazz

[Roy Taylor]

Dixieland vs Traditional Jazz (or Jass)

Years ago, in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, Dixieland bands were prolific all
over the United States and Canada.  This style was a tour de force of
blistering tempos and complex front line interaction and solos.  At the
same time there were bands often referring to themselves and their
followings as "moldy figs" because they concentrated on the earliest styles
of bands with tempos matching the 78 rpm records they learned the songs
from.  If a band had clever musicians who could transcribe the records,
THAT was the source of their arrangements.  Dixieland bands tended to  take
their style into later songs and even pop music of the day using fake books
as it was released.  These fake books were sold on the music black
market..  They also learned the tunes from each other in pickup gigs and
they expected the musicians to develop a "good ear" to recognize chord
progressions and learn the "evergreens" as the repertory developed.

Turk Murphy was the epitome of revival bands and often collected by Trad
bands as a goal of presentation.  He demanded his musicians have good ears,
but once they created a head arrangement they liked, tended to play it the
same way every time.  Other bands, such as the Boll Weevils, the Queen City
JB (of Cinncinnati AND Denver), Happy Jazz Band of San Antonio (Cullum),
the New Black Eagle Band of Boston, became the standards of traditional
jazz that you can find and study to understand Trad Jazz.  Dixieland bands
tended to follow the bands recorded on Commodore records by Wild Bill
Davison, Eddie Condon, and other commercial bands in New York City and
Chicago.  Jack Mahue's Salt City bands also come to mind.  New Orleans
bands were very traditional incorporated blues and even folk songs and
hymns, and trips there were memorable events in trad musicians experience.
Check out the Hall Brothers and Bill Evans bands as NO influenced.   There
was no hip hop or fusion bands in New Orleans at that time to confuse the
listener as to its identification.  They were mainly old black musicians
and some white musicians who learned at their heels (such as Harry Connick,
Jr).

As the music went further in the 1980s on, the lines between Trad Jazz and
Dixieland became blurred.  Our band has therefore billed itself as
Traditional Dixieland Jazz.  Audiences respond to faster tempos, but we
just don't reach the tempos typical of the older Dixieland bands.  I hope
that gives some more insight into the differences.


On Fri, Feb 7, 2014 at 7:11 PM, Jim Allen <jim.allen at longhornband.net>wrote:

> I had occasion to get in a conversation with another community bandsman
> recently after he overheard me mentioning something about Dixieland.
>
> He wanted to know if I was really into Dixieland or more trad jazz, Turk
> Murphy,  a style he mentioned, etc.
>
> Before this I had considered these terms virtual synonyms, never worried
> about any difference.  A google search turns up discussion but no clear
> demarcation, to me anyway.
>
> Is there?  What constitutes Dixieland as opposed or contrasted to Trad
> jazz, if there is a difference?
>
> Best
>
> Jim Allen
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-- 
Roy (Bud) Taylor
Smugtown Stompers Jazz Band
Rochester, New York
Traditional Jazz since 1958
"we ain't just whistling dixie!"