[Dixielandjazz] edits

[ROBERT R. CALDER]

I recall some correspondence in Jazz Journal long ago, about the Buck Clayton jam session recording in which I think it was Urbie Green who -- when his solo came along  -- fitted in an allusion to the earlier trombone solo by Henderson Chambers. Between the recording session and the issue of music recording somebody changed the order of trombone solos.  


The classic patch story involves Otto Klemperer, who arrived with his daughter Lotte to conduct the Philharmonia orchestra, and was asked to conduct a passage a few bars long in the middle of a symphony. This he did. After a few minutes the producer said, "that's it!" and Klemperer puzzled for a minute and checked. They were indeed finished. The orchestra had been assembled to record a few bars that were required for the recording, due to some flaw in the complete performances recorded not so many days previously. Klemperer confirmed that this was what had happened, and turned to his daughter, "Lotte!  Ein Schwindl!"  


I do have another recording by an operatic bass on which I noticed something not quite right. I listened again, and again, and then I realised the same thing had happened, except the patch had been introduced at a bar line in the printed score. And where the sound of a solo clarinet should have died across the bar line it stopped clean dead on the bar line.  As I say, I noticed it, it wasn't exactly prominent, but it was very odd.  It IS very odd. 

Not being worried about bum notes is the privilege of people who just won't make them, but dread of bum notes can too easily preclude proper involvement in the music being performed. One occasion when I felt my teeth grind was when I was watching a film with Lucille Ball in a starring role. The script gives Eddie Heywood a name check, Ms. Ball's character says how much she likes him, but then Heywood plays the same extended passage exactly as before. Such subtle phrasing, and so entirely mechanical!

live music wherever, please!

Robert R. Calder