[Dixielandjazz] Tram

[Paul Kurtz Jr]

Charlie, you hit a tremendously important nail on the head. You have melody guys, technicians, improvisers, and in some cases multi-instrumentalists in groups that build famous groups and bands. They all pool their talents to build a group. An example from the vocal world is Frank Sinatra and Conrad Gozzo, his lead trumpet player for a long time. Gozzo didn’t have to improv; Frank did that. He just had to be spot-on on everything he did and fully locked into the tempo that Frank wanted. This just as easily goes for the smaller groups, too. Look at Louis Armstrong’s bands and how they backed him up. Look at the guys who played behind Al Hirt and Pete Fountain. Look at the tremendous guys who played behind Maynard Ferguson who later built careers in their own right. 

I know that some of these references aren’t Dixieland references, but the point is that to build a great group, you have a variety of roles within that group. Sweets Edison said one of his greatest joys was to play counter-melody behind singers. This happens all the time in Dixieland situations where yo have a very talented individual and others support that person. 

Paul Kurtz Jacksonville, FL
> On Apr 26, 2015, at 7:09 PM, Charles Suhor <csuhor at zebra.net> wrote:
> 
> 
> On Apr 26, 2015, at 4:52 PM, ROBERT R. CALDER wrote:
> 
>> To complain that Tram showed little evidence of that kind of invention is to forget the limits of opportunity, just as a lot of musicians who played solos that were long and not too long, tended to simplify in some aspects earlier conceptions of the instruments. 
>> 
> 
> To state that Tram wasn't as fertile or adventurous an improvisor as Bix is not to "complain" about him or suggest that he wasn't an important figure in jazz history or to deny his (and others') expanding the roles of their instruments. I repeat (and it's only an opinion, of course): Tram wasn't as fertile or adventurous an improvisor as Bix. If every player had to be a Giant of Jazz, my record collection would be pared down to a few artists, if I could indeed identify the Giants. There's good stuff all around, but it's also useful to exchange ideas about the contributions of many jazz artists.
> 
> Charlie
> 
> 
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