[Dixielandjazz] applause and Bud Freeman

[ROBERT R. CALDER]

I remember dear Bud, when he was caught out by a polite audience, for rather than dive in when the preceding soloist was still being applauded he would play softly, saving his breath, with a few notes audible over the noise, and have his breath available to cut through as the volume of applause tapered off. So in fact rather than people missing the start of his solo he began with a late start like a long pause.  

Of course if he had been following Doc Cheatham he might well not have needed that, for Doc could shape a solo to conclude with an introduction for the next soloist. 

Listening to Doc, I was always conscious that whichever band he was with sounded less noisy than before he was brought on -- of course I was once asked, before Doc had taken to playing with his trumpet almost vertical, why he lowered it when playing louder. Being very tall I could see over the crown around the bandstand, and quite simply he was lowering the bell of the horn closer to a microphone the man who asked couldn't see. 

Dynamics, dynamics, 

Robert R. Calder