[Dixielandjazz] applause and Bud Freeman

[Robert Ringwald]

Charles Suhor wrote in part:

Speaking of Bud, I’m just catching up with the strand that discussed the box
set of Condon with Freeman Commodore sessions—I just got through hearing the
entire set. Thanks for recommending.

I was never a huge fan of Freeman but I came away with a greater
appreciation of his invention. And the vintage Chicago jazz of Wild Bill,
Kaminsky, Pee Wee, Wettling, and the less raw but fine performances of
Hucko, Hackett, and Dixon were a joy to hear. In some cases, to revisit. I
had several of the sides on 78 rpm in my teens. I wasn’t converted, though,
from my bias against the tenor sax in the Dixieland front line. It still
seems to obscure the wonderful clarity of the trumpet/bone/clary interplay.
(snip)


IMHO: A tenor sax can muddy things up in the front line if he and the other
musicians are not of top quality. In the case of tenor sax players such as
Bud Freeman and Eddie Miller, they know what they are doing. They know their 
place musically in a Dixieland style. They never muddy the waters.

Add to that, great players such as Wild Bill, Butterfield, Hacket, Wilbur, 
Peanuts, McGarity, Cutshall and several other front line players, they all 
know their place, can play within their parameters never get in the way 
musically of another player and swing their YKW off.

One of my all time favorite recordings, is Jammin' at Condons. Wonderful 
players at their best.

-Bob Ringwald