[Dixielandjazz] Revivalist bands (was Tuba Skinny)

[Charles Suhor]

I guess we disagree on the definition of "revivalist." The Dixieland jazz tradition is an unbroken stylistic thread that doesn't usually involve harking back to foundational players. I was raised in that tradition and had no thought of reproducing "older" jazz, as much as I admired Baby Dodds and Zutty. I take it that Lu Watters, Turk Murphy, a thousand George Lewis imitators, and most banjo & tuba bands are intentionally resurrectionist in the style they've adopted. Some, like Tuba Skinny, break through to use the style with originality. But for the most part, they strike me as being "good time jazz," very danceable, and they go well with pizza. Marshall Stearns made a distinction between "swinging" and "getting hot." The likes of the FF+2, in my view, merely "get hot," and are borderline corny, closer to Boyd Senter's Senterpedes and Freddie "Schnikelfritz" Fisher than jazz. The best revivalist and Dixieland bands swing. And it was Louis in the Hot 5s and 7s (along with Hines, Bechet, Bix, and a few others) who were seminal in teaching us all how to swing. Okay, a lot of this is a matter of taste, but I think this analysis (which isn't original, of course) is one legitimate way of looking at jazz styles. 

Charlie

 

 
On Feb 1, 2015, at 1:26 PM, Marek Boym wrote:

> After all, both Banu Gibson and Duke Heitger (and even his dad) are revivalists.  As were Kenny Davern, Dick Wellstood, dick Sudhalter Don Ewell, you name them.  All revivalists.  On the other hand, not all the bands of old wre all that great.  Some were better, some worse.
> I, too, tend to prefer the freer "Dixieland" style with double bass and a guitar over the banjo and tuba bands, but keep an open mind.  Likewise, I prefer bands with a piano, but I've heard some fantastic pianoless bands; for example, I've been a great Chris Barber fan ever since my dad bought me my first Barber EP back in 1961.
> Cheers