[Dixielandjazz] NewOKOM

[ROBERT R. CALDER]

I can remember in the late 1990s the prestige of a marching and somewhat boogalooing band from New Orleans, whose name will be remembered by others, and the young faces behind the instruments, achieved the penetration of its music to a local marching band I heard during the winter and pre-Easter ceremonies in Southwestern Germany --  1997-8 I think it was, and fairly expert stuff without the band preftending to be or thinking thenselves a jazz ensemble. 

In the summer one was liable to hear a version of Dixieland when an older generation of local amateurs or semiprofessionals got a bit bored sitting on a river or lake steamer going to a gig.  

Let me be rude about an English ensemble called TUBALATE --  at least before I spoke to a couple of them in Birmingham (England) a dozen years ago.  They thought there was something of interest to them in New Orleans marching band jazz, but the sole source they seem to have had for that momentous discovery was a James Bond film.  Shame on the uncurious for their ignorance of Cyrus St. Clair !!!!  All those lovely passages of interplay between Ed Allen's cornet and Cyrus the Great's tuba ....  

I think at least some people manage these matters better in Germany 

Those who have been wise enough to acquire the admirable CD, previously LP, recorded in London solo but for bongo-player., of the llustrious singer and pianist called Professor Longhair, might understand some of the actual musical relationships, involving his performance of ICE CREAM (cf. George Lewis) as a percussion-supported piano solo, and his more BLUES items.  These latter lose something in intensity from the rhythmic development of his archaic style, which blended well enough with post-1940s raspy saxophone sounds (Robert Hall, brother of Ed and Herb included) when he and Fats Domino were paid as Rock und Roll musicians in the 1950s.  
The Rhythm is indeed the thing, not to be confused with the sterile mechanism which was mass-marketed in its stead.  Of course Dr. John has been part of the revival of Longhair's style of piano playing, like some pianists in bands Bill Bissonette recorded not all that long ago, when even McCoy Tyner was having a go in his band with Bobby Hutcherson ... 
and having mentioned those names I shall stop,
Robert R. Calder




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