[Dixielandjazz] Gene, Dukes of Dixieland

Sun Sep 2 15:48:17 EDT 2018

Thanks, Andrew. I listened to the whole album and enjoyed much of it--other parts, not so much. Your "some junk/lots of good work" assessment strikes a balance.  "Farewell Blues" is at 18:02. I found it much more appealing than the other version, which seemed over-arranged to my ears, and the drumming was mostly a relentless two-beat. With Edwards on drums and Cooper on clarinet, I thought the band swung more easily. Frank unlimited and elevated almost all the Dukes' work, but even he couldn't rescue materials like "Alabama Jubilee." Ans he continued to grow. At the 1980 gig in New Orleans, surrounded by first-rate jazzmen, he was superb. Even his singing was wonderful. There was no trace of circus tempos and nary a straw hat or striped suit in sight.  Let "I found it," "to my ears," "seemed," and "I thought" be operative phrases in this message. What follows them are criticisms that are earnest (I'm sure) and justified (I think).

Charles

> On Sep 1, 2018, at 1:15 PM, Andrew Homzy <andrew.homzy at gmail.com <mailto:andrew.homzy at gmail.com>> wrote:
> 
> Hi Charles,
> 
> You didn’t check the 2nd link carefully - it’s the whole original album - the lesser version of “Farewell Blues” is after “Tailgate Ramble” -
> 
> As you know, just because the Dukes recorded a lot of junk tunes for Audio Fidelity, didn’t preclude them doing a lot of great work - such as their masterful version of “Farewell Blues”.
> 
> I like reasoned discussion - and research.
> 
> I hope everyone has had an opportunity to listen to the Duke’s 2nd version of “Farewell Blues”. 
> 
> One only has to prove themselves a genius but once -
> 
> (You can quote me on that :)
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Andrew
> 
> 
> On Fri, Aug 31, 2018 at 11:45:49 PM, Charles Suhor (csuhor at zebra.net <mailto:csuhor at zebra.net>) wrote:
> 
>> Andrew, the second link isn't a lesser version of Farewell Blues but of course, South Rampart Street Parade. Can you find and link the other F.B.?
>> 
>> A couple of out list-mates pointed to the wildly different views of the Dukes in their early years of fame on AudioFidelity. And wow, were they right! People of good will and weighty credentials can disagree with honesty. But on a ten-mile continuum from your "masterpiece" assessment to Frank Assunto's own description of faux-jazz created to humor Sid Frey ("We created a monster"), I lean to Frank's side of the argument. We could trade fours with reasoned discussions to support our views, but that would be exhausting and at best we'd probably move a few yards toward the center. 
>> 
>> Charles
>> 
>> 
>>> On Aug 31, 2018, at 1:34 AM, Andrew Homzy <andrew.homzy at gmail.com <mailto:andrew.homzy at gmail.com>> wrote:
>>> 
>>> The Dukes were fully immersed in the lineage of New Orleans music. They were a family band - the Assuntos - Freddie -trumpet, Frank - trombone & Papa Jac - trombone/banjo. Singer, Betty Owens, was Freddie’s wife.
>>> 
>>> They coalesced the classic/modern standard for a huge portion of the repertoire. 
>>> Their 2nd version of “Farewell Blues” is a masterpiece - with two trombones in the front-line - everything comes together: arrangement, solos, dynamics, dramatic progression. Don’t miss the way Lowell Miller alternates between tuba (2-beat) and string bass (walking)
>>> 
>>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F44WihqrzL4 <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F44WihqrzL4>
>>> 
>>> Note: the above version is not documented in the discographies and was used for the stereo re-mix, thus replacing the 1st version. Jerry Fuller is on clarinet & Red Hawley on drums. probably recorded in 1960.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> The whole original album (1956), with the lesser 1st version of “Farewell Blues”, is here - Harold Cooper on clarinet, Bill Porter on string bass & Johnny Edwards on drums. Pianist, Stanley Mendelssohn is on both versions:
>>> 
>>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MYWw9TkwGA <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MYWw9TkwGA>
>>> 
>>> The Dukes were a great band and their success - like that of Brubeck & The Modern Jazz Quartet - made them targets for some critics whose aim was mistaken.
>>> 
>>> Cheers,
>>> 
>>> Andrew
>>> 
>>> On Thu, Aug 30, 2018 at 10:05:44 AM, Jim Kashishian (jim at kashprod.com <mailto:jim at kashprod.com>) wrote:
>>> 
>>>> Hi, Gene and all.  Your short bio caught my eye because of your mention of the Dukes.  Although I began listening to Turk, et al, in the mid 1950s, I soon got interested in the Dukes.  Something, by the way, that is not always accepted as being a good thing in Jazz circles, and even on this list.  To this day, I maintain that, even though they became a a success (for some reason that is not acceptable!), they did play some hot jazz.  I heard them in a casino lounge in Las Vegas in about 1963.  A basically empty room, and they played as though it were a full house!  A lesson that I have carried with me through my whole musical life.  Hats off to the Dukes!  (Now I'll duck in case of flying objects!!)
>>>> 
>>>> Oh, I continued to listen to Turk, and many, many others, but was drawn to the Dukes possibly because my trombone style was closer to the style of the Dukes. 
>>>> 
>>>> Jim
>>>> 
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