[Dixielandjazz] Gene, Dukes of Dixieland

Mon Sep 3 04:38:34 EDT 2018

I had had the album with the second version of Farewell Blues for years!  I
didn't like it very much, and neither did my friends.  I only traded it in
not long ago.
Actually, I had been looking forward to hearing the Dukes since my days as
a rifleman, as a repatriant from the US who served in my company used to
tell me: "The Dukes - they are the greatest!"  And when I finally heard
them for the first time - what a disappointment!  A slick band, with no
feeling.  I have heard all their Audio Fidelity albums, and the only ones I
still have are the ones with Armstrong.  I have no idea why the RCA (with
Fountain), the Deccas (recorded in Chicago with a different rhythm section)
and the Disneyland Columbia  albums are so much better (I bought the second
Chicago album for a friend not so long ago, because I enjoyed the first one
so much!).
Cheers

On Sun, 2 Sep 2018 at 23:08, Charles Suhor <csuhor at zebra.net> wrote:

> 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> 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)
> 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> 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
>
> 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
>
> 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)
> 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
>
> Sent from  TypeApp <http://www.typeapp.com/r?b=13549>
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