[Dixielandjazz] screw the changes

[Robert Ringwald]

I hate Free Jazz, or whatever you want to call it. 

-Bob


From: Al Levy 
Sent: Tuesday, October 6, 2020 11:12 AM
To: Bob Ringwald 
Cc: Dixieland Jazz Mailing List 
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] screw the changes

Hey Bob,
Best "How Many" joke to date.
Thank you for the chuckle.

On one occasion I went to Village Vanguard to hear Buddy De Franco. 
I loved many of his recordings. 
He was playing in trio with a guitar and Bass.
The style was "free jazz."  I left after a few minutes. 
It might have been fun for the performers. 

I have to confess: I wrote a suite for brass (trumpets, french horns, trombones and tubas)
The conductor, a former New York Philharmonic trombonist, had sessions every Tuesday night.
In the 3rd movement of my suite I had a "free form" section. 
No conductor. No score. No key. No time signature.
Little by little each player joined in, playing what ever they wanted to play.
The effect was like a coda without rhyme or reason. 
The conductor could raise his baton at any time and have complete silence. (an extended fermata) then
Down beat and cues such as "wah wah" trpt., "slide down" for trmb." 
and "dead stop on down beat" for every body. 
It worked, The conductor liked it, I liked it, the ensemble players asked to keep the suite in their repertoire. 
I was honored. 

Many years later I sat in with some jazz players I has never met. 
A friend of theirs and mine made the recommendation.
The host told me this was a free form session. My thought "Okay, I got ears."
I must admit it was fun for a while. After an hour I made an excuse to leave.
As soon as I was safe and sound in my car I put on a Mozart symphony.
It was like taking a shower.

Dixieland content: Have you ever seen a parade on Rampart Street?
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On 10/5/2020 9:07 AM, Robert Ringwald wrote:

  Q: How many avant garde jazz musicians does it take to CHANGE a light bulb? 

  A: None, Screw the changes




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