<div style="FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman; COLOR: rgb(0, 0, 0); FONT-SIZE: 18px"><div> Ken,</div><div>Having played many hundreds of "civilian" venues where there is primarily foot traffic, I have found this common trait. They are attracted by, and enjoy listening to song melodies they recognize. However, when the improvising begins on the second chorus, they think the band has changed the song to one they do not recognize, so off they go. Even if they do linger awhile (oops), they pretty much tune us out. </div><div><br /></div><div>If it is a seated venue, they don't get up and leave, but the "tuning out" still occurs and chatting begins, or as nowadays, the phones come out.</div><div><br /></div><div>Of course, if we are playing for a room of true believers, they get it. </div><div> My 2-cent observation.</div><div>John</div><div>Medford NJ</div><div> </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="border-top:1px solid #bcbcbc;margin:5px 0px;"></div><span style="font-size:12;font-family:arial;color:#000000;">On 04/04/17, <span>Robert Ringwald<rsr@ringwald.com></span> wrote:</span><div> </div><div style="font-size:12;font-family:arial;color:#000000;"><div dir="ltr"><div style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri'; COLOR: #000000"><div style="FONT-SIZE: small; TEXT-DECORATION: none; FONT-FAMILY: "Calibri"; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; COLOR: #000000; FONT-STYLE: normal; DISPLAY: inline"><div dir="ltr"><div style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri'; COLOR: #000000"><div>Ken, </div><div> </div><div>I respectfully disagree. In the Condon version, the trombone, while taking a few liberties, still plays it close enough to the written lead to know what the tune is. </div><div> </div><div>As a professional musician however, I do understand that civilians do hear music differently than a professional. </div><div> </div><div>This fact was brought home to me by the following:</div><div> </div><div>when I was a kid one of the first OKOM recordings I heard was a Ybjb recording. it was a 78 that my parents owned with Storyville Blues on one side and That’s a Plenty on the other. I appropriated the record and proceeded to wear it out.</div><div> </div><div>As a novice lisener, I knew I liked the recording, but couldn’t really pick out the various instruments and understand what they were playing in the ensembles. In later years I heard the same recording. It was as if a curtain had been lifted between me and the band. I could hear and understand everything they were playing. </div><div> </div><div>The same thing happened with several other recordings from my childhood. </div><div> </div><div>That is one reason why Lawrence Welk became so popular with the general public. Mr. welk heard music the way civilians hear it. He would have the rehearsals taped and sent to his house. He would listen to them ande reject any arrangements that strayed too far from the melody. </div><div> </div><div>-Bob</div><div> </div><div style="FONT-SIZE: small; TEXT-DECORATION: none; FONT-FAMILY: "Calibri"; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; COLOR: #000000; FONT-STYLE: normal; DISPLAY: inline"><div style="FONT: 10pt tahoma"><div><font face="Calibri" size="3"></font> </div><div style="BACKGROUND: #f5f5f5"><div style="font-color: black"><b>From:</b> <a title="kwg915@gmail.com">Ken Gates</a> </div><div><b>Sent:</b> Monday, April 3, 2017 10:15 PM</div><div><b>To:</b> <a title="rsr@ringwald.com">Bob Ringwald</a> </div><div><b>Cc:</b> <a title="dixielandjazz@ml.islandnet.com">Dixieland Jazz Mailing List</a> </div><div><b>Subject:</b> [Dixielandjazz] Of melodies and such</div></div></div><div> </div></div><div style="FONT-SIZE: small; TEXT-DECORATION: none; FONT-FAMILY: "Calibri"; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; COLOR: #000000; FONT-STYLE: normal; DISPLAY: inline"><div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="FONT-FAMILY: verdana,sans-serif">An observation for players and listeners.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="FONT-FAMILY: verdana,sans-serif"> </div><div class="gmail_default" style="FONT-FAMILY: verdana,sans-serif">I wandered in to a youtube clip of a 1927 composition--see link number one.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="FONT-FAMILY: verdana,sans-serif">I found it be very well played indeed. The melody stated and the embellishments</div><div class="gmail_default" style="FONT-FAMILY: verdana,sans-serif">and variations passed around with great skill. I couldn't remember ever hearing</div><div class="gmail_default" style="FONT-FAMILY: verdana,sans-serif">that melody before. I did some research to learn more about it, I'd like to play it.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="FONT-FAMILY: verdana,sans-serif">(I'm an amateur wannabe, can't claim to be a musician). I thought I had heard</div><div class="gmail_default" style="FONT-FAMILY: verdana,sans-serif">a lot of tunes during my listening days but discovered that it has been recorded by</div><div class="gmail_default" style="FONT-FAMILY: verdana,sans-serif">many ---both jazz, swing, Motown, and Montavani (easy listening). Wow, how</div><div class="gmail_default" style="FONT-FAMILY: verdana,sans-serif">had I not remembered hearing it. Composed as a waltz, but played 4/4 by OKOM.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="FONT-FAMILY: verdana,sans-serif">You can find many versions on youtube, but don't search for it by the title ("Diane")</div><div class="gmail_default" style="FONT-FAMILY: verdana,sans-serif"> </div><div class="gmail_quote"><div> </div><div dir="ltr"><div><font face="arial black, sans-serif"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3ThotQ3WiE" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3ThotQ3WiE </a></font><div class="gmail_default" style="FONT-FAMILY: verdana,sans-serif; DISPLAY: inline"><font face="arial black, sans-serif"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3ThotQ3WiE" target="_blank"> </a></font></div> <div class="gmail_default" style="FONT-FAMILY: verdana,sans-serif; DISPLAY: inline"> Link 1</div></div><div><font face="arial black, sans-serif"></font><div class="gmail_default" style="FONT-FAMILY: verdana,sans-serif; DISPLAY: inline"><font face="arial black, sans-serif"> </font></div></div><div><font face="arial black, sans-serif"></font><div class="gmail_default" style="FONT-FAMILY: verdana,sans-serif; DISPLAY: inline"><font face="arial black, sans-serif"> </font></div><a arial="arial" black="black" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8lP9zeRPjE" sans-serif="sans-serif" style="FONT-FAMILY: " target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8lP9zeRPjE</a> <div class="gmail_default" style="FONT-FAMILY: verdana,sans-serif; DISPLAY: inline"> Link 2</div></div><div><div class="gmail_default" style="FONT-FAMILY: verdana,sans-serif; DISPLAY: inline"> </div></div><div><div class="gmail_default" style="FONT-FAMILY: verdana,sans-serif"> Here's my observation.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="FONT-FAMILY: verdana,sans-serif">To my ears, both of these clips are really good.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="FONT-FAMILY: verdana,sans-serif">Heitger, Barrett, Christopher (and excellent local players where</div><div class="gmail_default" style="FONT-FAMILY: verdana,sans-serif">it was filmed in Germany) version began with melody as composed</div><div class="gmail_default" style="FONT-FAMILY: verdana,sans-serif">(except for 4/4 instead of 3/4). Following the trombone, the trumpet,</div><div class="gmail_default" style="FONT-FAMILY: verdana,sans-serif">tenor sax, and piano played creative embellishments and variations</div><div class="gmail_default" style="FONT-FAMILY: verdana,sans-serif">and then some ensemble play to finish up. Wow---great music.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="FONT-FAMILY: verdana,sans-serif"> </div><div class="gmail_default" style="FONT-FAMILY: verdana,sans-serif">After spending some time researching for other versions. I discovered</div><div class="gmail_default" style="FONT-FAMILY: verdana,sans-serif">that Eddie Condon many years ago had one with one his all-star</div><div class="gmail_default" style="FONT-FAMILY: verdana,sans-serif">configurations. Link 2, of course. Wow---great players playing well.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="FONT-FAMILY: verdana,sans-serif"> </div><div class="gmail_default" style="FONT-FAMILY: verdana,sans-serif">However, the first chorus, well played of course, began with an altered</div><div class="gmail_default" style="FONT-FAMILY: verdana,sans-serif">variation of the melody. Had this my first listening experience with this</div><div class="gmail_default" style="FONT-FAMILY: verdana,sans-serif">tune I wouldn't have locked in that melody that rolled around in my head</div><div class="gmail_default" style="FONT-FAMILY: verdana,sans-serif">for days. </div><div class="gmail_default" style="FONT-FAMILY: verdana,sans-serif"> </div><div class="gmail_default" style="FONT-FAMILY: verdana,sans-serif">My suggestion to performing musicians. There surely are folks like me</div><div class="gmail_default" style="FONT-FAMILY: verdana,sans-serif">who need to hear the melody stated clearly the first time around so as</div><div class="gmail_default" style="FONT-FAMILY: verdana,sans-serif">to better appreciate the inventive embellishments and variations that</div><div class="gmail_default" style="FONT-FAMILY: verdana,sans-serif">follow. Let the bebop and post bebop folks play around with chords</div><div class="gmail_default" style="FONT-FAMILY: verdana,sans-serif">and extensions of chords as the structure of the tune. They do it well.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="FONT-FAMILY: verdana,sans-serif">But OKOM, I think, is based on melody.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="FONT-FAMILY: verdana,sans-serif"> </div><div class="gmail_default" style="FONT-FAMILY: verdana,sans-serif">Just my opinion. </div><div class="gmail_default" style="FONT-FAMILY: verdana,sans-serif">Ken Gates</div><div> </div></div><div><font face="arial black, sans-serif"><br /></font></div><div> </div><span class="HOEnZb"><font color="#888888"></font><div><font color="#888888"><font face="arial black, sans-serif"><br /></font></font></div><div><font face="arial black, sans-serif"><br /></font></div><div><font face="arial black, sans-serif"><br /></font></div></span></div></div><div> </div></div><p></p><hr />_______________________________________________<br />To unsubscribe or change your e-mail preferences for the Dixieland Jazz Mailing list, or to find the online archives, please visit:<br /><br />http://ml.islandnet.com/mailman/listinfo/dixielandjazz<br /><br /><br /><br />Dixielandjazz mailing list<br />Dixielandjazz@ml.islandnet.com<br /><p></p><hr /><a></a><p align="left" avgcert="avgcert" color="#000000">No virus found in this message.<br />Checked by AVG - <a href="http://www.avg.com/email-signature" target="_blank">www.avg.com</a><br />Version: 2016.0.8012 / Virus Database: 4769/14237 - Release Date: 04/04/17</p></div></div></div></div></div></div><br /><hr size="1" /><br />_______________________________________________<br />To unsubscribe or change your e-mail preferences for the Dixieland Jazz Mailing list, or to find the online archives, please visit:<br /><br /><a class="parsedLink" href="http://ml.islandnet.com/mailman/listinfo/dixielandjazz" target="_blank">http://ml.islandnet.com/mailman/listinfo/dixielandjazz</a><br /><br /><br /><br />Dixielandjazz mailing list<br /><a class="parsedEmail" href="mailto:Dixielandjazz@ml.islandnet.com" target="_blank">Dixielandjazz@ml.islandnet.com</a><br /></div></div>