Klarinet Archive - Posting 000691.txt from 2002/11

From: Mark Charette <charette@-----.org>
Subj: RE: [kl] style
Date: Mon, 25 Nov 2002 23:58:39 -0500

On Fri, 15 Nov 2002, Gene Nibbelin wrote:

> Sandee --
>
> "He plays trombone Chicago Style" is from the lyrics of a song that I recall
> from the '30s, '40s or earlier. I have always wondered what "Chicago Style"
> was, so I included it in my humorous question. I thought that maybe one of
> the old-timers on the list might remember something about the derivation of
> this term.
>
>From http://nfo.net/.WWW/JO3.html:

[ THE AUSTIN HIGH SCHOOL GANG ]
Jimmy McPartland
Bud Freeman
Frank Teschmacher
Pee Wee Russsell
Mezz Mezzrow

All these kids would hang out in soda parlors, listening to records of
Armstrong; King Oliver, the Dodds brothers and Jimmy Noone. They also hung
around the doorway of the Friar's Inn listening to the strains of the
Friar's Inn Orchestra wafting out on the breeze. (They were too young to
get in.) The Friar's Inn Orchestra later become the New Orleans Rhythm
Kings. (NORK) There were other 'Chicagoans' including: Benny Goodman Gene
Krupa Mugsy Spanier Eddie Condon George Wettling Joe Sullivan who were
also listening to the same records, but these kids were more likely to he
found hanging out on the South Side. They, too, were under-age. Some of
these youngsters (such as Benny Goodman), too poor to afford private
lessons, received their first musical training at Chicago's Hull House.

All of the above, had their musical tastes formed by a filtering of the
mix of Chicago Negros playing New Orleans style dixieland and of the newer
NORK white dixieland style. Out of this, the Chicago Style of Dixieland
Jazz grew. Or to distinguish it from "South Side" music, we call it "White
Chicago". The music of both groups was very similar. The Chicago style had
a "Hard Driving" sound to it, while the N.O. Dixieland was more of an
ensemble style of playing that seemed to "unroll" as you listened.

As N.O. dixieland had it's roots in Parades; and Cemetery Dirges; and
Storyville, so Chicago Jazz has it's roots in Speakeasies; Bathtub Gin'
Tough Guy Hoods; Mob owned Joints; -and the musicians also lived high and
hard in those years.
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Mark C.

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