Author: MarlboroughMan
Date: 2017-02-04 01:35
Matthew,
There's a huge difference between New Orleans style and Duke Ellington charts (or Fletcher Henderson charts, or Larry Elgart charts for that matter). Likewise, there is also a major difference between working from lead sheets or working from arrangements. The OP didn't mention lead sheets, so I was responding to the notion of playing New Orleans style from *arrangements* (with the frightening notion that such things might actually exists our there commercially). I think it's a terrible idea, and does damage to the artform, IMO, if people go out and misrepresent the music that way. I don't care if, by some crazy bit of luck, a kid stumbles on the Hot Fives because of it. More likely that kid will not be interested at all, as it will bear no resemblance to real jazz.
Since you brought up Wynton Marsalis, if you think he's all sunshine and rainbows, or always a positive cheerleader, you should check out some of his more scathing put downs of those playing what he doesn't consider to be jazz, and his opinion that calling just anything 'jazz' harms the profession.
Never did I say everything has to be played by ear. Working from lead sheets is fine, IMO, though not ideal. But the players better have an idea of how those lead sheets should be used.
If that's not encouraging enough for you, think of someone asking for simplified Brahms arrangements, because they can't handle the real thing...it's pretty much the same problem. I think the best reaction is to say play something at your ability level rather than manging something over your head.
[ footnote: as for being encouraging, I hope I'm always encouraging to everyone wanting to play or listen to this remarkable music--and I think you'd find me a pretty approachable guy if you showed up to one of my gigs. But really, this was a specific question for which there was no encouraging answer. It's a matter of respecting the music. ]
Eric
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The Jazz Clarinet
http://thejazzclarinet.blogspot.com/
Post Edited (2017-02-04 03:14)
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