Author: Fuzzy
Date: 2017-02-04 20:29
This whole argument seems silly to me. The Bob Crosby orchestra used charts. Does anyone here really want to say they didn't play real jazz...or couldn't play New Orleans jazz? Irving Fazola, Eddie Miller...not jazz musicians at all - really?! The Fat Babies currently use charts too. Thrift set orchestra...uses charts. Hmmm...what about Bix Biederbeck's band? King Oliver? (Listen to Deep Henderson and tell me that it isn't a chart). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YY38jAo7Wwc Yeah, I'm sure all those perfectly arrange voice parts coming in at the exact moment needed...was all spontaneous, right? No doubled fifths, thirds, or roots - and all at the exact right time in syncopation. No planning ahead, right? Perhaps King Oliver isn't playing "true" trad jazz either?! Wonder about Vince Giordano and his Nighthawks?! Yep - charts...all the way down to the transcribed solos. For what it's worth - it's all jazz to my ears.
Having said all of that...I do believe you can normally tell a reading band from a non reading band unless the musicians in the band are only using the printed music in order to fit some pre-designed idea (and yes, I classify Deep Henderson by King Oliver as jazz, and I consider King Oliver's entire band to be "Jazz Musicians.")
A band of classical players reading dixie charts still sounds more "jazzy" than a band of classical players playing Mozart. I've seen dozens of videos where a group of eager folks have played dixie charts to very receptive, happy audience in public areas. Who's to say the little children dancing and giggling with the fun music aren't now beginning a life-long passion for dixieland music as a result? I don't understand this hostility towards the idea of a group of people playing dixie from charts. Would I do it? No - not now that I don't need to. Would I stop and listen to classical players playing off dixie charts - probably not...at least not for long. However, I wouldn't start telling people in the crowd that "This isn't real dixieland! This isn't real jazz!"
If you want to encourage people to paint...you don't criticize beginning painters by telling them that they aren't REAL painters. Even if someone is painting by numbers - what difference does it make to you?! Why would you want to interject negativity into those showing a want/desire to share in something you love and are proficient at?
I'm with Matthew Simington on this one. The OP asked for helpful suggestions about printed dixie music, not for reprimands about personal beliefs pertaining to classifications of what is and is not jazz.
My personal love for dixie began by hearing it, then by reading (gasp) dixie arrangements...then to ear, etc. Please don't hate on folks who are just getting started. I think it would help jazz's cause much more if we were inclusive and encouraging to those just beginning the journey. It doesn't make sense to attack folks who are showing an interest. I don't think you'll ever have to worry about these "chart-reader's" CD/Digi-Pac sales beating yours in the market...so again, I don't understand the aggressiveness of the responses.
Yes, if someone asked my opinion about "What's the best way to learn to play trad jazz?" I'd definitely tell them that "by ear" is the best way to go...but I never saw that question asked in this thread.
Ned and Eric: You keep referring to the OPs request for "jazz" as your justification(s) for protecting the honor of jazz. However, the OP never even referred to the type of charts he was looking for as "jazz."
Respectfully,
Fuzzy
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