The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #121804   Message #2664795
Posted By: Stringsinger
25-Jun-09 - 06:57 PM
Thread Name: It's traditional ~ but is it jazz?
Subject: RE: It's traditional ~ but is it jazz?
Well, it has vestiges of the early trad jazz playing style, a shouting trombone, two trumpets not unlike the tone stylings of Louis and Oliver but the beat is restrictive in that it rests with R and B and doesn't allow the imagination of the earlier musicians to take place in their ensemble playing which sounds pretty much like warmed over R and B licks and riffs.

The interesting part is the style of playing which seems natural to New Orleans trad players.
Also, the lack of secondary dominant chords keep it in the three chord category.

The drumming is R and B and not the trad playing of the marching band press rolls. It would be interesting to hear the earlier tunes from the Hot Five and Seven or Bunk and George Lewis being done with the R and B quasi-Motown rhythms.

I think it's an interesting development though. The style of attack and shouts of the horns reflect earlier trad jazz styles. So far, no Louis Armstrong has emerged.

If you want to hear young people play trad jazz well, I would recommend that you check
YouTube for Bria Skonberg, a pretty and young trumpet player and great singer who has
absorbed the trad style. She has an impressive all-girl band called "Mighty Aphrodite"
and they get the toe tapping. She's from B.C. Canada I think.

I think that this revival in New Orleans is healthy and a great expression for young black musicians. I hope it continues.

Frank