[Tradjazz] "trad jazz"

[Steve Barbone]

"Bill Grant" <sylvia1 at ptd.net> wrote:

> Bill Taggart & Bruce McNichols,
> 
> I've followed your discussions over the  last 2  months, and I am  still
> having  trouble  when I try to define Trad Jazz for my high school  term
> paper.  I really need a definitive answer.  I'm convinced that Trad Jazz is
> only British.  My teacher says  that I may fail if I maintain that position.
> Please, all of you in the group, help me!!
> Billy Grant 

Dear Billy:

There are many definitions of "trad Jazz". I think the one most acceptable
to us trad jazz lovers is "Jazz played in the music styles predating the the
"swing era." That is, broadly speaking, jazz styles as played prior to about
1936. "Jazz" being broadly defined as polyphonic counterpoint music with
some improvisation, as played from about 1905 (Buddy Bolden) forward.

There are many "styles" of trad jazz. From my point of view, I'm sure others
will disagree here and there, following are the styles as I hear them. They
are in rough chronological order of their birth. Note also that one style
does not supplant another, they coexist together and all styles are played
today in the here and now.

1) Uptown New Orleans - As played by Buddy Bolden and other Black musicians.
                        Mostly self taught, mostly by ear, mostly improvised
                        Mostly non-reading musicians. Mostly ensemble head
                        arranged From 1905 on (PRESERVATION HALL PLAYS THIS
                        STYLE TODAY BUT ADDS MORE SOLOS)

2) Downtown New Orleans As played by King Oliver and other Black & Creole
                        musicians. Reading musicians, some charts, more
                        arrangements. Some classically trained players.
                        still mostly ensemble. More arranged and more
                        cleanly played From 1905 on

3) White New Orleans    As Played by the ODJB. Some readers, some fakers,
                        still mostly ensemble. More frantic that previous
                        bands. These band popularized "Dixieland".
                        From 1916 on. Lots of Hokum or stchick.

4) Hot Dance            As played by Armand J. Piron and others. Syncopated
                        dance bands in "jazz" style. Later supplanted by
                        Paul Whiteman etc., and then swing. Mostly ensemble,
                        short solos starting with Fletcher Henderson Band in
                        the mid 1920s. From 1916 on

5) Chicago              As played by the Austin High Gang and later all the
                        Eddie Condon Groups. Originating with Louis
                        Armstrong and the Hot 5 Hot 7 records in late 1920s.
                        Solos now take precedence over ensemble. Usually a
                        chorus or two in, then everybody solos, than a
                        chorus or two out. From late 1920s on.

6) West Coast Revival   The San Francisco version of Downtown New Orleans
                        as played by King Oliver, re-examined by Lu Watters
                        and Bob Scobey. But played mostly in 2 beat with
                        banjo tuba as opposed to the New Orleans 4 beat that
                        Oliver used. There was another West Coast revival in
                        LA, but more closely aligned to Chicago 4 beat
                        style. From late 1930s, interrupted by WW 2,
                        strengthened after the war from 1945 on.

7) New York/Chicago/KC  Started by Conrad Janis in the late 1940s when the
                        black swing players were without jobs as swing bands
                        disbanded. The couldn't play be-bop so they started
                        playing Dixieland, with Janis and others. The music
                        was New Orleans Uptown in concept, but heavily
                        influenced by Swing, Kansas City Blues and Chicago.
                        Janis mixed black & white players and influences and
                        the result was some really swinging Dixieland. You
                        had to be there because there is not much on record.
                        From 1949 on. I pattern Barbone Street on this
                        free blowing style.

                        AND NOW A DRUM ROLL PLEASE . . . . . . . .

8) BRITISH TRAD         As played by Crane River Jazz Band circa 1949. Band
                        members included Ken Colyer and Monty Sunshine.
                        Colyer came to New Orleans in the early 1950s
                        worshipping at the feet of George Lewis and the New
                        Orleans Musicians who were playing in Uptown New
                        Orleans Style. He returned to England in 1953 and
                        formed a band with Sunshine and Chris Barber
                        (trombone) They were only together about a year but
                        they really kick started the British Trad style.

                        Colyer started one band and Barber another. Barber's
                        group was more structured than Colyer's. But all
                        British trad derives from them. Some Canadian Bands
                        play in the style and most British bands play in the
                        style.

                        The style is more formal than Uptown New Orleans,
                        and the banjo is given more prominence in the rhythm
                        section and sometimes the front line horns will be
                        voice harmonically (NEVER DONE MUCH IN UPTOWN N.O.)
                        But the Uptown influence is quite clear. British
                        Trad is little more than a British spin on Uptown
                        New Orleans. And so The words "British Trad" are
                        an oxymoron. The musicians are readers, some
                        classically trained etc. From 1953 on.

That does it. Not all will agree with the above. Some will pick nits, and/or
split hairs, and/or accuse me of doing that, but as I hear it, these are the
basic styles of what we call "TRAD JAZZ".

Cheers,
Steve Barbone