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I enjoyed reading that and agree with all your thoughts. And your "lost art" sounds like it may soon become even more lost. As for the "noise", I heard a polka band at Octoberfest (accordion, sousphone, and drums) where the accordion (who was the singer) was miced, and the Sousaphone had a mic laying in his bell. His already blatty sound became a really loud, more obnoxious sound and dominated the group. They would have been fine with no mics at all.

Not that I am a fan of accordion music.

When I was younger, playing gigs as you describe (trad jazz/YFM/sing-a-long, w/o charts or printed music) was how I made my living (in fact so much, that for me it was a treat to play gigs where I actually was required to read printed music!). Even then, the crowd that enjoyed the music we played were old, but at least they remembered the music first-hand, that is, they remembered the songs when they were new.

Since then, all of the listeners (and a good deal of the players, I was "the kid") have all passed away, and the phone stopped ringing as much as it used to - it also seems that here in the Northeast, the bass fiddle has become the predominant bass instrument of choice, so that may be part of it, too.

I do play trad gigs today, mostly with young folks half my age - they are very good, and they truly love the music. However, even though the audiences love the music too, it's not the same as it was - they are so far removed from the music (time-wise) that it's not the same relationship. It's not their music - one sometimes gets the feeling that's it's "just another fad" for them. This is not to say that this takes away from me the enjoyment of the experience - it just feels different.

(Some of the audience members often dress in era-correct clothes at these gigs, and while this is very nice, it's jarring to see the contrast of the clothing with the ubiquitous millennial tattoos, especially the ones on their necks).

bloke wrote:I just don't like playing BOTH the tuba AND the bass anymore: It's too much weight to carry. 

Truth be told, I can play the bass fiddle, but I choose not to - I just don't enjoy playing an instrument that I don't blow into......go figure.

Also, my routine requires me to shlep a tuba and a bass saxophone - I need to draw the line somewhere......

As a neophyte of 69 to the world of playing with others in a loose jamming type of group, I am learning a lot. Like finding a slot in the music where you can add and how not to distract. Waiting for your chance to play your solo. Watching what is going on so you can start, break and end at the same time. Then there are the electric guitars, basses and harmonicas all amped up to contend with. As the only horn, be it tuba, sax, or flute, I need to find a sonic space I can fit into. We all play at in the class room, but the stage at the Sunday jams is small so they get to take turns. I,on the other hand, get to play all night. And with any body welcome to play I am being made to quickly find the key and the form the song is in, not ever having heard it before. But boy it is fun! As much as I love doing TubaChristmas, the only thing I do with music written down in front of me, This is much more fun. And being one of a few instead of one of 300 is also more challenging.

I play for myself enjoyment, if other happen to hear that is okay.

Charlie C. Chowder

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Grumpy old men?

Big band theory.

Get off my lawn.

tofu wrote:I know Ben likes to make the case that jazz moves on and they must move on with it in order to stay relevant in order to preserve traditional jazz. Personally, I just think they are losing their traditional jazz fans and I'm not sure if the younger generation is replacing them with the current approach.

Periods of disaffection with a musical style are good for it, because they allow the outstanding to stand out. The idea that jazz "moves on" must have been borrowed from classical music, and I don't think that's really valid - but neither does it get any points for clinging to ancient routines.

... Well, I may have to go back a little on what I just wrote - the key to staying alive is attracting good, young performers, and if they all want to play be bop, you're going to get a transfusion of that or die. I do see some good youngish performers who seem to be happy to stick with a fairly conservative interpretation - Tuba Skinny for example, and associated players like Ewan Bleach in England - but in any case it boils down to what they feel makes the music vital, and it's that or leave the music to elderly dentists and such.

What really floats my boat was apparently called "Nicksieland", though I just learned that today, after Nick's in Manhattan where Eddie Condon's band played starting in the late '30s. Sort of a revival, but not in an antiquarian way at all.

I do understand that a Jam and a band are to different things. But with the exception of TC, I have not played in a band since 1971. I did not pick up a tuba again until the 90's. And until last summer I have pursued my musical vice alone at home all buy my self. Seeing a class offered call "Jamming with the Blues", I thought I would try it out. I do not have the knowledge to play anything in any type of music, but I can, it seems, Jam with the Blues.

And getting praised for it, but also finding my weakness's,
Charlie C. Chowder