Michael Blowhard writes:

Dear Blowhards --

It's only a little over a minute long. But, good lord: It's Louis, with Barney Bigard on clarinet, Jack Teagarden on trombone, Earl Hines on piano, Arvell Shaw on bass, and Sid Catlett on drums. Giants really did once roam the earth.

That may be "traditional" jazz but it's sure some far-out stuff.

The song is the immortal "Struttin' With Some Barbecue." I recall a funny passage in Josef Skvorecky's "The Bass Saxophone" (highly recommended, btw) where Skvorecky -- recalling his youth as a young jazz fan in Prague -- does a literal translation of the song's title and tries to figure out what the phrase "Struttin' With Some Barbecue" might mean. "Looking for dinner," perhaps?

Many thanks for the thousandth time to heroic YouTube uploader Bob Erwig. Bob's own website, which I've only just begun to explore, is here. Bob cuts loose on his own cornet here.

Lovers of traditional jazz won't want to deny themselves the pleasure of reading Philip Larkin's wonderful "All What Jazz," one of my favorite volumes of criticism. Who says that reactionary can't also be brilliant, appreciative, knowledgeable, and insightful? Larkin gets in some swipes at bop and post-bop too. Justifed or not, they're pretty funny.

Best, while snuffling away tears of happiness,

Michael

The beauty of Larkin's crits is not only the wonderfully funny savaging he gives to the three Ps as representatives of modernism, but his besotted love of the music of the "trad" jazzmen, and especially Louis. Play that thing!

Posted by: dearieme on January 2, 2007 5:40 PM

I think that "trad" only refers to guys who were still playing that style in the 50s and 60s. The bebop / avant garde -type people I know mostly admire early Armstrong, at least, both for his trumpet virtuosity, which was unsurpassed anywhere, and for the free play of some of his groups.

For me, I have interference from old cartoon music. Disney or one of the others apparently bought up a lot of stuff. I like the cartoons and their music, but they make it hard for me to appreciate the music straight.

Posted by: John Emerson on January 2, 2007 6:09 PM






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