Dixieland jazz

[Norre]

Please forgive my ignorance, but do any of you guys know if Dixieland bands have double bass players? A lot of these bands are streetbands/marching bands and have tuba or sousaphone players for the bass parts, not? I don't know much about this style of jazz, but I'd like to know more about it. If you can recommend me some good recordings and/or bands just let me know. Also links to website with info about the music itself interest me.

Thanks,

KN

[fenderfunker]

I think they used 2 x 810 cabs, and played a Fender P through them. The marching bands would wheel the amps around on trolleys. A very long extension chord was used for power; sometimes up to 3 miles long.
Actually, come to think of it, they did use tubas for the bass part...doh!

[John Wentzien]

After having lived in New Orleans for many years...There is just no substitute for Tuba in Dixieland Jazz..
I've heard many string players come "close" to it though...

[John Wentzien]

Listen to some "Dirty-Dozen" brass band stuff for a good example!

[Norre]

I've heard many string players come "close" to it though...

Is it uncommon for a dixieland band to have a double bass?

[ShowKing]

Originally tuba's were used and usually played in 2 feel walking bass. Sousaphone's were used for the marching stuff because tuba's are too hard to play standing up.

Double basses are used very commonly in dixieland.
Dixieland doesn't have to be done in a marching fashion.
When you play dixie, you have to think like a tuba player tho.
For example when playing 2 feel, make slight gaps between each note instead of full length, because tuba players usually played that way. It just fits the music style a bit better.

Check out on youtube, videos of Louis Armstrong. You will find many dixieland tunes like struttin with some bbq, when the saints go marchin in, etc.
Mostly done with a bass player, not tuba.

Hope it helps

[John Wentzien]

Originally Posted by Norre

Is it uncommon for a dixieland band to have a double bass?

No..not uncommon..but not "traditional".

[Norre]

Thanks for your replies all. I'm going to start my journey to the land of dixieland music . Dirty Dozen brassband and Louis Armstrong ... check! If you know any other bands let me know.

Thanks,

KN

[Ed Fuqua]

Originally Posted by John Wentzien

No..not uncommon..but not "traditional".

Try telling that to Pops Foster.

[jtlownds]

I have been playing dixieland with a DB for over 50 years. In fact, I'm currently playing with one. I see 10+ dixieland bands with DB, for every 1 that I see using a tuba.

[Ed Fuqua]

Neither DB nor tuba

[Norre]

Thanks for the link. Talking about uncommon ... that bass sax sure is
There's something about dixieland jazz that really intrigues me. It's really a fascinating style of music. I just found out there's a dixieland band near my hometown. Gonna check 'm out soon. Maybe I'll meet some other musicians there in need of a bassist
Are there any "standards" that every dixieland musician should know? I hear a lot of bands play songs like "Oh when the saints", "Struttin' with some BBQ", "St.James Infirmary". So I guess they are standards more or less, not?
Still looking for some great recordings, so if you know 'm just let me know please

Thank,

KN

[jtlownds]

Hey Ed, that clip with the bass sax was great. I actually played guitar with a dixie band that used bass sax for the bottom line, out in California. In my 73 years on this earth, that was the only bass sax that I have ever seen. Sounded surprisingly good.

Norre, there are a ton of dixie standards out there. Beal Street Blues, Basin Street Blues, Yellow Dog Blues, etc, too many to name. Swing standards from the 30's and 40's work well with a dixie feel too, so you are not restricted to dixie standards. Dixie is my favorite genre, I like to think of it as happy music, despite the "blues" in most of the titles. Good luck with your quest for dixieland.

[Jack Clark]

I'm pretty sure I heard that the upright guitarrón is taking over from both the tuba and the DB in Dixieland. . . . Or maybe not.

Seriously, I have read somewhere (I'll never find it again, though), that originally in NOLA the tuba was used when jazz was played outdoors, often in parades, but when they brought it indoors, the quieter, more subtle DB became more popular. Anybody know of it being divided along the lines of indoors/outdoors like that?

KN, since, you're so interested in Dixieland, you might like a story a tail-gate trombonist named John Welch told. Jamie Aebersold has reproduced it in some of his materials. You can find it here, for example:
http://www.aebersold.com/FQ/39_transposition_chart.pdf
There's another little story about Charlie Parker, too. Read that one first because it kinda sets up the Welch story.

[Norre]

Thanks for the link. Great stories

[Jazzerbone]

There is a great band in San Antonio at Jim Cullums club called The Landing. They use DB and play alot of dixieland. I think they do live streaming.

www.riverwalkjazz.org

[johnz]

Originally Posted by Ed Fuqua

Neither DB nor tuba

Ah, reminds me of Adrian Rollini... (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adrian_Rollini)

For what it's worth, for those of us here in the "Land of the Politically Correct", prefer the term "Traditional Jazz" (or Jass) or simply, "Trad Jazz" to "dixieland". Here's another wikipedia link that does a better job than I of explaining why this is so: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dixieland

The original recordings of Trad jazz tend to be pretty 'rough" because the dynamic range of the recording equipment at that time was really limited. It's still great to hear it.

There was a Trad Jazz revival in the 50's when the recording equipment was much better (and the double-bass much more common). Being a "West Coaster", I recommend Lucius "Lu" Watters and Turk Murphy. I'm sure you'll quickly find your own list of favorites.

[Ike Harris]

Originally Posted by Ed Fuqua

Try telling that to Pops Foster.

Ed's correct here. According to Pops, he played dbl bass early on, but had to learn tuba in order to be heard on the early records.

[jtlownds]

From the 1950s and earlier, a majority of bass players doubled on tuba. I don't see that being the case anymore.