Need advice about my trad/hot jazz band

[Stevebol]

That's what they say, but the real reason many just can't handle the physicality of it. It takes a lot of right hand to play this style, and yes, slapping sometimes is necessary. Watching an agony of a bebop player trying to cope with Sweet Georgia Brown at 300 bpm is something to never forget.

Btw, are you saying Carlie Christians did play upright bass? I wouldnt be surprised at all, but where did you hear it, just curious?

Yes, CC played standup. I forgot the source but it may have been Peter Broadbent's book maybe.
To my ears bass propels the music in bop quite a bit and not so much in old swing.

[Hep To The Jive]

Yes, CC played standup. I forgot the source but it may have been Peter Broadbent's book maybe.
To my ears bass propels the music in bop quite a bit and not so much in old swing.

Oh very much in old swing. My bread and butter is small budget gigs, and if it's up to me I always go for horn(or violin)/bass/guitar setup. Drums are luxury and cut first if not enough budget. So it's very important we have a bass player with maximum percussive sensibility. Can't do without it!

[mrcee]

I love this kind of gigs actually. Playing rhythm guitar is most fun, when people dont even notice there is no drummer in the band. No drummer is better than a shitty drummer though.

I agree. I was talking about when there IS a drummer in the band.

I heard that Christian was primarily a bass player at first and that when he did start in on guitar it was amazing how fast he picked it up.
I can't remember the source of this but it came from someone who played with him early on.

[Stevebol]

Hey everyone. A few months ago I joined a newly formed trad/hot jazz group here in the Dallas that's made up of some good musicians with varying levels of band experience. For the most part, this is a jazz band for newbies. Just what I've been looking for! The group is lead by a talented trumpet player who absolutely loves New Orleans jazz and early swing, but has never lead a band before. The songs he picks are GREAT but the approach to the music is driving me crazy! We rarely use lead sheets from a Real Book or learn anything by ear. Rather, we take full charts that he finds online and play them from top of page one to the bottom of the last page, almost verbatim. There's virtually no interaction among the musicians in the group if it isn't written down on paper. No cues, nods, waves or anything. This seriously does not feel like jamming... and when I think of this kind of jazz I think of JAMMING and having fun! Are we just reciting music rather than playing it?

I really love this music and have always wanted to be in a trad/hot jazz band. And let's face it, unless you live in NOLA, bands like these just don't grow on trees. So, who knows when, or if, I'd be able to find another opportunity like this? I've tried to suggest a different approach but get heavy resistance from the bandleader. So this just might be the way it is. Do I persist in trying to change things? Do I just accept it as it is and fall in line? Or do I simply cut my losses and hope to find another band that may never come?

Totally frustrated!

I got the impression this was a bigger group for some reason. What's the lineup?

[dallasblues]

The lineup currently includes trumpet (band leader), trombone, sax, drums, and myself on guitar. A lot of moving parts I guess... especially the rhythm section!

[dallasblues]

I'm worried that it'd be really tough to find a decent bassist that's willing to work with such an inexperienced drummer, and understandably so. That'd just make his/her job harder than it should be!