SwingDJs

I remembered this thread while reading the Chick Webb chapter in "The Swing Era" by Gunther Schuller. He is equally unsparing in his criticism of the early Ella:

Webb did not enjoy nationwide prominence until he had acquired a girl singer by the name of Ella Fitzgerald and, in particular, her recording of a dreadful bit of silliness called A-Tisket A-Tasket. Fortunately the inane ephemera of that day are now long forgotten, while we can today still enjoy the quite remarkable recordings of the Webb band at its orchestral best.

A footnote adds:

Younger readers, who know Fitzgerald only as a single in the fifties and the sixties and a magnificent ballad and scat singer performing real jazz material, will have no idea of the idiotic, often trashy songs she sang in her early career.

He later however recognizes her talent to turn some of the trash into diamonds:

Despite the trite material that Ella chose (or was obliged) to sing, her innate talent shone through. Indeed she lifted these banal songs to heights they did not deserve by her impeccable pitch (ear), diction, and her even then considerable sense of swing

I was just re-reading Ted Gioia's History of Jazz, which I'd never read past the swing era before, I learned more about Gunther Schuller. I'd never realized Schuller was a musician himself who played on Miles Davis' Birth of the Cool sessions, and that he was involved in the "Third Stream" movement (a name which he coined).

I thought that since Schuller had bothered to write about "Early Jazz" and the "Swing Era", I figured he might have some appreciation for either era. But the more I re-read portions from the Swing Era, I realize he really spends much of his chastising musicians of the Swing Era for not being more modern, rhythmically or harmonically.

He's definitely a modernist who celebrates those who are links to later jazz, and trashes those who exemplify what unique or emblematic of the era. For example, bashing Gene Krupa is somewhat common among critics, but Schuller particularly skewers Krupa. While he celebrates Jo Jones not for solidly swinging, but for his steps away from the swing style.

I still go back to his book for the technical analysis of some transcriptions he provides, but I think his style criticisms are like a vegan reviewing a steakhouse.

Campus Five wrote: I think his style criticisms are like a vegan reviewing a steakhouse.

Classic.

I rather enjoy that he does not heap praise on everything he writes about. He does like jazz from all eras. Obviously, his writing is not targeted at swing DJs (including me) who have a leaning towards riff songs and simple melodies.

On the other hand, he did track down and record Buster Smith, who for sure did not sound modern in 1958.

anton wrote:On the other hand, he did track down and record Buster Smith, who for sure did not sound modern in 1958.

Don't you think that mostly had to do with Buster Smith being such a huge influence on the young Charlie Parker?