50s bands for swing dancing

Everything about the swinging music we love to DJ

Moderators: Mr Awesomer, JesseMiner, CafeSavoy

Message
Author
User avatar
CafeSavoy
Posts: 1138
Joined: Mon Nov 18, 2002 6:25 pm
Location: Mobtown
Contact:

#211 Post by CafeSavoy » Fri Apr 30, 2004 7:00 pm

falty411 wrote:
CafeSavoy wrote:I thought that was the point of the innovation of the Basie Rhythm Section, to replace the use of drums as time keeper with the bass and rhythm guitar.
I have to completely disagree with this statement. The drums did not get replaced as a time keeper. How the drums were used is what changed. When basie reached popularity, bands were already using Bass and Guitar in conjunction with Drums and Piano to form a rhythm section. Tubas and Banjos were a thing of the past. The innovation you might be speaking of was the very smooth bass lines of Walter Page, Freddie Greens style of rhythm guitar making it more of a percussive instrument and the fact the Jo Jones took the time keeping from the bass drum to the hihat. But the drums were still part of the time keeping.
Sure, i might have overstated the change since the drummer was still part of the rhythm section. But even your posts notes that the role of the drummer had changed. I can remember the guys from Salsano' band and Peter Davis talking about the critical role of the bass and rhythm guitar (if there is one) in keeping a band swinging. And i think George Reed made the comment that the drummer's main job is to mark whenever the elephant dumps.

JSAlmonte
Posts: 56
Joined: Fri May 14, 2004 8:15 am
Location: Washington, DC

#212 Post by JSAlmonte » Fri May 14, 2004 8:18 am

Just thought I'd pop in and post this article I stumbled upon by a musician based in DC. I thought it was apporpriate since it restates and/or elaborates on some of the technical issues brought up on this thread.

http://www.cpcug.org/user/dwlit/playsw.html

Jerry Almonte

Locked