Post 211: TELEPHONE BANDS

Maybe you have heard the expression 'telephone band'. Even if you haven't, you can probably guess what it is. There are plenty of telephone bands operating in the field of traditional jazz.

What happens is that a bandleader builds up a list of traditional jazz musicians in his region (several for each instrument) but does not decide on the personnel for a particular gig until after he accepts the booking.

He then phones round among the musician contacts, taking into account the need to have a balanced band, with the appropriate range of instruments, and also considering which musicians live nearest to the venue, thereby avoiding long-distance travel. The chances are that all the musicians on his list are already players in other bands, so he can book them only if they do not already have a gig on the date in question.

Such bandleaders and agents are in a sense 'fixers'.

Even some well-known bands are in effect 'telephone bands'. You may notice frequent changes of personnel. This is because the leader has a pool of musicians from whom to choose.

Usually it is musicians who have gained wide experience and met many players over several years who decide to run one or more telephone bands. One - or more? Yes, we have a famous fixer in England who sometimes puts out two or three telephone bands to play in different places on the same date - for example on New Year's Eve, when there is great demand.

Obviously a telephone band is a strange animal, because musicians can find themselves playing a gig with others they have never met before.

Such bands will not have had a rehearsal and the tunes they play will probably all come from the straightforward core repertoire. It is unlikely that any of the musical arrangements will be very complex. But audiences tend not to notice these things.

However, the standard of a telephone band can be high. This is because such musicians are usually very experienced and competent. With a few brief words, they can agree the way a tune is to be treated. (For example, the leader might whisper: 'Play A - B - C - then back to B and stick on B').

They can even look like a regular band, especially if the leader requests them all to turn up in shirts of the same colour.

The musicians themselves derive pleasure from meeting, listening to and working with each other. They can learn much and also with good teamwork produce some high-quality music.

There are dozens of telephone band performances in England every week; and I guess the same must be true of most other countries where traditional jazz is played.

If you are thinking of setting yourself up as a bandleader, this is one way of going about it.

By the way, a telephone band is in some ways similar to a 'pick-up band', though not quite the same. Pick-up bands are put together for special projects, such as a providing a backing group for a recording, or accompanying a singer on a tour. They are likely to be technically highly-skilled; and they are also likely to rehearse seriously together before undertaking the work.

Post 150: SHAYE COHN SHOWS HOW TO DIRECT THE TRAFFIC

I'm about to discuss a performance of Say Si Si, which Tuba Skinny were playing at the dba in New Orleans. But first I must thank David Wiseman, who was there to video it for us. David sent me his video, allowing me to upload it to YouTube. You may watch it by clicking on here.

Conditions in the dba are noisy and crowded. Filming is difficult. But David did well by getting close to the stage. He did more than that - something very unusual: instead of trying to show us the whole band, he kept the focus on Shaye Cohn.

So this video is perhaps unique in that enables us to study close-up exactly what Shaye does throughout an entire tune.

As so often, Tuba Skinny seat themselves in an arc. They have taught the world how much better this is - for audience and band members alike - than having a 'front line' with a 'rhythm section' behind it. It is easy, for example, for Shaye to catch the eye of any of her colleagues and with the slightest signal let them know what she wants them to do.

So let's work through the performance.

As usual, Shaye starts by hearing the tune inside her head and testing with her right foot the tempo that will be perfect for it. When she is happy with this, she counts the band in: 'One! Two! One, two three, four'!'

The band plays an agreed four-bar Introduction and then launches into the First Chorus (at 13 seconds). At the end of this chorus, in which Shaye states the melody fairly simply, she indicates to Craig (by leaning towards him at 50 seconds) that he is to take the lead in the Second Chorus. But while he does so, she does not take a rest (as most trumpet and cornet players would) but instead decorates his solo with pretty and delicate backing, mainly using the lower notes. As Craig finishes, Shaye leans towards Charlie (1 minute, 28 seconds), indicating that he is to take the Third Chorus. Again, Shaye does not rest: she plays long harmonizing notes to support his solo, encouraging Craig to join her in doing so.

Notice her flicking finger signal to Jason at 2 minutes 06 seconds. She is telling him she wants him to trade phrases with her in the Fourth Chorus. That's exactly what they do - first with eight bars at a time, and then four. The bars she plays are fine examples of the creativity we always associate with her.

At 2 minutes 43 seconds, a mere glance at Todd is enough to tell him he is to lead in the Fifth Chorus. As he does so, Shaye establishes a simple harmonizing riff behind him - a riff in which she is quickly supported by Craig and Charlie. Shaye seems to enjoy the fun of doing this: at around 3 minutes 09 seconds, we see her smiling even as she plays!

As Todd's Chorus ends, she indicates with a finger raised and a twirl of her cornet (3 minutes 19 seconds) that there is to be just one more Chorus and that she wants everybody playing.

So the Sixth Chorus finds everyone letting rip, Shaye herself improvising in the most exciting way with some lovely runs around the melody. She ends the tune, as so often, snappily on the third beat of the 32nd bar.

Just for a micro-second (at 4 minutes 00 seconds), it seems as though she might play one of those cornet-led 2-bar codas that she sometimes throws in. It is as if the idea fleetingly crosses her mind. But she immediately rejects it.

I think it was judicious to do so. She knew the ending was perfect as it stood and needed no further embellishment.

Post 8: HOW TO LEAD THE BAND

What a performance!

It would be hard to find a better example than this video of a leader carefully setting the right tempo, driving the band along, directing the musical traffic and making very clear what is wanted from everyone, while working up some great excitement in the music.

The leader is the cornet player Shaye Cohn and the tune is Fats Waller's Minor Drag. Click on the link below and hold on to your hats. Note all the subtle signals Shaye gives by means of eye contact, body language, quick words to John Doyle (clarinet) and Barnabus (trombone), a hand signal to Robin (washboard), the notes she holds at the ends of choruses - even left hand on the head to signal a return to Theme A!
Click here to watch.

Incidentally, as I have said elsewhere, why on earth don't more bands follow Tuba Skinny's example in seating arrangements? Having the band in an arc formation means the audience can see all the musicians and - for signalling purposes - the musicians can all see each other.

In other videos, you can even see Shaye 'conducting' the band by extending a bare foot! She does so near the end to indicate that this is to be the final chorus. For example: CLICK HERE. And for another example of Shaye showing great energy, drive and imagination, both in her own playing and in the direction of the band, look at this wonderful performance of Weary Blues: CLICK HERE.