<< Back

Perspectives In Jazz: Hot Peppers
By Gordon Spencer
The Mic-Line

Dixieland is the oldest form of jazz we've got. And, by being so old, for some music fans it probably sounds outdated, outmoded, and outclassed by what has been happening more recently. But you know what has been happening recently? Musicians are playing Dixieland and loving it. And audiences are loving it, too.

Actually there were only a couple of short spots in the history of our music when Dixieland seemed eclipsed by the newer stuff and, even then, it was still around, just not very much in the spotlight. It kind of faded from view when Swing became the music. And during the early days of Bop some of the fans of modern music turned up their goatees at the mention of music played by the "moldy figs." But the fact is that down in New Orleans they never stopped playing Dixieland. And in clubs in the big cities it was an attraction. Eddie Condon and friends made a career out of Dixie until they died of still-joyous old age.

Let's not get into "what is Dixieland," shall we? There are many varieties of it being played right now around the world: in jazz clubs, at universities, in amateur groups and so forth. And right here in Albuquerque there are some musicians who have fun doing it, too. They are the members of The Red Hot Peppers, a group that takes its name from local fire as well as from of the early giants of early jazz: Jelly Roll Morton's group of the late '20s and beyond.

There are certain sounds and rhythms that most listeners and a lot of musicians would associate with "Dixieland" even if they would prefer not to be too precise in defining it. And the Red Hot Peppers have decided to play those sounds and rhythms even though no one in the band has a personal history old enough to have been on board at the launching.

Their performances are on a cassette called, "Bourbon Street Bash," on Owlsong 1002. Nine musicians take on thirteen numbers. Irate six numbers very highly. The title piece is a good one. So, too, is "Tailgate Ramble." They both are right in the traditional jazz groove. "Sweet Georgia Brown" and "Ain't Misbehavin'" seem a little more modern because of the solos. On the other hand, "Summertime" makes no pretense at being old-timey. The real surprise, though, is "Take Me Out to the Ball Game." You'd think this corny old thing would be a perfunctory tip of the hat to these musicians playing for a Dukes game. (They have played for them.) But instead it's a lively romp in the solid Dixieland style.

What makes the results so good, actually, is not so much the choice of material which is OK an appropriate to the idiom, it's really how these people perform. This is a bunch that works well as an ensemble: this is a bunch that has a couple of first-rate soloists in the front line. Most noteworthy is reed player Arlen Asher, a local man with a major reputation. What he does here is imaginative and sparkling, yet seems always within the framework of the chosen style, both on clarinet and soprano sax. It seems like no deliberate style/imitation but a skilled use of a limited medium.

Trumpet player Billy Morris is also consistently appealing. He does not really solo in a traditional style often, but he has lots of verve and color. Bassist Alan Lewine also solos in a somewhat modern vein and does that well, but appears equally content to pulse the band as an integral element of the rhythm section. (By the way, there's no piano.)

If you haven' heard that much traditional jazz recently, you might want to to go hear The Red Hot Peppers on Sundays at the Vieux Careé Restaurant. That's also where you can probably buy a copy of this tape from them. It's not just a souvenir. It's no just some historical re-creation. It's good music played by good musicians who clearly not only like what they do, but have the talent to make it should as fresh as it ever was.

<< Back