Jazz  •  New Orleans/Classic Jazz

Dixieland

Overview Artists Albums

Because the Dixieland revival (one could say fad) of the 1950s was eventually overrun by amateurs, corny trappings (such as straw hats and suspenders), and clichés, many musicians playing in that idiom grew to dislike the term and wanted it to be changed to "traditional" or "classic." But rather than blame the term or the style, it seems more justifiable to separate the professionals from the poor imitators. Dixieland, a style that overlaps with New Orleans jazz and classic jazz, has also been called "Chicago jazz" because it developed, to an extent, in Chicago in the 1920s. Most typically, the framework involves collective improvisation during the first chorus (or, when there are several themes, for several choruses), individual solos with some riffing by the other horns, and a closing ensemble or two with a four-bar tag by the drummer (which is answered by the full group). Although nearly any song can be turned into Dixieland, there is a consistent repertoire of 40 or so songs that have proven to be reliable. Despite its decline in popularity since the 1950s, Dixieland (along with the related classic jazz and New Orleans jazz idioms) continues to flourish as an underground music style.