The 2010 Atlanta JAZZ Party!

From the son of Mr. Jazz ~ A.K.A ~ Philip Carroll

THANK YOU FROM PHILIP AND PUALANI AND THE ATLANTA JAZZ PARTY!
Congratulations everyone! You have made it possible for us to come together again with all these great people and performers to celebrate Jazz in the fun and friendly Atlanta Jazz Party! format established by my parents, Lee and Phil Carroll. Mom always made us eat our vegetables and dad always fed us plenty of Jazz. And so, as it turned out I love both broccoli and Bix! Those of you who have known me for a long time know that Jazz has really not been the most worn-out record in my collection. More likely you would find Eric Clapton or Stevie Ray Vaughn in either my car or boat sound system. I recall travelling to the beach for family vacation in the early '70s and dad was playing "his music" on the car cassette player and sister Glenn was doing everything she could think of to talk dad in to finding a K-Mart en route so she could turn the family onto Clapton's newest recording, 461 Ocean Boulevard. Well, he caved, and now I know why she loved it so. He showed the same open-mindedness to sister Shelley's beloved Beatles, though he swore to the day he died that they must have had ghostwriters for such off-the-wall tunes as 'When I'm 64'! Dad was always interested and supportive of our musical interests, as long as it was "good music" by his standards, that is, melodic, and improvisational.

In return, he made Jazz such a part of my love for music that when it came to the thought of not having our event in April every year I just wouldn't know what to do. So the younger generation is taking the leap and thanks you sincerely for making it with us! As Ed Polcer reminds us, it's all about the music. I would like to share some thoughts from dad's notes.

He said, "Over the years, I have heard the same comment, with slight variations, 'I don't like jazz, but I love your music'. Good jazz is collective improvisation, meaning that the players in the group should be compatible and play with a team spirit. In this regard, often times less becomes more. When Ed Polcer first started playing professionally he thought he should play lots and lots of notes to make the music exciting. One night he worked a gig with that marvelous one and only trombone man, Vic Dickinson. After a tune ended, Vic leaned over to Ed and said 'Son, you're playing too many notes. Leave some holes for the rest of us, and we'll fill 'em'. Obviously Ed figured it out.."

What my dad would call "my kind of jazz", some folks label "Dixieland" but he disliked the term because it conjures up images of straw hats and striped vest-clad musicians playing loud and fast to stir a crowd who may have never heard good jazz So, Atlanta Jazz Party! has coined the phrase "classic jazz" to acknowledge its roots in the masters such as Oliver, Morton, Armstrong, Bechet, Teagarden, Goodman, Muggsy and all the Condon Gang. Listen to our great players of today and you will hear them honor the masters by playing "in the same tradition, but with no imitation".. Dad liked that and so do I! With the hot, inspired jazz playing of our world-class musical line-up and your support as jazz patrons we will continue this classic tradition of "my kind of jazz" for another 20 years!

Finally, please acknowledge with us three "Atlanta Jazz Party! Grand Master Musicians". Ed Polcer, John Cocuzzi and Bob Havens have been with AJP for all 21 years! Thank you, gentlemen, you have established the tone. And now, "Let's Party for another 20 years !!!

Pualani and Philip

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