Ellington-Bigard Small Group

[Larry Kart]

Listening with delight to the first disc of the Mosaic Ellington Small Group Sessions, a light suddenly went on

in my head. I'd always pronounced the name of the marvelous group that recorded "Clouds in My Heart," "Caravan," "Frolic Sam," and "Stompy Jones" (Barney Bigard and His Jazzopaters) like this: Barney Bigard

and His Jazz-o-PAY-aters, which always seemed a silly and awkward name to me, but what the hell -- the

names given to recording units back then often were etc. This time, though, it hit me: Barney Bigard and His Jazz-OP-aters, which isn't silly or awkward at all IMO, but sly, subtle, and kind of cool.

[jazzbo]

I get it.

Hmmm. . . not sure that was intended, but maybe.

[JSngry]

Funny, but...

[Larry Kart]

Maybe I'm dumb, but I don't that there is anything to "get" (as in a particular double meaning; if you're thinking along the lines of "Jazz-o-PEE-ters," you need to take a cold shower) about the "Jazz-OP-aters" pronunciation (which I'd guess is a compression of "Jazz Operators") -- just that the way I used to say it, "Jazz-o-PAY-ters," is impossible and "Jazz-OP-aters" is nice and probably what was intended. In fact, I'd like a card stating that I'm a cerified Jazzopater.

[(BB)]

Are you sure it was they weren't the Jazz Optaters?

Edited January 18, 2007 by (BB)

[Chas]

Maybe I'm dumb , but I read Jazzopaters as rhyming with syncopaters .

[Larry Kart]

Maybe I'm dumb , but I read Jazzopaters as rhyming with syncopaters .

Hmm -- maybe I really AM dumb.

[Chuck Nessa]

Maybe I'm dumb , but I read Jazzopaters as rhyming with syncopaters .

Hmm -- maybe I really AM dumb.

Chas is smarter than the rest of us.

[Harold_Z]

I can think of a few guys who ought to put ot a record by The Jazz Consti-Pators ! !

[jazzbo]

Okay, Larry, I'm the one who's dumb because I swore you were recommending the intended pronounciation as the "jazzopiators" . . . as in opium users/eaters . . . .I read your "OP" as in Oscar Peterson or Ron Howard.