[Tradjazz] '' TRAD JAZZ", "DIXIELAND" OR "CLASSIC JAZZ"??

[William P. Taggart]

'' TRAD JAZZ", "DIXIELAND" OR "CLASSIC JAZZ"?? 

I'd like your help in resolving a difference of opinion.  My good
friend, BRUCE MCNICHOLS,  
of Radio OKOM fame, has taken a position that there are great and
significant differences 
among the phrases "Trad Jazz", " Dixieland", and "Classic Jazz".  He
says I'm unsophisticated  
for not knowing the differences.  According to Bruce, Trad Jazz refers
only to a very narrow 
style of Jazz originating from English show bands and pretty much played
only in England. 
He cites Acker Bilk as a prime example.

"Dixieland", on the other hand, refers only to the loose form of music
that originated in 
New Orleans. 

"Classic Jazz" refers to Chicago and West Coast Jazz. 

To top it all off, he says that the word," Jazz", without a preceding
adjective, means Modern Jazz, 
starting with Charlie Mingus.  

I, for one,  find it difficult to define Our Kind Of Music in such
explicit and definitive ways. I believe 
there is so much overlap among styles that these terms are much more
interchangeable.  Americans 
can play Trad Jazz with the best of  'em.

Certainly, the word "Jazz", whether standing alone or not, does not
refer only to modern Jazz. 

What do you think?