[Dixielandjazz] Happy New Year

[Stephen Barbone]

Happy New Year everyone. Sorry to be a day late for you folks in Oz who
are already there.

Especially want to wish a Happy New Year to all the guys/gals on the
list who played with some of the legends of jazz in the 20th century.
Both the vocal posters like Jim Beebe, Charlie Hooks, Don Ingle, Pat
Cooke, etc., etc., and the non vocal lurkers like Warren Vache, Marv
Ross and a host of others including some of the guys in my band.

The oral history that you pass along, and the dues you paid playing with
legends is something that is likely to disappear within the next 20
years or so. Pity, for the records don't tell the full story. Especially
since they started doctoring out the clams and inserting the good notes,
and/or splicing sections from different takes since (as far as I know)
the 1950s). What you hear in many cases is not what they played at the
time. Who will now learn from actually having been there?

Here's a special Happy New Year to the legends you all worked with,
because they helped you play better. Lester Young, Coleman Hawkins, Ben
Webster, Sidney Bechet, Clifford Brown, Roy Eldridge, Billie Holiday,
Peggy Lee, Louis Prima, Max Roach, Buddy Rich, Ray Mantilla, Pete
Fountain, Al Hirt, Thelonious Monk, Charlie Ventura, Roswell Rudd, Gene
Schroeder, Dave Frishberg, Walter Bishop Jr., Yank Lawson, Pee Wee
Irwin, Bob Haggart, Lee Gifford, Kenny John, Charlie Traeger, Bunk
Johnson, Benny Goodman, Kenny Davern, Jack Fahey, Tony Spargo, et al.
And to some classical legends you played with like Vladimir Horowitz,
Artur Rubenstein, Yo Yo Ma, Isaac Stern, Pablo Casals, Andres Segovia,
Luciano Pavarotti, et al.

No doubt I left a few out, but then my memory is not what it used to be.

Happy New Year to the Fans too. After all, without you, we wouldn't
play. Got to run now, my New Year's Eve Gig calls.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone