[Dixielandjazz] Ward Kimball recollection
Tim Eldred
julepjerk@surewest.net
Tue, 9 Jul 2002 19:10:27 -0700
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My first FH5+2 record, ...at Disneyland, was given to me on a teenage =
birthday by my aunt because I was a huge Disney fan. She knew nothing =
about the music, but liked the picture of the band in the Disneyland =
Teacups on the cover....(my only previous exposure to OKOM was the Dukes =
of Dixieland.) Of course, I knew the individuals from their connection =
to the Disney studios!
I immediately fell in love with their sound. (And particularly the =
soprano sax of George Probert...)
In 1969, I achieved a dream of working at Disneyland - I was a busboy =
at the French Market in New Orleans Square....my first summer Friday, we =
were directed to remove the tables from 1/4 of the seating area and =
install concert seating in chairs for the anticipated crowd for the band =
that would be playing. To my extreme surprise and delight, it was the =
FH5+2. They played every Friday and Saturday night for the next two =
summers, with me either working those nights or coming in just to listen =
to them. When they found out I was a serious fan and knew their music, =
they could not have been kinder or nicer, even using my table as their =
break area (on nights when I wasn't working). Ward was always making =
comments on whatever was happening and not caring what management =
thought. All the other cast members, including the young restaurant =
managers, hated the band and their music....eventually, they would only =
communicate with the band through me.
One of my favorite Ward stories from that period is a folded request =
from cast members in the restaurant that I was asked to deliver. I gave =
it to Ward, he unfolded it and read it, then stood at the mike staring =
at his watch for what seemed like forever. Then he announced that the =
band had just played a request from the "kids" in the restaurant for two =
minutes of silence!
Another Ward story is that he saw me sweeping the floor one night with a =
broom and a dust pan with a cover that open and closed, liked the sound =
of it, and invited me up to take a solo with the band....I have no idea =
how I sounded, but his graciousness to a young fan will never be =
forgotten. (Anybody else ever taken a broom and dust pan solo?)
A major loss to animation and OKOM music...
Tim Eldred
Roseville, CA
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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>My first FH5+2 record, ...at =
Disneyland, was given=20
to me on a teenage birthday by my aunt because I was a huge Disney =
fan. =20
She knew nothing about the music, but liked the picture of the band in =
the=20
Disneyland Teacups on the cover....(my only previous exposure to OKOM =
was the=20
Dukes of Dixieland.) Of course, I knew the individuals from their=20
connection to the Disney studios!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I immediately fell in love with their =
sound. (And=20
particularly the soprano sax of George Probert...)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>In 1969, I achieved a dream =
of working=20
at Disneyland - I was a busboy at the French Market in New Orleans =
Square....my=20
first summer Friday, we were directed to remove the tables from 1/4 of =
the=20
seating area and install concert seating in chairs for the anticipated =
crowd for=20
the band that would be playing. To my extreme surprise and =
delight, it was=20
the FH5+2. They played every Friday and Saturday night for the =
next two=20
summers, with me either working those nights or coming in just to listen =
to=20
them. When they found out I was a serious fan and knew their =
music, they=20
could not have been kinder or nicer, even using my table as their break =
area (on=20
nights when I wasn't working). Ward was always making comments on =
whatever=20
was happening and not caring what management thought. All the =
other cast=20
members, including the young restaurant managers, hated the band and =
their=20
music....eventually, they would only communicate with the band through=20
me.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>One of my favorite Ward stories from =
that period is=20
a folded request from cast members in the restaurant that I was asked to =
deliver. I gave it to Ward, he unfolded it and read it, then stood =
at the=20
mike staring at his watch for what seemed like forever. Then he =
announced=20
that the band had just played a request from the "kids" in the =
restaurant for=20
two minutes of silence!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Another Ward story is that he saw me =
sweeping the=20
floor one night with a broom and a dust pan with a cover that =
open and=20
closed, liked the sound of it, and invited me up to take a solo with the =
band....I have no idea how I sounded, but his graciousness to a young =
fan will=20
never be forgotten. (Anybody else ever taken a broom and dust pan=20
solo?)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>A major loss to animation and OKOM=20
music...</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Tim Eldred</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Roseville, =
CA</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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