[Dixielandjazz] Ernie Carson

[JButler916@aol.com]

To Bill G. and all other listmates,

  Having played with Gene Mayl on and off for over 20 years I also have had 
the Ernie Carson experience first hand. I've been on the recieving end when 
he got boozed up and it's not fun but I also have to say that I can't think 
of a guy I'd rather play with when he's "straight!" A helluva player.

  He and Gene Bolen were good friends but when they got drinking together 
things could get nasty for anyone in their vicinity especially what they 
referred to as "tee shirt" band players...weekenders with other "real" gigs. 
You have to realize that these two guys were very proud of the fact that 
every penny they had ever made came from putting those horns in their face 
day after day night after night. I remember Gene Bolen in Memphis telling Doc 
Ryan of The Hot Cotton Jazz Band in no uncertain terms what he thought about 
him after the good doctor made a comment like...."well I saw the handwriting 
on the wall about what the future held as a professional musician so I became 
a doctor." Money you know. Boy did Bolen go off on him for ..."buying a 
band."

  So Ernie is out of this same mindset which can get very out of hand when 
the booze starts flowing. As Gene Mayl can attest to these two guys started 
swaping shots of booze on the bandstand during a Pennsylvania Jazz event in 
Stockertown,PA back in the 80's and to say it was an embarassing situation 
would be a vast understatement! We played for this wonderful bunch of jazz 
listeners in April of this year...the first time the band had been back there 
in about 15 or 16 years all because of this.

  I can relate to you how Gene gave Ernie another couple of trys that blew up 
in his face or how our drummer Howard Kadison took mercy on Ernie when his 
chops went out on him  a number of years ago and gave him a gig on the 
Mississippi Queen playing piano in the Paddle Wheel lounge. Naturally Ernie 
being Ernie he went off on the paying pasengers in no uncertain terms 
verbally and as a result was put ashore at the next town.

  It's sad that a talent like this does have so many deamons. Johnny Ulrich 
used to say to me that he was always amazed how Ernie could go from a Turk 
Murphy style band and right into a Wild Bill style group just like 
nothing..no easy trick.

  As I read some of these posts about Ernie it was de ja vue to me all over 
again. I'm sure that if Gene Mayl reads any of this he could tell more 
stories than anyone would want to hear.

  Sad to say in the end these tales that abound about Ernie are all to true.

Jim Butler