[Dixielandjazz] Dress Code Redux

Don Ingle dingle@baldwin-net.com
Wed, 10 Jul 2002 10:58:34 -0400


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Re: Musician uniforms.
My memory of the five years I played at Jazz Ltd.in the house band =
('63-'68) includes the uniform au jour...black wool tuxes which we wore =
five nights a week, six hours a night in a room where air conditioning =
was more rumor than fact as far as the band stand was concerned. During =
the breaks, we were crammed into a cubby hole in the back where a small =
deuce table was usually the scene of a "For Blood" game of Tonk between =
Dave Raspbury and Freddie Kohlman.=20
The uniforms usually went a week to two weeks before dry cleaning in =
winter...not too bad...but summer was another thing, so the fragrance =
that built up in just one week was a memory to best forgotten.
Jim Beebe, who took Raspbury's place, was the coolest guy on the band, =
though. He didn't sweat like the rest, and we had a bet going that he =
had had his sweat glands removed. Being skinny was a blessing in =
summertime Chicago. On the back of the stand was a large emblem of =
crossed confederate and Yankee flags sporting a sign saying "Peace." It =
should have said "band area...inhale at your own risk."
In the five years there I went through three tuxes. I have never bought =
another one since. In my Michigan area we avoid tuxes, wearing dark blue =
blazers, matching ties and gray slacks in winter and chino tan slack in =
summer. White shirts for winter/spring, blue shirts in summer. Works for =
us, looks neat. So...My old tux is in a closet...now two sizes too small =
thanks to gravity and age...and will be burned along with my body when I =
go to the big jam upstairs. A Viking farewell to a memory that still =
smells like old sweat and tobacco room smoke from the hallowed hall =
called Jazz Ltd.
Don Ingle
Somewhere in sparsely population North Michigan-----  where the word =
"tip" is the name of a dog!

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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Re: Musician uniforms.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>My memory of the five years I played at =
Jazz Ltd.in=20
the house band ('63-'68) includes the uniform au jour...black wool tuxes =
which=20
we wore five nights a week, six hours a night in a room where air =
conditioning=20
was more rumor than fact as far as the band stand was concerned. During =
the=20
breaks, we were crammed into a cubby hole in the back where a small =
deuce table=20
was usually the scene of a "For Blood" game of Tonk between Dave =
Raspbury and=20
Freddie Kohlman. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>The uniforms usually went a week to two =
weeks=20
before dry cleaning in winter...not too bad...but summer was another =
thing, so=20
the fragrance that built up in just one week was a memory to best=20
forgotten.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Jim Beebe, who took Raspbury's =
place,&nbsp;was the=20
coolest guy on the band, though. He didn't sweat like the rest, and we =
had a bet=20
going that he had had his sweat glands removed. Being skinny was a =
blessing in=20
summertime Chicago. On the back of the stand was a large emblem of =
crossed=20
confederate and Yankee flags sporting a sign saying "Peace." It should =
have said=20
"band area...inhale at your own risk."</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>In the five years there I went through =
three tuxes.=20
I have never bought another one since. In my Michigan area we avoid =
tuxes,=20
wearing dark blue blazers, matching ties and gray slacks in winter and =
chino tan=20
slack in summer. White shirts for winter/spring, blue shirts in summer. =
Works=20
for us, </FONT><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>looks neat. So...My old tux =
is in a=20
closet...now two sizes too small thanks to gravity and age...and will be =
burned=20
along with my body when I go to the big jam upstairs. A Viking farewell =
to a=20
memory that still smells like old sweat and tobacco room smoke from the =
hallowed=20
hall called Jazz Ltd.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Don Ingle</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Somewhere in sparsely population North=20
Michigan</FONT>-----&nbsp; where the word "tip" is the name of a=20
dog!</DIV></BODY></HTML>

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