[Dixielandjazz] Great gigs - was electric contrabass

[PLadd36932@aol.com]

<< We flew to the Mediterranean Island of Mallorca yesterday for a gig. "
 And then described the ideal gig.>>

Voila! Cest moi. just returned from from a 2500 mile jaunt around France. Not 
the story of a great gig but in Colliore, a very small town near Perpignan, 
close to the Spanish /French border there was music around every night.
Some were merely a duet, keyboard and clarinet. These had a good routine.They 
performed expertly, very expertly in some cases ouside a cafe.They would play 
3 numbers, usually very fast to show off their nimble fingers, collect and 
move on. Consequently I never heard any of them play anything but their 3 
chosen pieces. Mayhap that was all they could play. Very neat.
However there was something approaching a `town band` and these I only heard 
once .They also played everything at double speed but the band consisted of, 
wait for it,  Bass trombone,  `normal` trombone, tenor sax,euphonium,trumpet, 
another brass wind instrument like a squashed up french horn,a massive brass, 
wind bass, drums. Some line up you will agree, except that there was TWO of 
everything.Including the drums. Incredible! Oh, and a banjo. 
 Another group performing in the town square one night consisted of three 
girl singers, one of whom was no mean guitar player, a bass player, very 
good, a drummer, snare, hi hat and brushes only, also perfectly adequate. The 
style was a sort of `Peggy Lee meets the Andrews Sisters` The set started 
with a red hot version of  Flat foot Floogie and went on through House of 
Blue lights and dozens of other Jazz/swing numbers. The harmony work was 
super and the guitar and bass players took good solos. Nothing improvised I 
think, it was all too neat but a marvellous performance.They did a set of 
about 2 hours with hardly a break except for applause and then did a 15 
minute reprise in response to calls for an encore. 
All this on a stage under the stars, a warm evening, facing half a dozen 
`sidewalk` cafes and a standing crowd of  three hundred or so. Magic! 
Enhanced also by the fact that it was all free,  paid for by some arts group.

Apart from temperatures of 42 for a couple of days in Andorra which was a bit 
uncomfortable we enjoyed great weather with general temps. in the 30`s. A sea 
change seems to overcome the French. We found them charming, polite, patient 
when my French speech didn`t come out the way I meant it. Even a cheerful 
Bonjour and Bon voyage from the girls collecting money in the booths on the 
Auto routes. They must be up to something.

Nice to be back.

Pat