[Dixielandjazz] Trummy Young preferred soft and gentle

[Nancy Giffin]

Hi,
Since it's so quiet, I'll share a story that my dad told me today. (Yes, I'm
one of the young pup Listmates.)
My dad was a navigator on yacht races to Tahiti and Hawaii back in the 50s
and 60s, and on one of his trips to Hawaii, he stumbled upon Trummy Young
playing a small gig in Honolulu. My dad inquired about what it was like to
have Louis Armstrong for a boss: "Was he hard to work for?" Trummy answered
"Yes," that Louis could indeed be a very demanding perfectionist at times.
As an example, he said that Louis insisted he play trombone with a "big
blast" sound, which really wasn't his preferred style. Trummy told my dad
that, as an artist, he preferred to play it "soft and gentle." He then
proceeded to show my dad exactly what he meant by playing Stardust for him,
right there on the spot. Now Listmates, my father is a rather stoic old
Irishman, so imagine my surprise when my dad got all choked up just
remembering the moment, and describing how beautiful it sounded!
Love and hugs,
Nancy