[Dixielandjazz] Re: Playing too long

[Stephen Barbone]

Bill Haesler & Listmates:

Very true. Agewise except for old blue eyes they were all much younger
than I am now. But all of them were WELL PAST their performing prime and
many folks thought they were not up to the standard of their previous
performances. I wish I had a nickel for every time I heard about
Holiday, Sinatra or Armstrong in those years " H, A or S? They should
have hung it up years ago at the top of their game rather than
continuing."

Sinatra in particular was handled roughly by some folks who said he
could no longer sing. I suspect they were mostly those who never saw the
power of his personal magnetism in performance. You and I probably agree
that Sinatra at his worst, was better than most at their best.

I wish I had expressed that thought better rather than using "dotage"
and stand corrected.

Cheers,
Steve

PS. I am only past my performing prime, not well past yet. ;-)

Bill Haesler wrote:

> Dear Stephen,
> I must take issue with you two cents worth.
> 8>)
> When Bunk Johnson died in July 1949 he was only 59.
> Louis Armstrong in the 1950s was only in his 50s.
> When Billie Holiday died in 1959 she was only 44.
> Hardly "in their dotage"!
> Sinatra. Well, OK. He was 82 when he died. But always brilliant.
> BTW Coleman Hawkins was 64 when he died in May 1969.
> Kind regards,
> Bill.