[Dixielandjazz] Report from LaCrosse

[Don Ingle]

Well, fellow listees, it is clear that our friend Jim has found the real
"Lake Woebegone"!"
Nice wander through the memory banks, Jimmy. Been doing a little  of  that
lately.
Guess it happens when we get a tad long in the tooth. Still having teeth to
get long with is not all bad.
My little burg of Baldwin is also small (520) - we have a summer jazz and
blues festival in a band, but that's it. For me it is a great place to be--
156 lakes and over 2,000 miles of trout streams at hand in Lake County. As
you will recall, fishing was my pressure valve at Jazz Ltd, and Freddie
Kohlman and I used to hit the road after closing on Saturday night, drive
all night to get to Michigan to fish some small lakes and return late Sunday
to rest up for another week of Mein Hauptman Reinhardt's Prussian
leadership. (Every note a pearl, but watch the 'pulse.').
Only here I don't have far to drive and can fish most days as I set my own
time.
If there is an occupation more akin to jazz musicianship it's that of the
self-employed writer. Neither pays worth a damn but then there's more in
life than money -- though it toes give one a certain sense of comfort when
it's your turn to buy a round..
As to your owl - good sound, isn't it? We have several in the back of our
three wooded acres. Barred owl-- always asking "who cooks for you," and
sometimes a Great Horned Owl, the kingpin of raptors. He can say whatever he
wants to...no one will argue with him. Lately we are being thrilled by the
return of eagles to our area -- you have lots over there along the
Mississippi, too, Jimmy. Majestic to see.
Hey, enjoy the country life and the music that we all have to share on our
tapes and other media. As long as the ears work, we will still have that to
fill our souls.
Glad to know you are okay and only sorry we are so distant in miles. Have
missed our friendship up close over the years, and was glad we had a chance
to share a stand a time or two in recent years.
Keep in touch, as will Jean and I. Take care old friend --- hell all of my
friends are old -- and when in doubt play a G and smile. No one will know!
   Don Ingle
----- Original Message -----
From: <JimDBB at aol.com>
To: <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Monday, April 28, 2003 1:34 PM
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Report from LaCrosse


> To those who have inquired as to my whereabouts, I have moved to La
Crosse,
> Wisconsin.  I grew up in Sparta, about 25 miles from here.  I have two
> sisters here and for the present I am staying with them, alternately.
>
> It is very serene and dull here.  Very little jazz here and no cults ( I
was
> involved in anti-cult work).  What is one to do?  No traffic congestion
> either and I have an owl that awakes me every morning. what a neat sound
that
> is.  I haven't heard an owl in years and years so I didn't recognize the
> sound at first.
>
> The weather is near perfect now.
>
> My brother-in-law has wired the house with speakers everywhere and
outdoors
> as well.  He is partial to my own recordings and so they follow me around
the
> house.  I have heard the original"Chicago" soundtrack now about 25 times.
> And I'm not tired of it, surprisingly.  It is a great soundtrack and the
> 1920s orchestrations are superb.  I can't imagine that the movie
soundtrack
> can surpass the original.
>
> There is a nice Jazz Society here that puts on events and an annual Jazz
Fest
> in August.  If you have never been here for it, I recommend it.  La Crosse
is
> a nice town and the Fest is right near downtown.  My band played here a
> number of times and we always had a great time. An old friend that I was
in
> the service with used to come everytime I played in the La Crosse Fest.
> Frank filipczak lived in MInneapolis and was a trombonist.  We were both
in
> the 3rd. Marine Division Band in Japan in 1954.  I called him up and got
his
> brother who informed me that Frank had died in feb.  What a blow.
>
> My old friend Al Townsend is playing a Jazz Society event this Sunday at
the
> Freight House with his Wonderful World Jazz Band.
>
> I took a cruise through my old home town of Sparta.  the Country
> Seat and a farming town.  I found out that my High School girl friend,
> Shirley Isensee had died recently. That took me back.  Shirley and I were
in
> the High School band together.  The big event of the year for the band was
> the regional band contest in La Crosse.  These were thrilling events
> culminating in a parade through downtown.  Viroqua always had the best
band
> and always won first place.  Pianist Bob HIrsch was in that Viroqua HS
Band
> at the same time but we didn't know each other till later.
>
> The first time that I played in the regional band contest was in 6th or
7th
> grade.  I was a drummer and I played a solo and won first place.
>
> Well, forgive me for my little trip down memory lane.
>
> Jim Beebe
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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