[Dixielandjazz] Plums from Orange County

[Dan Augustine]

Folks--
     I came back from the Orange County Classic Jazz Festival--oh, 
hell, just say 'Anaheim'--with 10 CDs and 1 cassette-tape.  Jim 
Maihack was flogging the tape of his called "I'd Rather Lead a Band" 
(with the Golden Gate Rythum Machine" [_sic_]) for $5.00, and how 
could you turn down something like that?
     I also got more CDs of bands i already have other CDs of, such as 
South Frisco, Buck Creek, Bob Schulz, Turk Murphy, High Sierra, and 
Titan Hot Seven, but i also got Dan Levinson's reissue of the Rosy 
McHargue's Ragtimers from 1952-1956 and the Titanic Jazz Band.
     But the plum (so far and so to speak) is the CD called "Prof. 
Plum's Jazz Greatest Hits!" by Professor Plum.  I'd heard it 
mentioned on DJML from time to time, but never ran across any 
recordings until i saw it in the CD-shop at Anaheim, so i picked it 
up (and, luckily for them, bought it too).
     In the meantime, one of the bands i heard was the Red Pepper Jazz 
Band from San Clemente.  They were pretty good, with a very good hot 
trumpet player (and unfortunately, a sometimes-dragging tuba player), 
and i liked the gleam of fire in the trumpeter's eye.  The clarinet 
player warn't half bad either.  Turned out that the latter was Joe 
Ashworth (former leader of the Hot Frogs) and the former was Phil 
Kirk, the former leader of Professor Plum's Jazz Band (which i still 
hadn't heard yet).
     Got home and played the Plum, and it was instantly one of my 
favorites.  Did some research on the band to find out they were a 
huge hit in California in the 1980-1990's.  Some great tunes on the 
CD, especially one called "Little Lawrence" that i never heard of 
before.  The tuba-player Mike Swanson is an absolute monster, with 
some amazing solos, and i hate him (grrr).  I hate him so much i 
tried to find other CDs of the band, but they don't exist 
(apparently), so i went to www.gemm.com and found two LPs of theirs, 
which i immediately ordered.
     So how come you guys never tole me 'bout them?  And how many 
other really fine bands are (or were) there that you're not 
mentioning?  Is this a conspiracy?  (I know i'm not paranoid, but i 
know for a fact that the paranoids are out to get me.)  OK, OK, i'll 
go quietly....for another beer.

     Dan
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**  Dan Augustine     Austin, Texas     ds.augustine at mail.utexas.edu  **
**     "I find it rather easy to portray a businessman.  Being        **
**      bland, rather cruel and incompetent comes naturally to me."   **
**                          -- John Cleese                            **
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