[Dixielandjazz] Impending New York Visit

[Bill Gunter]

Hello Jerry,

You write:

>A couple of bits of advice please. On Saturday (15th) my wife and I will be
>flying across the big pond to spend just under a week in New York drinking 
>up
>the culture which we hope to find there. That is of course providing we can
>negotiate our way through the military circle at present surrounding 
>Heathrow
>Airport!

I wish you the best for a great trip. Airport security in your country and 
mine is not as easy as it was last time you came over. Let's see, wasn't 
that the time you visited the American southwest and went through Tuba City 
(a small, dusty Navajo community)? Be prepared for some hassles.

>My wife is not a great lover of jazz, in fact she says, "It all sounds the
>same and is so boring."

Sorry that Mrs. Jerry is bored with the music. It's usually the case that 
it's not music which is "boring" but people who are "bored." I'm sure Indian 
ragas, for example, are exciting to Indians when played on a hot sitar but I 
personally find it extremely boring. The difference is that I recognize the 
boredom arises from within and not from without.

>but I am hoping to catch some music in the
>traditional to mainstream styles whilst in the Big Apple. Any suggestions,
>please? We will be staying at the New York Helmsley on 42nd Street from
>Saturday 15th to Friday 21st and will be relying on public transport, taxis
>or feet to get us around.

Well, there's the Nighthawks and Dan Levinson's band. You can get some 
specific information at the following URL (just click on it):

http://www.danlevinson.com/levcal.htm

>Also our newspapers over here have carried a considerable amount of 
>reportage
>  to the effect the the USA is in a state of panic and the citizens are
>battening down the hatches in preparation for a war against some Middle
>Eastern country or a threatened attack from al Quaeda or maybe North Korea. 
>I
>hope the reports are embellishing the truth as usual and life in New York 
>is
>pretty much normal. Any guidance?

Newspapers, yours and ours, love to use colorful words which always 
exaggerate the facts. "Panic" is not the correct word. The USA is in a state 
of preparedness but it can hardly be called "panic." We learned a hard 
lesson on 9-11 which was that we're not invulnerable to terrorist attacks 
from Arab terrorists. In the UK you've had your share of such things with 
bombings from the IRA attacking the innocent - I don't recall ever reading 
that England's response to terrorists was "panic." In Israel I never hear 
that the Israelis are in a state of panic - only a state of readiness and 
they exhibit a willingness to retaliate against such attrocities.

So, no - we're not in a state of panic. As with people anywhere we have 
lives to get on with and we can't sit in fear of what the Muslim extremists 
plan next. We can only plan what our response will be to the next attack. 
And we're doing that!!!

Have a good trip and I hope you get to hear some jazz. New York jazz is 
wonderful stuff!

Warmest regards,

Bill Gunter
jazzboard at hotmail.com

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