[Dixielandjazz] Background music

[John Farrell]

Jim Kash said :

" I was just in London overnite for my daughter's graduation ceremony
 (Master's Degree!), and we ate at a fancy joint near the Waldorf Hotel
 (The Axis)....mainly 'cause they had Jazz.  Turned out it was a
 trio...girl vocalist, string bass & electric guitar.  Nice, tasty, but
 too much in the background.  We were at the closest table, and I could
 just barely hear what the girl was singing"

The wife and I accompanied by two American friends were having lunch in an
Oxford restaurant some time ago. A yound fella was playing a grand piano
very quietly and I gradually became aware that most of his music was watered
down jazz, nevertheless played very well. As we were leaving I went over to
him, dropped a tip in his hat and advised him that this kind of thing would
sound much better if played with more volume - he told me that his unmusical
boss had instructed him not to play jazz but to tinkle away quietly in the
background. This was the only way he could get away playing the stuff he
obviously enjoyed.

John Farrell
stridepiano at tesco.net
http://homepages.tesco.net/~stridepiano/midifiles.htm