[Dixielandjazz] Jazz Amputees

[fred spencer]

Dear Dave,
Thank you so much for the word on Monte Price, and your part in his performance.
It is a wonderful example of what I believe must be similar, unheralded stories
of musicians' guts, elsewhere in the universal world of jazz.
Fred

dhs@ev1.net wrote:

> Dear Listers:
>
> Most of the persons referred to in this thread are historical figures of one
> sort or another.  I would like to mention a friend with a missing limb who
> is just getting started in jazz.
>
> He is Monte Price, slide trombonist for the Chaparral Dixielanders of Round
> Rock, TX.  For those who are not acquainted with this group, it is a novice
> band in the Austin area which started in early 2002 and has made
> considerable progress in a relatively short time.
>
> Monte lost his left forearm and hand in a West Texas oilfield
> accident some years ago.  He turned to academics after that, and like many
> University of Texas graduates has remained in the Austin area.  He has
> carved out a nice niche as a computer systems consultant.  Monte has a
> warm-hearted wife named Ann and two lovely daughters.  He has a good life.
>
> On the musical side, Monte plays with a concert band, a couple of German
> bands, a trombone ensemble, and the Dixielanders.  He wraps the cross-brace
> of his trombone with a small towel, and grips it with his prosthetic hand
> (spring-loaded side-by-side flat metal hooks, actually).
>
> Monte can play trombone with a normal slide motion, but has trouble
> inserting and removing mutes in the heat of the moment, and of course isn't
> up to playing triggers.
> He has an interesting collection of older straight tenor trombones.  I play
> valve trombone with
> the Dixielanders, and when we play duets, if one of us is to be muted, I
> stick the mute in the appropriate bell and remove it afterward.
>
> I don't think any of the Dixielanders think of Monte as handicapped.  He is
> more than just one of the guys, though.  It was his interest in OKOM and
> drive that got the band together.
>
> Regards,
> Dave Stoddard
> Round Rock, TX
>
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