[Dixielandjazz] Kurt's Bix Report

[Shortuba at aol.com]

Hello all -

I can vouch for what Kurt said about the Thursday night gig his band played - 
I'm the tubist in the band, and we've been well received each year that we've 
performed.  He is also accurate in his evaluations of all the venues the 
bands play in.  I have been in about half of the festivals since it started in 
1972 with four different bands.  The original festivals only occured at LeClaire 
Park, and that is "heaven on earth" if you can stand the heat on the stage.  
I've heard the best bands in the world play there.

Bob Ringwald, I'm sorry I didn't meet you last year - I was with the Red Rose 
Ragtime Band (a group I still play with, having left Chicago 17 years ago) 
but they keep you hopping at Bix.  Maybe next time!

Just a thought about Bob Hope's passing.  Not to take anything away from him 
at all - what a great entertainer!  But I can't help thinking that he was less 
than three months younger than Bix, and if Hope had died when Bix did, well, 
he hadn't even gotten into radio in 1931.  I know Hope had made a name for 
himself in Vaudeville by then, but would anyone remember that?  And yet, look at 
the influence Bix had in just 28 years of life!  What if Bix had lived to 100? 
 What if....well, it's fun to think about sometimes.

Thanks for your indulgence in this long post.

Mike Short
Tubist, Party Gras Band
Des Moines, IA