[Dixielandjazz] Re: Edinburgh Festival

[Rob McCallum]

Hello all,

I had the opportunity to play a couple of wonderful European jazz festivals
in the early 90's (Edinburgh in 1991 and North Sea in Holland in 1990).
Both were wonderful and unique in comparison to any other festival I've ever
been to in the U.S.  In Edinburgh, the atmosphere was spectacular playing at
the base of the castle.  I recall there being some OKOM music there.  I was
playing in a big band but I remember that a brass band from New Orleans
followed us.  Some of those guys looked like teenagers and just blew
everyone off the map (the name Rebirth sticks in my mind, is the Rebirth
Brass Band made up of younger guys?  Anyway, they were phenomenal).  We also
played a club show as part of that festival and featured a Scots modernist
tenor player as a special guest, I think his name was Tommy Smith.  He
seemed fairly young too.  He was a very mechanical player all chops and
nothing to say (very stiff too, couldn't swing at all).  To boot he was a
real arrogant a#%^#)*.  We thought he was kind of a joke, but apparently he
had developed a following in Scotland.  The show was fun though, I don't
think I've ever seen so many people crammed into a club that was about the
size of a bingo hall.  So many people came up to us on the set break just to
talk and buy us drinks.

The North Sea was entirely different, it was like one complex with arenas
and small theatres and conference rooms and you could just stroll from one
room to the other.  Though primarily a modern festival, there were several
swinging type people.  In the space of two days I saw Art Blakey and the
Jazz Messengers, Red Rodney, Sun Ra and the Arkestra, Tommy Flanagan, Herbie
Mann, McCoy Tyner, Miles Davis, and countless others and even missed quite a
few because of performance schedule conflicts.  I believe Cab Calloway was
booked that weekend as was John Lee Hooker and Ella Fitzgerald, though Ella
had to cancel because of ill health.

Anyway, it was a wonderful experience playing at those festivals.  There's
definitely a lot happening in Europe.  One other quick ( and wonderful)
memory just came back to me.  I was playing bass in the rhythm section
behind a Manhattan Transer / Rare Silk type of vocal group ( though bigger)
and they danced as well (lot's of standards Blue Skies and such).  We toured
Europe twice in the late 80's playing all over the continent.  I'll never
forget playing in a small hotel ballroom in Steinach Austria.  We played all
of our sets, and the crowd wanted more.  Well, being a rather larged
choreographed group, there wasn't a whole lot of extra material.  I think
they only carried one encore number.  Anyway, this crowd was so energetic
and enjoyed the performance so much that they wouldn't let us go.  The
director kindly explained that we didn't have any more material at which
point some people began to pile folding chairs in front of the door showing
they wouldn't let us leave.  The director asked them what they would like to
hear again and we played requests that they'd already heard.  Finally some
of the vocalists did an acapella rendition of I'll Be Seeing You to wrap up
the evening.  Truly wonderful times in Europe.

I may have posted that story at one time before, if I have forgive me.

All the best,
Rob McCallum



----- Original Message -----
From: Bill Haesler <bhaesler at nsw.bigpond.net.au>
To: Tom Wood <zenith at ans.com.au>
Cc: dixieland jazz mail list <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Friday, June 13, 2003 8:30 PM
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Re: Edinburgh Festival


> Dear Tom,
> I am sure that many of our DJMLer mates will be pleased to know that there
ARE
> jazz festivals outside the US.
> Just kidding.
> 8>)
> Have a great time. As always.
> Kind regards,
> Bill.
> PS: Any F2Fs organised?
> PPS: Tom, you did not mention that the Sydney-Zenith Jazz Band is taking
OUR
> band clarinetist (Jack Wiard) with it.
> You rats!
> Fortunately, we have some great deps to hold the Sunday pub and other gigs
until
> he gets back in August.
>
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>