[Dixielandjazz] Anne Davison video

[john petters]

Dick said
> Hi Jim.  I played with Wild Bill many times when he and Anne were in
> California.  I agree that Anne almost civilized Bill.  She was the only
one
> who could have done it!  A truely remarkable woman.  I miss her.

Almost is the right description.
On a gig in Norwich in 89, Bill wanted to get to the venue where we were to
play to warm up. Anne, Art Hodes and his good lady Jan had not finished
their meal. I took Bill and as soon as he was out of Anne's sight he was
looking at all the young girls in the street.
He would also wave a a cow in a field we were passing and say Hi Annie, to
which she would say Wilhelm!! indignatly.
Campbell Burnap told me he was driving though Brixton in S London, an area
with a considerable Afro Carribean population. The car stopped at a traffic
signal. There was a fellow with the long rastafarian hair style by Campell's
car. The window was open and Bill uttered something like, 'look at the hair
on that mother'....
She tried to curb his smoking on that tour (the drinking had finished by
that time). He spent his time scounging ciggies from other band members and
hiding them in his cornet case.
Anne also acted as mediator when Bill upset Art on a gig in Oxford. We were
playing Hindustan and Bill missed the first note. He glared at Art. He
announced at the end "Goddam piano player broiught it in too fast. Art was
upset and refused to travel in the car with Bill. I told Anne Bill was
upset. She said "you hear that Wilhelm, you've upset Art and he's a sick old
man". "Yeah sick in the goddam brain, besides which he's a goddam
communist", said Bill.
I was intrigued. Bill said "He booked me for a parade in 1941 for the goddam
Reds and I've nnot forgotten it".

Both Anne and Bill were keen to see his String albums reissued, pity he
didn't live to see it.
I too miss them and count myself lucky to have enjoyed their company if only
for a very short time. You folk in the USA who worked regularly with Bill
Art and the like are lucky indeed
John Petters