[Dixielandjazz] Coon-Sanders Fans Bash

[Charles Coleman]

Hi, Listmates:    This past week-end in Huntington, West Virginia we enjoyed one of the best Coon/Sanders fans reunion bashes in recent memory.  The great West End Jazz Band from Chicago were featured and played a good part of the Coon-Sanders book.  What was amazing is how Mike Bezin can make six instruments sound like a full band.    But with guys like Mike Walbridge, Wayne Jones, John Otto, Frank Gualtieri, Mike Bezin and Leah "LaBrea" Bezin, they make it sound easy.    (Pardon the exhuberance, I'm still coming down off of a HIGH).   We followed the band back to Columbus Ohio (on our way home) where they played another concert for the Central Ohio Hot Jazz society.  At that event we all sang "Happy Birthday" to Wayne Jones who became a septuagenarian Saturday.  Unfortunately, I can still call him "young man".  :-{     Also at Huntington, I had the chance to meet and talk to Fred Edmiston who wrote the recently published book "The Coon-Sanders Nighthawks" subtitled "The Band That Made Radio Famous".    The book is a little pricey, but a lot of the public libraries have ordered it.    A good read, with a lot of previously unpublished photographs.
    For more information on the Coon-Sanders band, log onto     www.redhotjazz.com/coonsanders.html  
    And for information on the next Coon-Sanders fans bash, contact Dale Jones at     coonsander at aol.com     It will be held the third week-end in May, 2004 in Huntington, WV, and most likely at the Ramada Inn.
    OK, I can rest now.  Thanks for indulging me.    
        Charlie (still living in the 1920's) Coleman