[Dixielandjazz] Sacramento Jubilee interim

[Charlie Hull]

When K Street Ramblers opened our first set on Friday afternoon, who's
sitting in the audience but Tito Martino, all the way from Sao Paulo.  We
have his composition, Hot One!, in our repertoire and invited him up to play
it with us.  We had a minor difference of a couple of passing chords, but as
I told him, what does he know... He only wrote the song.

What a dynamic performer...  More energy and drive in eight bars than many
horners have in 32 (or a whole set).  Of course we wouldn't let him off the
stand until the set was over.  We didn't cross paths again (maybe today,
Monday, last day) but I sure hope Tito was able to spread his joy to a lot
of bands and audience.

There's a superabundance of good jazz at this festival.  Everything from
pure new orleans trad to modern (Howard Alden's East Coast All-Stars).  Also
big bands, zydeco, western swing, blues bands and entertainment like Pete
Barbuti, The Jack Daniels Silver Cornet Band, and many others. 'Way over a
hundred bands, and only three-and-a-half days in which to hear them.  Not
enough time, especially if you're playing every day.  What a blast.

The only downer was the absence of Jubilee founder Bill Borcher (Maggie'n'me
met through him) and my clarinet hero, Abe Most, who always led the West
Coast All-Stars.  We lost both of them in the last few months.

Charlie Hull