[Dixielandjazz] Wierd experience Down Under

[Mike Durham]

Bill Haesler's kind welcoming remarks (even if I am a Pom) remind me of a 
wierd thing that happened on my last visit to the Antipodes. Staying with a 
friend in Sydney, we decided to take a stroll in the Botanical Gardens. 
After a while my wife, who has better hearing than me (not having stood 
directly in front of drummers most nights for 25 years) said that she could 
hear a jazz band. We followed the sounds and traced them to an open-air band 
shell where an elderly Aussie sat with a giant boom-box set on high volume, 
and a happy smile on his face. We introduced ourselves, and said we came 
ffrom Newcastle, England. His face lit up, and he said "There's a good band 
from there - in fact I'm playing their CD right now!" Well, you've probably 
guessed it: it was our Stomp Off CD. Now how about THAT for a coincidence? I 
bet the old geezer dined out on that story for months.

By the way, I had the privilege of sitting in with some great musicians and 
all-round good blokes in Oz, particularly in Brisbane (especially happy 
memories of the late  & wonderful Tich Bray). If any one from the Vintage or 
Caxton Street bands are reading this, g'day from the Old Country.....

Mike D.

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