[Dixielandjazz] sitting in, or taking advantage?

[Jazzjerry at aol.com]

Around five or six years ago I was deoing a little record bar at the opening 
night of a new pub venue here in Norfolk. The format was that a very well 
known clarinet player was the invited guest to play with local musicians one of 
whom was a very old friend and also the organiser of the jazz evenings. The 
format was therefore very informal and during the course of the evening various 
local players of varying ability were invited up to have a blow. All very 
friendly. The Gerry (leader / organiser) invited a young lady onto the 'stage' 
(really a bit of floor at the end of the bar) to sing. I learnt later that it was 
almost her first public performance and certainly the first with of a 
'nationally known' musician backing her. Needless to say she was rather nervous. 
However she had a very pleasant voice and got through the first part of 'Hard 
Hearted Hannah' without any problems at all when breaking through the crowd came 
another 'lady' who was better known (although not necessarily a better singer). 
She strode up to Gerry whilst the guest was taking a solo and berated him for 
inviting 'that woman' up to sing "her song". She then grabbed the mike out of 
the invited singer's hand and launched into a further verse and chorus of the 
song. The bemused band continued to play behind her. After her vocal she turned 
to the band shouted 'That's real f...ing jazz' and walked out of the room. 
The original singer took the final chorus and earned herself a great ovation.

Now that is what I call sitting in!

The same woman had a few months previously been thrown out of a jazz club she 
herself organised after biting the arm of the hotel manager and drawing blood 
in which the club was held! The only instance I know of when a jazz club 
organiser got themselves banned from their own club.

And they said that Norfolk was dull!

Cheers,

Jerry
Norwich,
U.K.