[Dixielandjazz] Re: Count Basie Orch. directed by Grover Mitchell

[Charles Coleman]

Greetings, listmates:    On Oct. 21 Dick Broadie wrote..."If the Count Basie Orachestra directed by Grover Mitchell comes to your town I strongly recommend you attend..."    
    We did, and I agree!    Here in north central Ohio, the Basie orchestra appeared at a local high school on October 16th for a two-hour concert that had the audience of teen-agers and keen-agers screaming.
    Bill Hughes (tb) was the nominal leader for this outing, and stated that he had been with the Basie orch "only" since 1953.   
    Butch Miles drove the band, and the "all-american rhythm section" consisted of Butch, James Leary, bass, (both played with Basie), Will Matthews, gtr. and Tony Suggs doing a very Basie-ish piano.
    I expect a lot more Basie charts in our High School Jazz Bands.   Who said that jazz is not popular with young people?
    On the subject of "ghost" bands, another that I would STRONGLY recommend is the Cab Calloway band, lead by Cab's grandson, C. Calloway Brooks.   This may not be a 'working' band, but in any event  they had the best of the east coast musicians when they toured through Ohio earlier this year.   Brooks himself is an entertainer very much in the mold of his grandfather.
    Thanks for listening.   Had to comment on Basie.  What a blast!!
            Charlie "Do Not We Also Serve Who Only Sit And Listen" Coleman