[Dixielandjazz] Adieu, Mike Carrell

[John Farrell]

I'm so sad to hear the news of Mike's passing. A long time ago he and I
played together on the Goldenrod showboat during the now defunct St. Louis
ragfest. It was our first pairing (we had never met prior to that gig) and
the thing which struck me most about him was his ability to quickly
assimilate the changes of a tune he had never heard before, by the time the
second chorus came around he was playing it - and soloing too - as if he had
known the number all his life.

I had lots of fun trying to catch him out with little-known stuff but never
did.

Rest in peace Mike - you were such a nice guy, a brilliant musician and an
amiable companion, I shall never forget you.

John Farrell
http://homepages.tesco.net/~stridepiano/midifiles.htm


----- Original Message -----
From: "Harold Smith" <s3856lpa at webtv.net>
To: <Dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>; <jbeebe at centurytel.net>;
<marsch at chorus.net>
Sent: Wednesday, April 21, 2004 7:33 PM
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Adieu, Mike Carrell


> Some of you may know or heard of Mike Carrell, who has been a mainstay
> of the Madison, Wisonconsin jazz scene for many years.  Mike played
> banjo and tenor guitar with the Hiway 51 Jazz Band at the Crowne Plaza
> for the last 10 years or so in Madison.
>
> Mike was a dedicated Trad Jazz lover and player.  He had close ties with
> a number of Twin City jazzers, such as Bill Evans and  Doggie Berg.  He
> loved to work with the great Kim Cusack, and brought Kim to Madison  on
> a regular basis at the Crowne Plaza to the great joy of local jazz fans.
> Mike knew and worked with our local hero, Bob Schultz, now of San
> Francisco, but originally from our neck of the woods.  The same is true
> of the esteemed Jim Beebe, and Bobby Lewis.
>
> Mike was stricken with cancer several years ago, but never threw in the
> towel, and kept on putting his heart into his beloved msic right until
> yesterday, April 20th.  He and his wife, Loretta, were in New Orleans,
> along with Mr. and Mrs. Doggie Berg, attending the French Quarter Jazz
> Fest.  Yesterday morning, while visiting the D-Day Museum there, Mike
> was stricken with a massive stroke, and died later that afternoon.
>
> I have no details as to the forthcoming plans as of yet, but some of you
> may have known Mike, and I thought you'd like to hear about him.  How do
> we replace those treasures we keep losing?  Answer, of course, is that
> we can't, and perhaps shouldn't.  It's up to us to pick up the pieces
> and to keep the torch burning.
>
> Regards to all, Harold Smith
>
>
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