[Dixielandjazz] Tribute to Miff Mole

[Randy Fendrick]

In order to make our jazz society meetings a little more interesting we 
took a page from the Jim Cullum book and featured or dedicated one set 
to a famous musician from the past.  Last month.  the organization 
asked us to honor Artie Shaw and, of course, our clarinet was honored 
in that he got to spend almost the entire set playing Artie Shaw stuff 
in the style of the great clarinet player.  Our trumpet player is 
actually the musicologist of the group and, at the time. he was putting 
this months set together he had consumed too much "two buck chuck," and 
decided we would honor Miff Mole.  For you non-west coasters, "two buck 
chuck" the Nickname of a wine that is sold at Trader Joe's for two 
dollars a bottle. Of course, many in the audience had never heard of 
Miff Mole and thought the whole thing was a put on, but we or rather I 
struggled through it and really had a good time doing it.  I told the 
trumpet player that next month is Harry James and he asked the audience 
if they would like Gene Krupa, want to take a guess on who we will be 
honoring?   I'll bet ours was the only gig in the world yesterday that 
honored Miff Mole, or Miff Molay as some in the audience pronounced it.
Have a Happy and Prosperous New Year with lots of jazz being played,
later,

Randy Fendrick,
Southside Chicago Seven
Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra