[Dixielandjazz] Re: BOLERO

[Stephen Barbone]

> "John Farrell" <stridepiano at tesco.net> wrote (polite snip)

> I once heard an Italian Rock-Indie band - Giuseppe's Carbonaro
> Syncopatorios - play a tango version of this tune which they called "Ravel's
> Spag Bolero".  At the final key-change climax a large bowl of steaming
> spaghetti was emptied into the bell of the sousaphone just as the
> unfortunate player hit his "High Society" clarinet solo quote. The things
> some bands do for money (take note of this Barbone and Wiggins - it could be
> a winner for you!)

Hey, I like it. We could grate the cheese on a washboard and mix the sauce with a banjo, while costumed
in. suspenders, arm garters, candy stripped jackets, bow ties and straw hats, all while wearing big, fake
Sicilian mustaches:-) VBG.

That is, if we used tuba, washboard & banjo. :-) VBG.

Speaking of Bolero, our trombonist, Glenn Dodson auditioned for the Pittsburgh Symphony first chair
position open there some 45 years ago. The very Prussian concert master asked him to play (sight read)
Bolero, which he did. Then told him it was too fast. "Why did you play it so fast?" he asked.  Said
Glenn, "Because that's the way it is written." Needless to say, the concert master was not amused.

He lost the gig to Carl Wilhelm a fine classical trombonist, graduate of Julliard. Funny thing, I played
with Carl in a Dixieland Band on Long Island (NY, USA) for several years in the 1950s prior to his
graduation. Carl went on to fame as principal TB with Pittsburgh and Glenn as principal TB with
Philadelphia. Both were GREAT classical players and both love Dixieland.
Small world when I found out, 10 years ago from Glenn that he lost that Pittsburgh gig to Carl. That was
his first major audition and the only audition he ever lost. 25 years ago, he was rated as one of the top
4 classical trombonists in the WORLD. Say, is that "art form" Dixieland he is playing? NAH :-) VBG

(After losing to Carl, he joined the New Orleans Symphony for 9 years and paid his dixieland dues, after
hours, with Hirt, Fountain et. al. when ever he could.)

I think Carl has passed away, but Glenn is still playing away with us, several Big Bands, and is an
occasional sub in classical gigs with the NY Philharmonic. Principal TB at NY Phil was a student of his
at Curtis almost 20 years ago, as was the now principal TB in San Francisco about 25 years ago. Glenn
Dodson, an amazing player, especially when you talk him into playing his bass trumpet. Talk about "any
song, any key" He can sight read them all. transpose sight read either clef and has good ears to boot.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone