[Dixielandjazz] Dixieland in the sticks

[Dan Augustine]

Folks--
     Here in the USA dixieland-outback, a few of 
us had a fine ol' time tonight. Wasn't anywhere 
near as good as i imagine you in California and 
New York could have any night you want, but it 
was fun for us.  But what do we know.
     The only dixieland band playing anywhere in 
central Texas within the past week was the group 
in Austin called the Chaparral Dixielanders, and 
they played at the Carousel Lounge in Austin from 
7 to 9 pm tonight.  Played for free (well, maybe 
a couple of bucks tips).  Sorry if you're 
offended by that, but they are just starting out.
     They played two sets.  First set featured 
some old warhorses like Wabash Blues and St. 
James Infirmary.  The Carousel Lounge is a dinky 
old bar near where the old airport used to be, a 
couple miles north of downtown, and there were 
only about 10 people in the audience, mostly 
neighborhood folks by the looks of them.  The 
solos were pretty variable in quality, but we all 
enjoyed them anyway, because we know and like the 
guys in the band, and they're doing their best. 
Three or four people usually remembered to 
applaud after each solo.
     More people came in toward the end of the 
second set, waiting for the next band coming on 
at 9 pm, and mostly young folks.  Most people in 
the bar largely ignored the band, but the band 
didn't much care, and we band-followers didn't 
mind much either.  It was the music we like, and 
it's hard to find this kind of music live 
anywhere nowadays.
     The next dixieland concert in central Texas 
is at a local bar on August 1st, featuring the 
Alamo City Jazz Band band from San Antonio, who 
have been playing in central Texas part-time 
since the 1960's.  They've had Harold Cooper on 
clarinet (who used to play with the original 
Dukes of Dixieland) and Dick Remington on tuba 
(who used to play with the Boll Weevil Jass Band).
     I know this ain't much in comparison with 
California and New York, but it's all that's 
available.  Of course, most of us around here 
have heard all the great dixieland bands and 
soloists of the past on recordings, but none of 
us is as good as they or you guys in the big 
cities are.  It wasn't high art, but we were 
entertained (but i guess big-city folks wouldn't 
be).
     I imagine that most of the out of the way 
places in the USA are pretty much like we are 
here in Austin with regard to hearing live 
dixieland, which is not much.  We like it and go 
hear it when we can, but it's just not available 
usually.  We do what we can.
     Keep up the good work elsewhere.

     Dan
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**  Dan Augustine    Austin, Texas   ds.augustine at mail.utexas.edu     **
**     "I am sufficiently proud of my knowing something to be         **
**      modest about my not knowing everything."  -- Vladimir Nabokov **
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