[Dixielandjazz] Jonathan Russell

[Steve barbone]

List mates:

Recovering for our 16 hours of music at The Laurels, Combined Driving Horse
and carriage event. Opened the mail and found this (excerpt). It was posted
on the Horsy Chat List in the middle of a rave about the event:

"Barbone Street Jazz band (excellent) was down next to Hazard #5 and the
beer garden tent (the food was outstanding and still allowed one to sit at
the tables and see everything). Unfortunately, their small tent did pick up
and try to blow away early afternoon.  Luckily, no horses were either
approaching or in the hazard, so no harm done.  They did have this one young
(9 yo) boy playing  violin (aka fiddle).  HE was good."

The 9 year old was Jonathan Russell who we hired as a sideman for two days
and 4 separate gigs within the event. It is so much fun to work with him.

He gigged with us Saturday & Sunday Morning in the high roller patron's tent
making our trio a quartet. Soft (not smooth) jazz background for about 500
of the rich & anonymous who paid $85 for their preferred spot.

He also gigged with us at the restaurant (beer garden) tent, Saturday &
Sunday afternoon making our sextet a septet. Reaction by the people, as
above. He upstages us all every time he plays with us. And his ears are good
enough to play tunes he has never heard before.

EG. I decided to sing "Frim Fram Sauce". (Nat King Cole made it famous) but
was the only one who knew the lead line. So, on break, I hummed it once to
the band, and then played it once to the band. Asked "J" if he was
comfortable with it. He smiled, said "yes it's pretty much a blues with a
few substitute chords." Away we went and he did just great, improv solo and
all. He is a "jazz musician" at nine, and will be a great jazz musician
before too many more years pass by.

We also improvised our "show". When the medievil re enactors did their act
which included the presentation of the Lords and Ladies as well as a sword
fight, J and his Mom, who is a classical musician with a specialty in
Rennaissance music, decided to play background in the true tradition. Done,
on the spot, with Eve, borrowing Sonny's guitar to provide the backup for J.
Music ended, quite by chance, when a sword was thrust into the bad guy. Talk
about on the spot improv.

We then presented 4 swing dancers, who danced on the bridge where the sword
fight took place. They were in 50 yards in front of about 2000 spectators,
and another 100 yards in front of us. So horrors, we turned the sound up so
everybody could hear. Yeah, it was much too loud if one was standing right
in front of the speakers, but folks 150 yards away loved it. A good lesson
in where to sit at a venue.

We loved the weekend, are very tired (16 hours playing outdoors), but happy
because we blew the audience's minds. We always improvise the music, but
here we improvised the show, because of the vagaries of performance times,
what the music might contribute, and the fact that the whole thing depends
upon the horses' performance.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone

PS. Even had a long discussion with a "Jazz Fan" who loved horses and King
Oliver. :-) VBG. We discussed the King, and how his music is interpreted by
today's bands. In that vein, Independence Hall JB and their "Louis - The
Oliver Years" CD came up. (Kellso / Heitger / Kellin/ Finke/ DeMonte /
Asaro/ Reichlin / Sundstrom) on Stompoff Records.

Now, this is essentially a pick-up band, with an excellent modern jazz
drummer who is adapting. (our second call sub). CD theme is a celebration of
those few short years that Louis and Oliver spent in Chicago influencing
each other.

It has been reviewed in American and Mississippi Rags. as 5 star & A+. It
has a glowing quote from Jim Cullum on the jacket to the effect that, well
heck, you read it.

Point being, if you have not listened to this record, do yourself a favor
and buy it. And before we talk again about mysterious "inner rhythms" and
how nobody can come close to the feel of Louis & Oliver, listen to this a
few times. And be sure to read Cullum's comment. Yeah, there are some
excellent contemporary bands out there, comprised of "jazz musicians" who
are very much ignored because many folks spend too much time listening to
dead guys, and not enough time listening to live guys. This CD, features one
of those bands. Imagine what would be if they could spend several years
together as a "working" unit, while you also marvel at the fact that this is
a pick-up band, playing together here for close to the first and only time.