[Dixielandjazz] numerous

[EDWIN COLTRIN]

Having been weaned away from the sweet music of the 30's and 40's by being glued to the benches at the Golden Gate International Exposition, when Benny Goodman was playing, it was easy to migrate over to the presentations from a local radio station "KRE". On an aside, the same station that Vivian Boarman fronted a Sunday evening program extolling the availabilty of the records for sale in her "Yerba Buena Record Shop"
 
Having failed in my pursuit of a musical career, Drums, Piano, Violin, I became a listener of the music that emanated from the speaker of a small radio or from the headphones of the crystal set buried under the pillow to lull me to sleep.Names that are familiar to me now were only performers, exciting and different than the usual material found on the radio.  
 
Television was not a common commodity, and the only visual to go along with the audio was found in the shorts at the local theatre. Fats Waller clowning at the piano along with a trio or less, other black performers showing their stuff, a la vaudeville. All I had was the audio to rely on and a great imagination. Some of the78's had seen better days and the quality was not the best, but the meaning and the sounds of the 20's was clear. 
 
Being one not willing to conform, the search for MKOM, took on a attitude all of it's own looking for the "Holy Grail"   EUREKA ! it surfaced with the discovery that there was a jazz band playing on weeekends up Redwood Canyon Rd, in Oakland. Big Bear Inn was the target. Convincing the owner that I was not interested in consuming Adult Beverages, would disappear into the wood work and never create a problem.getting in early and finding a quiet corner was the only way to hear the Lu Watters Jazz band. Live music, both audio and visual. I was hooked.
 
When the Watter's aggregation opened in San Francisco at the Dawn Club, I parked my car nearby and entered into the land of OZ. I was in heaven. Listening and seeeing  could have not better. Dick Lammi changing shirts between sets , talking to him while he read "The Rosicrucians" newspaper, hearing comments about Bill Dart not in sync, getting acqauinted with Harry Mordecai and being recognoized by Bob Helm and  Wally Rose. What a dream time. 
 
The draft and time to go to war, the band slowly going into the service or not, put an end to my Saturdays and Sunday Morning remote by Ted Lenz, Jive at 1105.
 
Sweet's Ballroom was another haven in Oakland for music, Catching Fats Waller and several other musicians of that time was cherished.
 
My 78 's travelled with me throughout Basic and during a stint at CCNY, which when time permitted, seeing Eddy Condon's group, in fact I still have postcard, mailed to me announcing the upcoming guest performers. The military allowed me to visit Chicago and wander around the Loop and visit the Blue Room and one other club, name eludes me. circa 1944. leaving for Europe meant that the records would need a new home. So off to my parents. 
 
I know this is a long dissertation, but I needed to ask in the thread re: aural/ visual, what does a Mouldy Figge do when there was no Visual for a 14/15 year old. living in the Bay Area ?
 
And the only source for records was in the Race Record Shops, not usually patronized by a young white boy.
 
I currently volunteer to the STJF which permits a catharsis over the week to purge my mind of the purported  music which I am exposed. 
 
Enjoy the weaving of the threads between the more cogniscenti and seeeing names long forgotten.
 
Thanks to Butch Thompson, my late lady friend found another avenue of music to fill-in her 60's, 70's voids. Northstar, Truckee about 5 years ago.
 
Slainte,
 
Pob Whil
 
Ed Coltrin.