[Dixielandjazz] Itzak Perlman story/tuning

[Anton Crouch]

Hello all

Anyone who has seen a violin soloist break a string during a concerto would
be sceptical about the Perlman story.

I saw it happen with Isaac Stern (in a Mozart concerto) and he hardly
missed a beat. He handed his violin to the leader of the orchestra, took
the leader's instrument and kept going with less than a bar or two hiatus.

The incident made the next morning's newspapers and Stern was quoted as
saying that the leader's violin was better than his !

One wag observed that a really "on-the-ball" leader would have restrung
Stern's violin, re-tuned it, and given it back at the end of the movement
:-)

On a different note, literally, I saw (and heard) John Sangster de-tune a
bandleaders banjo, while the leader had left his chair to go downstage to
talk to the audience. Yes, you've guessed it - the next number started with
a banjo introduction. What Ray Price sounded like has to be heard to be
(dis)believed.

Have any of our listmates ever engaged in such subversive behaviour?

All the best
Anton