[Dixielandjazz] Tom Wiggins radio-interview

[TCASHWIGG at aol.com]

In a message dated 4/18/05 9:00:57 AM Pacific Daylight Time, 
ds.augustine at mail.utexas.edu writes:

> The description of the gospel 
> concert in Italy was amazing, as you guys didn't know you were doing 
> gospel until half an hour beforehand, and it was a smash.
>    Bravo!  Tom, let us know when all those new CDs you mentioned 
> will be ready for buying, 'cause i want 'em.
> 

Thanks Dan for the kind words,   The check is in the mail :))

I forgot to mention in the interview that we had been asked to play an extra, 
short performance in Vitoria Spain prior to opening for Herbie Hancock in the 
main arena, at a Senior Center, where we also jumped back into the old Gospel 
songs used at funerals, and the inspiration impact for the band was amazing 
after that short 30 minute performance as well to mostly 85- 100 year old folks 
confined to the home.   We must remember than none of these folks spoke any 
English.  We did have a Trombone player who could speak Spanish that made 
announcements of the songs. 


It was especially thrilling to see one little old lady they told us was 98 
years old feebly get up out of her wheel chair and dance with her nurse with a 
smile that would melt your heart as she waltzed to Saints which we were playing 
fast but at low volume for ten players especially, we used brushes on the 
drums and played very lightly.  Afterwards she insisted on all the band coming 
close to her chair so she could shake hands with all of us and thank us.

I think it brought back memories for all the band members of their 
grandparents and parents and it came out in their playing.  We had never played that 
softly that I can recall or with as much feeling in the tunes and I am sure that 
the guys recalled that when we got to Italy three weeks later and had the 
Gospel show sprung on us.  They stepped up to the plate and hit a Home Run and I 
was never more proud of them and of what I had been able to pull off.

We stepped off the bus right after that short set and did a Funeral Parade 
entrance with Just A Closer Walk with Thee through an audience of about five 
thousand people weaving the procession through the aisles and up in the bleachers 
and back and forth across the arena working our way to the stage where we 
then kicked it up.  There is nothing better than having a big crowd come to their 
feet clapping their hands and dancing in place to your music to make you feel 
that all those long flights and bus rides and lumpy beds are worth every 
minute of it, at least for an hour.  We did not write the tunes but we sure played 
them like we meant them and had a wonderful communication experience with an 
audience who did likewise.  That folks is the Magic of music which keeps all 
of us doing it over and over again, it is indeed addictive.


 It is shows like these that remind us of how blessed we are to be able to 
travel the world and play music that touches people in so many ways, and proves 
that it is indeed the International language.  If only we were thirty years 
younger and know what we know now.

We all have:
Just a little while to stay here, let's make the most of it and may we all go 
out Loudly.
 
Cheers,

Rev. Tom Bob
First Evangelical Church of OKOM