[Dixielandjazz] Bennies & Jazz Music

[Steve barbone]

There is a connection.

In those olden touring days of Jazz Musicians (Charlie Hooks will remember),
the primary transport was the automobile. And the gigs were often a 15 to 20
hour drive apart.

So if you finished a gig in Philadelphia at 3 AM, and had the next one, say
in St. Louis at 9 PM the same day, you had to stay up and drive there within
that 19 hour window. Six piece band going in two cars, so you weren't going
to get any sleep. Even the College circuit got to be like this.

Bennies were often the only thing that kept the drivers awake.

And the crash would then often occur on the stand, or on break if you didn't
keep taking them during the first night of the new gig.

So thank those bennies for keeping the music alive by bringing it to a town
or city or college near you. :-) VBG.

Unfortunately, the uppers then begat downers to lessen the crash and vice
versa. Bingo, the muso was then hooked on drugs as well as alcohol.

Ah, the artistic life . . . . . and yes folks, those Dixieland musos we all
love usually carried a good supply of both.

Cheers,
Steve