[Dixielandjazz] Darktown Strutters, again

[Anton Crouch]

Hello all

About 6 weeks ago, some of the local Sydney DJMLers attended a book launch
- Bill Egan's "Florence Mills, Harlem jazz queen" (Studies in jazz no. 48,
Institute of Jazz Studies, Scarecrow Press, 2004). Who were we? The usual
suspects, among others - me, Bill Haesler, Dan Hardie and Peter Newton.

Why the launch of a biography of a 1920's Harlem jazz singer, in Sydney?
Because Bill Egan, although born in the Emerald Isle, is a dinky-di Aussie.

The book notes that Florence Mills, on her deathbed, was visited by the
white impressario Lew Leslie. Leslie looked worried so Mills, to cheer him
up, sang to him:

"I'll be down to get you in a taxi, honey ..."

That's class.

Anton