[Dixielandjazz] San Francisco Easter Parade

[TCASHWIGG at aol.com]

In a message dated 3/27/05 5:42:43 PM Pacific Standard Time, 
barbonestreet at earthlink.net writes:

> How did the St Gabriel Celestial's do in the Sodom by the Bay Parade today?
> 
> Taking a leaf from Wiggins book, we are starting our 5 piece N.O. Band gig
> tomorrow at the Showboat Casino in Atlantic City. 3:30 PM to 7:00 PM.
> 
> 

Break a leg Steve and have fun doing it mate.

Hi folks:

Sodom was pretty good today, and obviously listmate and buddy Dave Richoux 
who filled in for us on Sousaphone today summed it up pretty well about the 
audience we had.

Yes, it was indeed a Yuppie audience spattered with some older folks in S.F. 
49er jackets who related to me that they did not even own a CD player, :))

We were very lucky that the rain held off until we actually got to the end of 
the Parade, as California folks are very afraid of a little rain and all 
immediately began to run for their cars and head for home.  A few Real fun loving 
folks who obviously have been to New Orleans before simply ran into the 
nearest pub or restaurant or under an awning out of the rain.  

Our intention was to turn around at the end of the Parade and play our way 
back to the other end at a New Orleans leisurely pace stopping along the way at 
watering holes and sidewalk cafes to play a tune or two.  Unfortunately the 
Rain put a very hard and a quick damper on the idea.  The weather folks had 
advised us that the rain would not get here until about midnight ha ha ha they 
were unfortunately incorrect in their guess again.

An interesting observation that I had personally was the sheer joy and 
happiness on the faces of the many children along the parade route, many who began 
dancing immediately as the band approached and many of their yuppie parents 
began clapping their hands and some even dancing with the kids in their arms and 
even one guy was trying to dance with his kid in a stroller.

The highlight of the parade was when we reached the end of the parade route 
and our snare drummer got a back pain spasm and was leaning on a mail box and a 
local gentleman saw him in obvious pain and slipped over an offered him a 
pinch of his pain killer right out of the bottle, now that is CLASS mates, and as 
he saw me approaching the drummer to see if he was OK to turn around and head 
back he also offered me a sip of the pain killer.  A most generous offer 
since we were a long way from the home base and the drinks for the band never 
seemed to have materialized in route down there.

I thanked him graciously for the medicinal support and we hustled up the 
street to catch the rest of the guys who had already headed out with Saints.   :))

With the rain pouring and the people all running for home we played Saints 
back up the street for about three blocks and then ran for cover under a 
deserted awning where we broke into an impromptu improvisation on Rain Drops Keep 
Falling on my head which is not in our repertoire and a tune we have never played 
before.

Dave reminded us that the limit on Saints was fifty choruses, and we probably 
were getting very close to that by the time we could get out of the rain.  
Funny thing however the folks who were still out there in the rain shouted some 
encouraging cheers and words to us and kept dancing to the music as if they 
were actually in New Orleans or had at least been there.

A big hearty thanks to Dave Richoux for coming out and braving the rain with 
us it was indeed a pleasure to have you with us and for any of you who don't 
know already he plays a fine Tuba/Sousaphone and filled right in without even 
having the opportunity to make a rehearsal.

There was one other highlight that made the day of most of the fellas that 
were paying attention anyway, a very attractive lady was in the parade just 
ahead of us at the beginning with a fine  classic yellow Mercedes  450SL full of 
cute kids and several lovely moms, the wind came up in a very strong gust and 
she grabbed for her Easter Bonnet and the wind blew her very short lovely skirt 
up and half of the band ran to the lady on the sidewalk selling Mardi Gras 
Beads trying to buy her out for the sight we saw.  As they say in California, 
folks she was going Commando.  Definitely no panty lines were showing, but 
unfortunately she quickly decided to join the entourage inside the Mercedes and 
ride sitting on her skirt for the remainder of the parade.    Drat.  :))

We even worked up Swing versions of The Easter Song and Here comes Peter 
cottontail in the parking lot but the rain drowned us and ran off all the kids 
before we had time to play them on the way back through the audience on the 
parade route.

Yep, it rained on the Easter Parade but I am sure most folks had a good time, 
and I know we did even if we had to cut it short a bit.

I am sure lismate Bob Romans will no doubt post his view and observations of 
the gig when he gets home since he drove down from Lodi to play with us on 
Double Bell Euphonium, another solid player and friend that plays well and runs 
Cellblock seven when he can plan a jail break.

Bob came down and spent the day and night at my house and we had a great time 
visiting and playing CDs and swapping war stories and band tales, a nice cat 
I am happy to have met on this list and can be proud to say I added to my list 
of friends.  Thanks Bob.

Jesus got a pretty nice Second Line Funeral today and on a personal note so 
did Don Gumpert who I thought of as we played R. I. P. Don and we played loud 
enough for you to hear it mate, hope it brought a smile to your face.  And say 
hello to Bob Craven and Tommy Loy and Jim Bebee for us mate.

Many of us also only have  "Just a little while to stay here"

Cheers,

Tom Wiggins