[Dixielandjazz] Sitting in

[Barrie Walter Marshall]

Sitting In,

I have a band in the UK that lets people sit in, I wont elaborate look at 
the link to my band on Fred Burnett's Website

http://www.btinternet.com/~jazzworld/sunstrt.htm

Many years ago we where playing and this young man about 18 walked into the 
bar carrying a violin, he asked me if he could play with the band I said OK 
not knowing he did not know the rules, we started to play and he just took 
out his violin and walked over to the band and just stood there, we all 
looked at each other and thought what on earth is going on and who is this 
guy, he did not play until we nodded to him, he put bow to violin and 
proceeded to astonish us all with his playing, he was astounding, his 
technique was outstanding, he could improvise well, he had a great 
understanding of the music and overflowing passion almost like Hungarian 
gypsy music, now what is amazing is when we got chatting to him he had never 
played with a jazz band before and had only played along to Django records 
at home, sometime later he went to the St Petersburg Conservatory Of Music 
studying singing and conducting, fortunately he could speak fluent Russian 
he had learned from his mother and father, don't you just hate people like 
that.

Two young guys who came along to sit in as newcomers are now both 
professional musicians having cut their teeth with us, one  was still at 
school and was going to be a doctor! and many more who are now playing 
regularly.