[Dixielandjazz] today's gig/tune list Emperor Norton's Hunch

[David Richoux]

There is a Historical Drinking Society (or a Drinking Historical 
Society, or something like that) that was started back in the 1840s and 
soon became very popular throughout the California Gold Rush. The exact 
name varies, but usually this group is known as "E Clampus Vitus" and 
now there are chapters all over the American West.    (a pretty good 
bit of info at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E_Clampus_Vitus )

Emperor Norton is a venerated icon of ECV even though he never was 
officially a member.

Many OKOM (pro or otherwise) musicians in California have played for 
all sorts of ECV events (and some have actually been recruited into the 
organization!)  Each year around the first Saturday in January a band 
forms to play a few tunes at Emperor Norton's grave in Colma, just 
south of San Francisco. This is one of the few public events ECV does 
every year. The band tries to do "Emperor Norton's Hunch"  each year - 
sometimes with more success than other years..

Dave Richoux


  On Oct 12, 2005, at 2:50 PM, Len Nielsen wrote:

> List mates
>
> It was on this day, October the 12th in 1859, that Joshua A. Norton of
> San Francisco, the self proclaimed "Emperor of these United States and
> Protector of Mexico" ordered the "United States Congress" to be
> dissolved by force. He referred to himself as "His Imperial Majesty
> Emperor Norton 1".