[Dixielandjazz] A true story of musical hope and inspiration

[David Dustin]

At the risk of undermining the premise in my message about the indignity of
watching great players fade on the stand in their old age, I have to offer
this true story which I remembered just as I hit ³send².  I now live in New
England where I caught a largely banjo band about 2 years ago ‹ 4 guys
strumming, one picking leads, a elderly tuba, a trumpet, and another guy
blowing a baritone.  Since I¹m a trombone player and seriously missed that
horn in the mix, the event was not all that memorable. But it struck me that
there was something unusual about the way the guys around him helped the
very elderly tuba on and off his chair, navigating him to and off the stand,
putting his horn away, etc.  He blew great lines and a lot of musical
energy. I talked afterwards to the trumpet player.  He told me that the tuba
player had Alzheimer¹s so bad he couldn¹t even remember his name half the
time or carry on a conversation. But he had played with the group for years
and when you put his horn in his arms and counted off the song, he was
always right there!  True story.  It spoke some kind of hope to me because
my dad passed from Alzheimers and I keep hoping that if it overtakes me too
I will be like that tuba player, still able to cut it on the downbeat and
not just drool into my horn.

And Tiny Tim said, ³God bless us, every one...²

David Dustin