[Dixielandjazz] Spain in the 1960's

[Jim Kashishian]

Maybe Kash can answer this question..... Do the bulls in the bull fights
make good eating after the show is over?
Russ Guarino


In the 1960's, sometimes the Air Force Band played really small villages, no
roads...sheep all over the paths, and the only beef after the bullfight was
said to be the bull.  Dunno for sure.  Never had a bad steak in Spain,
anyway.

(I was already playing from midnite to 4am nightly at a Madrid jazz club
when not on the road with the Air Force, by the way.  Probably highly
illegal, but anyway......
9am at the air base for band rehearsal, if we didn't have a trip.....I was
young!)

I can send a photo of the Air Force Band in a bullring from the late 1960's
if anyone wants to see it.  Just ask.

The normal "working day" for the AF Band, when in the villages was the
following:

1.  Wake the town up by parading through the streets at about 7am with an
old man walking in front of the band smoking a cigar, and lighting fireworks
type rockets with it.  Large crowd of local guys drunk from the nite before
behind the band (2nd. Line?).  Sousa & Spanish marches.

2.  concert in the village square or park at about 11am.  Played Sousa
marches, American popular & film music, interspersed with Spanish songs.
Ending with U.S., followed by Spanish National Anthem.

3. lunch with the Mayor of the town, head of the police, priests, etc. (This
was Franco's years & the Church & gov't were very hand in hand!).  Note of
interest:  played for Franco once.  He was extremely small.  Many times the
Queen of the fiestas was present with all her body of girls at the lunches.
The Queen was usually fat & homely.  Normally, the daughter of the richest
man in town!  :>  Lunch would be with local wine, followed by brandy & Cuban
cigars.  Lunch lasted about 3 hrs., from 2 to 5pm.

4. Afternoon parade(around 6pm), ending at the bull ring for the bull fight.
The parade, if it was long, would stop occassionally & everyone would go
into the nearest bar for some wine!

5.  dinner at 10pm (bull steaks?) & more wine

6.  Around 1am, we would play an open air dance for the village, mainly
Glenn Miller tunes, until about 3am.

Next day, all over again at 7am (honest!), or on to another village.

(Now you know why I left the Air Force!)   :>

We did that routine during the hot months (6 months of the year), and
covered our European area during the other 6 months, which was France,
Italy, Germany, Turkey, Northern Africa & Greece.  Almost never played at
the Air Base.  It was basically a diplomatic gig...black tie, formal dress.
Great experience, and some downright good Big Band Jazz for the dances,
mostly Sammy Nestico arrangements, if I recall.  If the Air Base had an
alert while we were on base, they sent us home, as they didn't know what to
do with us!    :>

Hope I haven't been a bore with my "personal experiences".  All the
statements are fairly close to the truth, although some of the fiesta Queens
may have been pretty, but I had too much wine to notice.

Best thing about all these experiences? I got to play my horn daily, as I
have been doing since I was 9.

Jim