[Dixielandjazz] To thine own self be true

[Patrick Cooke]

     Once there was a band.
 
     This was a good band, with musicians who were all very good, knowledgeable players.  They had all been playing for many years, some of them with the really big stars of a bygone era.  They were well known in their home locale, had a good following, and managed to work a few nights nearly every week; but they were somewhat concerned that there were precious few young people in their audience.       
 
      Their own children and grandchildren had been playing the abominable rock and roll records till it was driving the older generation crazy.  One of the old players thought "Why don't we play a few if these R&R things to see if we can attract some of the younger folks in.  Then maybe we can infect their brains with some of the good older stuff.  Its so good, they can't help but like it after hearing a tune or two.  The R&R only has a few changes, and we could quickly and easily learn a couple of the more popular tunes."
      When the other guys heard his idea, they thought it was a good one, and decided to give it a try.  They got of book of lead sheets titled " Biggest Hits of 2005" and decided there was no need to rehearse any of them....the tunes were so simple thay could learn them on the gig.  All they had to do was to make them noisy and get the drummer stoned.  Every body went along except the drummer, of course.
       Well the next night they had a restaurant gig, and they noticed a few of the guests brought their teenagers along.  They thought they would try one of the new tunes to see the reaction of the kids.  The kids spotted them as counterfeit right away because they had no feeling for what they were doing, and the drummer wasn't stoned.  They had no tattoos, no earrings, their hair was combed, and they had entirely too much clothes on.  And they didn't even have a guitar player!
         The regular audience was appalled and left without ordering dessert.  
       
        There restaurant is colsed now, and the guys in the band now look forward to playing at the monthly Sunday sessions with the local jazz club.  The kids went back to their Ipods loaded with heavy metal records.  The original audience went looking for a band that wouldn't betray them.
 
Pat Cooke