[Dixielandjazz] jazz tour in Europe

[Tito Martino]

Hi, list mates,

I'm glad to be back again to the DJML, here am I, after 37 days, back 
home again in São Paulo Brazil,  just arrived last week.    I am 
disconnected since 60 days, and there are some good fellows in this list 
that may be interested to know what I was doing, and after all, there is 
Jazz Life outside the DJML !!!    ROFL   :-)          

I am out of the DJML since the beggining of June, because my Band was 
invited to play at the Dixieland Festival in Cantanhede, Portugal.   See 
more about the Festival at:   
http://www.internationaldixielandfestivalcantanhede.com/fidc/  
(Put on your sound, because in the backgroud it's some astounding 
big-band swinging like mad, please if you know tell me what Band it is!)

It's a version in English, and there is some pics of my Band the Tito 
Martino Jazz Band, at 
http://www.internationaldixielandfestivalcantanhede.com/fidc/fidc2006_ING/titomartino.asp 

 
There in Cantanhede I played with my Band having Jesse Lindgren from 
Sweden as a special guest;  more about Jesse's Classic Jazz Band at:  
_http://www.jesse.nu/_  .    The fact that he played his wonderful 
trombone with my Band in the Festival was a great pleasure to we all, 
and helped definitely my Brazilian Jazz Band to be considered one of the 
best Bands in the III Cantanhede International Dixieland Festival spite 
of excellent Bands from Portugal, Italy, Spain, Holland and England.  
Our list-mate Ivor Jones was also there, with his international Band 
based in Portugal.

After Cantanhede, my Band went home to Brazil and I took a flight to 
Stockholm.  Thanks to Jesse Lindgren, I was able to enjoy a great stay 
in Sweden, and all the good things he arranged and provided for me, 
including having me as a guest at his home.    In Stockolm, I played 
with the Sveriges Jazzband of the good trumpetist Eddie Bruhner, in a 
restaurant at the top of a hill, overlooking all the town.   After 
leaving Stockholm, I went with Jesse to Lynkoping and to the Festival at 
Askersund.

Knowing and playing with the great trumpet man (recorded "50 Hot Jazz 
Chorus by Louis Armstrong") Bent Persson's Band in Lynkoping was a 
remarkable experience, he is indeed a great guy and a true jazzman,  and 
he also lend his car for Jesse and me, to travel to Askersund.    The 
Festival there was for me another surprise, with hot weather,  many 
Bands parading in the streets, and Jesse opening the Festival at the big 
square making the MC of the whole Festival and Maestro of more than 
twelve Bands , side by side with the Major.    He is indeed famous in 
Sweden, he led a Radio-Jazz program in Stockholm for 15 years.   Playing 
with the Gota River Jazz Band in a Riverboat was another great 
experience; great Band, great fellows, great public, wonderful views.   
Very enjoyable our conversation with wine and pizza after the gig.  Our 
list-mate Ingemar Wägerman plays the swinging piano in that Band, you 
can see more at:   _http://listen.to/gotariver_     

I played some numbers in a Church with Jesse's Band, but closing the 
Festival late that night with Jesse's Classic Jazz Band was a pleasure 
and also an honor for me, as I was aware of the high musical level of 
the players and noticed the importance of the Band in the whole context 
of the Festival.    In the whole, I learned and learned and I'm bringing 
home some important memories that will be useful in the future.

Following my traveling plan, I went to Genéve and to Bern, where I had 
lived for 9 years, there I saw my daughters and my  starting-to-walk 
grandson, cooked some good Italian food to them all, and the 29 June I 
was invited by my old friends of my former Band in Swiss 15 years ago, 
the Bogalusa New Orleans Jazzband (we recorded a LP for George H. Buck, 
of New Orleans), to play with them at the Rapperswil Jazz and Blues 
Festival;  there we played open air, in a stage near the lake, to a 
joyful audience.  Hot weather, lots of cold beer.

The 4th July I flew to Wien, where I met at the airport my old friend 
the banjo player Erwin Frassine.  He took me to the cute small Hotel in 
the center town of old Wien, where I stayed for 5 days and 6 nights as a 
guest of the Jazzland, famous Jazz Club celebrating it's 34th 
anniversary and where I played the 8th July with the Red Hot Pods, 
leaded by Erwin.  It's a truly great Jazz Band, and many of it's present 
members where my guests 30 years ago playing at my former Jazz Club OPUS 
2004, in São Paulo. It was the last time I had seen them !   I learned 
that in the mean time they had played and recorded with the likes of Art 
Hodes, Jim Gallaway, Ed Polcer, Allan Vaché, Wild Bill Davison, Kenny 
Davern, Albert Nicholas, Cynthia Sayer, Ralph Sutton....     I was 
scared....      But our gig at the Jazzland went very well.  I hope the 
live recording made don't prove to be otherwise....     In Wien I played 
also with members of the Red Hot Pods in a Riverboat cruising the 
Danube.   More about the Red Hot Pods at:  _http://www.redhotpods.at/

_The 10 July I took the flight back to São Paulo via Lisboa, but not 
without visiting there the impressive St. George Castle and eating once 
more a delicious bacalhau (stockfish) with strong portuguese red wine.
__
All in all, it was a rewarding trip, I made some important contacts to 
organize a next tour,  I enjoyed and learned a lot, and I'm aware it all 
was only possible because of the care and help of many good friends -and 
some mates from this list.
My best thanks to all.

I sent part of this report before, to Ingemar and to some relatives of 
mine, but here it is for DJML.

keep on swingin',

Tito Martino


__
TITO MARTINO JAZZ BAND
www.titomartinojazzband.com.br
_tmartino at terra.com.br__ _          
(005511) 8206-5747