[Dixielandjazz] Jazz Musicians who carry Guns. - Was Mingus

[Steve Barbone]

Mike <mike at railroadstjazzwest.com> wrote: (polite snip)

>It's true that some of the New Orleans guys(Jelly Roll Morton
>and Sidney Bechet for example) were known to have bad tempers. I
>read an account in Alan Lomax's 'Mister Jelly Roll' in where a
>musician didn't want to play a line as Jelly wrote it. Jelly
>responded by putting a large gun on top of the piano. The
>musician then played it exactly as written.

In his early years Bechet carried a gun frequently. In 1928 in Paris, he got
into a beef with a banjo player, Gilbert ("Little Mike") McKendrick. Some
say the argument was over the chord changes of a tune, others say because
McK accused Bechet of never buying the drinks and some think the argument
was over a woman. (Both Bechet and McKendrick were ladies men) Anyway,
outside of a bistro on a Montmartre Street, they opened fire.

Neither hit the other, but pianist Glover Compton was hit in the leg and 22
year old Delores Giblins, an Australian dancer, was hit in the lung, and a
French passerby, one Madame Radurea was hit in the neck.

Bechet and Little Mike got 15 months in a Paris jail. When Bechet got out in
about a year, he heard that Compton was going to sue him. He sent word that
Compton better watch out for his other leg. The suit never materialized.

Bechet was ordered to leave France upon his gaining his freedom.

I was introduced to Bechet by Hank D'Amico in January 1950 at Jimmy Ryan's
in NYC. Then in 1955, I sat in with him for 3 nights in Paris. He remembered
me and on the 3rd night handed me $20 US saying: "Don't forget to tell
people you played a paying gig with Bechet."

He was very nice to me in 1950 and in 1955.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone



Cheers,
Steve