[Dixielandjazz] Jonathan Russell

[Marek Boym]

Hello,
I still have to hear JR on Israeli radio.  what festivals show
interest?  The only one likely to give him any exposure to an OKOM
crowd is the Caesarea one (here, unlike in the US, OKOM is not
gieriatric music).
Cheers

On 17/03/07, Steve Barbone <barbonestreet at earthlink.net> wrote:
> Got this from Jonathan's mom after writing her to tell her that they were
> playing Jonathan's CD, (which I sent to the Eilat jazz station) in Israel
> and that there was some interest at the jazz festivals there.
>
> She wrote back about Jonathan's experiences in Florida last week, with Dick
> Hyman and Swend Asmussen. All thanks to Bud Leeds.
>
> No way could I paraphrase Jonathan and Mom's excitement, so I quote it
> below. Isn't it wonderful when good things happen to good people? Dick Hyman
> and Svend Asmussen jammin with Jonathan? It just doesn't get any better than
> that.
>
> Jonathan will be in Sacramento soon. DON'T MISS HIM.
>
> Note to Bud Leeds. Thank you Bud. What better way to perpetuate the music
> then by helping the young. You are wonderful.
>
> Cheers,
> Steve Barbone
>
>
> Steve-
>
> Thanks- that's very cool- although I'm still not sure I want to go to
> Israel...
>
> So here is this week's BIG story. J played in Fl last weekend- too long a
> story to get into many details, but the person who set up the gig  (Bud
> Leeds)lives near (and is friends with) Dick Hyman. I guess Dick had heard
> about J from a couple of people, but he was interested enough to have Bud
> set up a meeting. What an incredible man. He'd just had his 80th birthday
> party. Anyway, we walked in and he immediately asked J to take out his
> violin- they got through one song, and he said to Jonathan- "I think you
> should meet my friend Svend".
>
> Steve, my mouth dropped open- and I said Svend Asmussen? (google him, if you
> don't know about him-the last of the Grappelli /Venuti of violinists, and at
> 91, still amazing). [STEVE'S NOTE, HE PLAYED WITH WALLER, JOSEPHINE BAKER
> AND OSCAR PETERSON, ET AL] Well, an hour and a half later, we were in
> Svend's living room. Any jazz violinist would have been drooling to be
> there. he and his wife (a younger American)were lovely, and he is so
> incredibly humble. So, he played a couple of tunes with Jonathan (in which
> Jonathan played one of Svend's leads which he'd figured out), and Bud asked
> Svend if he'd play a tune with Jonathan that night.
>
> Svend at first said he was too tired, and that he hadn't practiced in months
> (he actually still performs quite a bit), but in the end agreed to play,
> since they were coming to the concert to see Jonathan anyway. The concert
> was a big affair- a sold out  fund raiser for the Venice symphony orchestra
> (Fl, not Italy)and Jonathan was  the featured guest artist with Bud's band.
> Well, you can imagine the audience reaction when Jonathan and Svend played
> Indiana together-1000 people roaring on their feet. Steve, it was
> incredible. We will be getting a copy of the video eventually. I'm going to
> forward you a photo in the next email.
>
> Oh- and he had a great time jamming with Dick, too.
>
>
>
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