[Dixielandjazz] PC lyrics????? Too sensitive????

[Steve Barbone]

Funny how sensitive we seem to get about Basin Street Lyrics and/or "Is you
is or is you ain't", etc.

Personally, I think most of our fears are simply unfounded. Who among us has
heard a customer complain about "light & dark", or "black & white" etc. Now
I mean a real complaint, not the kind generated by fools.

In Barbone Street, we have a Black trumpet player. Part of his introduction
is a brief bio which includes my patter something like this;

"Paul is also a star of stage. You see, he played trumpet in a Louis
Armstrong Hot 5 replica band in the stage production of "The Louis Armstrong
Story" when it opened in Philadelphia. The producers then took it to NYC but
Local 802 AF of M demanded that a local trumpeter be hired for the band and
refused to extend playing rights to him until the waiting period was over.
What now? Especially since the producers felt no one could do it like Paul."

"They made him an actor and gave him a one line speaking part. He joined the
actors union. He played the musician that Alma, Louis's 3rd wife, ran away
with when Louis ran out of money in the 1930s.  I then turn to Paul and say,
Paul . . . what did you say to Alma . . . that enabled you to play in NYC?"

Paul then says; "Are you ready . . . baby"

Always gets a big laugh, especially as the rest of the band says in black
dialect; "You ready Bebe" or "Hey BeBe, you ready?"

We've never had complaint one about what is PC and what is not PC about
this, or Basin Street, or Shine, or Black and Blue, or Someday You'll Be
Sorry which Paul changes a line slightly to sing:

You'll never find another, who'll treat you like a BROTHER" and I shout into
another mike "A BROTHER???"

And I sing "You so nappy, whose you're Pappy?" in Ugly Child. Most other
bands I know, sing: Your Teeth are all yella, whose your fella? I have never
had a complaint with mixed audiences about that line, but was asked about it
once by a white lady from an all white audience. She said" Aren't you afraid
to sing that?" (we had 3 black players in the band and they loved the line)

Audiences, both black & white dig our "color" references. Perhaps because we
are an integrated band and obviously respect each other? Perhaps because
they see the obvious, that we are making fun of PCers? Or perhaps we white
folks worry too much about nothing? Or perhaps if bands are in straw hats,
and other old time gear, etc., they might not look enlightened and need to
be more careful? 

Cheers,
Steve Barbone