[Dixielandjazz] Jammin for Norman Burbank

[Steve Barbone]

Dr. Jerry Rife's Rhythm Kings were the featured attraction a a Tri State
Jazz Society (NJ) Concert Today. Jerry's a fine jazz clarinetist and
chairman of the Rutgers University Music Department. He always shakes his
head at my illegitimate fingering on notes above high C.

The last hour was an impromptu jam session honoring Norman Burbank, a tuba
player who passed away recently and was known to some on the List. Jerry had
invited us as Norm's friends/colleagues to fall by if not gigging. The
unscripted jam band was comprised of:

Trumpets: Dan Tobias & Paul Grant.
Trombone: Pete Reichlin
Banjos: Bob  Newberger and Franny Smith
Guitar: Pat Mercuri
Bass: Ed Wise
Drums: Lennie Pucciatti
Clarinets: Dr Jerry Rife, John Weber, Steve Barbone

All 11 played together and featured tunes that Norman enjoyed playing. Much
fun improvising trio clarinets instead of individual solos on a few tunes
with the brass section following suit. Like illegitimate chaconnes as Dr.
Dubious would say. <grin>

A blasting "Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives To Me" closed our the afternoon
with each instrument taking a 2 chorus solo. That one lasted a while. <grin>

An 11 piece Dixieland Band, who'd have thought that?  Reminded me of the
loft sessions of 50+ years ago in NYC. Many who cut their teeth at those
sessions learned by watching and listening to how the other guys did it and
then played along with them and learned on the stand. Yeah, we got cut, by
Simeon, Hall, Russell or Pace or even a young Davern, but we came back for
more. We were paying dues.

Of course everybody was young and immortal back then. The air was thick with
cigarette smoke, (some smelled sweet too) the musicians were full of booze,
the girls were hypnotized by the music, the smoke, the booze, and the
musicians . . . ah, the girls. "Jazz Musician", that was the life.

We get old too soon. Now, too often musically, we get lost in re-creating
everything but the original creativity. And that loft session atmosphere?
Gone. Our audiences have aged and that's too bad. Worse yet, we've aged
along with them. 

Cheers,
Steve Barbone