[Dixielandjazz] Crappy pianos

[Dingo]

----- Original Message -----
From: JOHN FARRELL
To: DJML
Sent: 22 February 2007 07:26
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Crappy pianos (was last man out)

 In my experience the worst ones usually have a coat or two of white paint
slapped on 'em. Once I was booked to play a solo gig and found myself
presented with such an instrument with most of the Fs and Bbs broken. I put
on my coat and left.
~~~~~~~~~~~

John,

Back in the days when I worked with Sammy we did a gig somewhere in the west
midlands. Andy, the pianist, and I arrived early to find the upright piano
being dried out with two Calor gas heaters. Andy refused to play so the rest
of the band got through two sets without him. On the first number of the last
set Andy joined the band well 'lubricated' and, starting at each end,
proceeded to snap off a couple of hammers on each tune and tossed them to the
audience. By the end of the set the piano was hammerless and the club manager
was going ballistic and threatening to sue Sammy/Andy. The latter looked the
manager in the eye and just said, "If you had booked Oscar Peterson you
wouldn't have expected him to play that load of xxxx, so why expect me to".
IIRC the club sent Sammy a bill of 600 quid to replace the piano to which he
suggested they went forth and multiplied ~ or words to that effect ;-)
~
John D