[Dixielandjazz] Oh happy day

[Bill Haesler]

>.......I refused to join them because I get very nervous about travelling to
countries where it is not safe to drink the water........So to fill the
remaining time here I am powering my way through a pre-lunch bottle of Pinot
Grigio with the orgasmic Portena Jazz Band playing on the hifi at full
blast..........< 

Dear John me ole mate,
Do what always I do in strange countries.
Don't drink the water!
Stick to neat whisky (the only way), beer and wine.
Jess drank some pure, natural water from a real spring on Orkney (the north
islands of Scotland, not the one in Canada - for our Nth American mates.
Just kidding) and was sick all night.
Regarding the wonderful Portena band.
It became a favourite of mine back in the late 60s after a jazz mate in
Argentina sent me a 7" 45 of their "Espampida (Stampede)" and "Stomp de los
Infideles" [apropos a current DJML thread!]. Magnificent.
I have managed to collect most of their LPs (some now on CD) and we had
hoped to go to Buenos Aires to hear them, along with the other fine 'trad'
bands South America has produced over the years.
Unfortunately my timing (as befits a percussionist) was off and we picked
1982 when your lot were fighting that war over the Falklands. Australians
were OK but, unfortunately, Scots-born Jess had a British passport at the
time.
We missed the Portena again in Holland, so never got to hear them 'live'.
Sometime later an Argentine-Australian mate and I attempted to bring the
Portena to Oz on a cultural exchange visit through the then jazz-loving
Argentine Ambassador to Australia, but that too foundered.
Thanks for the memory jolt, I've just dug out some Portena stuff and am
playing it now.
Kind regards,
Bill.