[Dixielandjazz] Why play with Mingus?

[Mike]

I've got one documentary of Mingus but I don't remember the 
exact scene you are describing. Though, I've heard about it.

  It's true that some of the New Orleans guys(Jelly Roll Morton 
and Sidney Bechet for example) were known to have bad tempers. I 
read an account in Alan Lomax's 'Mister Jelly Roll' in where a 
musician didn't want to play a line as Jelly wrote it. Jelly 
responded by putting a large gun on top of the piano. The 
musician then played it exactly as written.

Mike







Steve Barbone wrote:
> Mike <mike at railroadstjazzwest.com> wrote (polite snip)
> 
> 
> He was a musical genius. Those who like his style and music were eager to
> work with him. Perhaps like Benny Goodman in that respect. In spite of his
> demanding personality, guys stood in line to work with both.
> 
> To this day there are several bands devoted to playing the songs Mingus
> wrote. Like Mingus Dynasty in Europe and The Mingus Big Band in the USA
> which plays every Tuesday at the iridium in NYC. etc.
> 
> The musicians who play it are heavy hitters and very devoted to his memory
> and to the exacting charts he wrote. While with Tom Wiggan's band in Israel,
> I got the chance to meet and jam with some of the Dynasty players. On
> Russian and one US expatriate now living in Paris. Neat guys, great players.
> 
> Did you ever see the TV short where he was interviewed at his house? In the
> middle of it, he grabbed a gun and fired two shots into the ceiling just for
> the hell of it. Not unlike some of the early New Orleans Jazz musicians who
> carried weapons. Now that's a reality show. It may be available on DVD.
> 
> Cheers,
> Steve Barbone
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Dixielandjazz mailing list
> Dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
> http://ml.islandnet.com/mailman/listinfo/dixielandjazz
> 
> 
>