[Dixielandjazz] Bob Finch

[Steve Barbone]

Sad news about Bob. He was a fine musician and a really neat guy.

I met Bob at a Great Falls Montana Jazz Festival that we both played about
15 years ago and we became instant friends. Carried on some great
conversations via email and telephone over those years and exchanged CDs
etc. And when I first heard about 8 year old Jonathan Russell, (5 years ago)
asked Bob about him over the phone, since Bob had performed with him on Long
Island that summer. Had it not been for his enthusiastic comments about "J",
back then, I might never have had the pleasure of watching the kid develop.

We use to chat often, kidding each other about our past musical sins of
omission and commission. And trading stories about our gigs, the various
audiences and music/jazz in general.

When he told me he was retiring from music, because of health problems a
year or so ago, I was devastated. Chicago Six always swung and Bob was a
genuine stand-up guy who love to play.

About a year and a half ago, he sent me some songs from an album he was
going to release. The tunes were more swing than Dixieland, and swing they
did, like crazy.

RIP Bob

Steve Barbone