[Dixielandjazz] Noise?

[ROBERT R. CALDER]

The worst noise ever encountered by any band at any jazz festival appeared just after Ken Supermathieson's Classic Jazz Orchestra had played magnificently on the outdoor stage of the Glasgow Jazz Festival in 2006.  Due to G8, including "The Bushy-Wushy W-boy then based in DC"  (who oblivious of the wise condonisms re the danger of excessive athleticism fell off his bicycle in the grounds of the conference  Hotel) numbers of Glasgow police were required in Edinburgh a week or so after. Thus was the annual enormous orange walk rescheduled and routed around two sides of the large open civic square on one corner of which the open stage was set  (the planned marquee not having been erected on account of the delicious heatwave) from which the wondrous music had thus far poured. 

As I say, the Supermathieson superorchestra had just performed, as Noel Coward would have said, superbly, and then:  a couple of miles of fife and drum bands began to wind their way past, on a road cleared of traffic, with a repertoire based on the theory that civilisation is in danger from what goes on in the Vatican.  
After the programmed jazz festival band following SuperKen's had started they soon had to stop, and the fife and drum music went round and round and streets were jammed. No jazz could be jammed in earshot of the thousands of orange feet, the banner-carriers and walkers -- and occasionally not a tune in celebration of the parent who wore even such a sash as could be seen in profusion, but 'Home, home on the range,'  presumably a song about porridge bubbling on an old-style Scottish stove.
   
The festival was sufficiently well organised that musicians liable to stray to hostelries on the far side of the route were advised, alas needlessly, that if they went there they might be stuck there for at least an hour. In fact for the length of the set the disappointed ensemble on the stage had planned to play.  

Of course if we're talking from the point of view of members of a marching band ...  ??????  every degree of consideration was given to these people.  





       
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