[Dixielandjazz] The night the music stopped

[PHIL WILKING]

Several years ago I attended a small convention in a New Orleans hotel. The 
convention rooms were on the floor immediately below the penthouse saloon.

Several of us conventioneers brought our instruments and jammed on some old 
dixie warhorses on Friday night. We had a cornet, an electric guitar, me on 
banjo, and sometimes a couple of others. It was OK, but the rock band coming 
through the ceiling from the saloon above us was pretty stiff competition, 
and they stayed open until the last customer left sometime after 1 AM.

On Saturday night we did it again and were soon joined by a theramin (if 
you've never heard one, it's the "swoopy sounding" electronic thing which 
did the background music for the the 1950's alien invaders from outer space 
movies).

The rock band was still coming through the ceiling loudly, but - somehow - 
they didn't seem quite as agressive after a few theramin solo choruses.

Then we were joined by one last guy. He had brought his bagpipe to the 
convention. So now our band was cornet, electric guitar, banjo, theramin, 
and bagpipe, and we blasted away on things like "Bill Bailey" and "Basin 
Street Blues."

Very quickly the rock band above quit and the saloon closed for the night.

So that's my claim to fame: I was part of a band which forced a New Orleans 
saloon to close early on a Saturday night.

Phil Wilking

Those who would exchange freedom for
security deserve neither freedom nor security.