[Dixielandjazz] Attracting The Young Kids

[Don Robertson]

John Wilder wrote:
> When I advocate playing more modern songs, I'm not necessarily reaching into
> today's hits.  When I was a kid in the 60's I heard my generations' music,
> but I also recognized the music of my parents.  However, I probably wouldn't
> recognize most of my great-grandparents' tunes of the day.  To the kids of
> today, OKOM is Great-Grandparent music.
>   
Amen to that.  As a kid I was in the 40's to 50's era of big bands and 
lots of show tunes that I still love.  Of all that, I was attracted most 
to boogie woogie.  Then I found a stack of  78's that my parents no 
longer played, of Abe Lyman, The Benson Orchestra of Chicago and  Paul 
Whiteman.  I think there was also one or two of the Original Dixieland 
Jazz Band.  Wow I really dug this stuff.  I also saw a side of my 
parents I never knew about.  By this time we were in WWII, my parents 
were in their late 40's, and life was very serious (they were playing 
bridge, not dancing to jazz).  I loved the music of my parents' era, but 
I had to discover it for myself. When I got to high school, the 
Firehouse Five was just getting started.  Then I arrived in Berkeley in 
1952.   Lu Watters had retired, but Turk Murphy and Bob Scobey were 
going strong.  I've been an OKOM fan ever since.  BTW, those 20's era 
78's were long gone, but most have been re-released on CD's, so I can 
still enjoy them.

Don Robertson
Napa, CA