[Dixielandjazz] $250,000 trombone

[billsharp]

I followed the quarter-million dollar trombone link to read about it's 
owner Arthur Pryor, and read the following:

  "'In 1905, Mr. Pryor wrote his most famous song “The Whistler and his 
Dog.” Mr. Pryor is known to have written about 300 musical numbers and 
to have arranged hundreds of musical compositions. In 1909, Mr. Pryor 
quit touring. About the same time, Mr. Pryor became conductor and 
arranger for the Victor Talking Machine Co., which would become a part 
of RCA in 1929."

I immediately wondered if it's a tale of a dog who runs away from home 
because his master wouldn't quit that insane whistling.  The poor dog 
kept thinking he was being called, every time his master whistled.  .  
. finally just couldn't take it and ran off with another family whose 
only vice was yodeling.  (There actually is a worse case scenario:   
that would be yodeling accompanied by washboard playing.  Oh my god, I 
probably just planted a seed . . . . .)

Actually, it reminded me of the fact that I had an uncle who was an 
incredible whistler who would often whistle a solo onstage, in the same 
fashion that any other instrumentalist would take a solo.  Are there 
any of you jazzers out there today that are doing this, as a regular 
part of your performance?  Like anything, if done well, it's very 
effective.

Itzall BS (aka Bill Sharp)