[Dixielandjazz] Mike Starr, RIP

[EditWest at aol.com]

I was sorry to hear of the passing of Mike Starr, as reported by Scott 
Anthony. On hearing Mike play at many festivals over the years, I was always 
amused by his interpolations . I believe his favorite to weave in consisted of 
the first two bars of "Mountain Greenery" and  it was somehow gratifying to 
hear that in a set. 

I always regarded him as a most jovial side man, joshing with the others on 
stage. It wasn't until a couple of years ago that I had some insight into 
what he was saying to his fellows. One summer twilight as my family and I 
were dining al fresco on our leafy front porch, a fellow just appeared coming 
up the steps. He was walking by, and wanted to tell us a joke. Out came a 
blistering -- but very funny --  raw story. The teenagers nearly fell out of 
their chairs in awe. It wasn't until this stranger had left the porch and 
turned the corner that I realized it was Mike Starr. It was a sort of "who was 
that masked man?!" moment. It was Mike. Later I figured out that his daughter 
lived down the street, and he was visiting. 

>From that instance, I suspected that the happy times I had seen on the 
front line were probably spicy. Maybe a front line is always spicy, and we just 
don't hear it in the front row of the audience. 

So here's to Mike Starr. Always amusing to hear and watch. I can see him 
now, nudging the man next to him and chuckling....

RIP, from a fan and DJML lurker.

JS