[Dixielandjazz] Willis Conover and Jazzfest-Charlie Suhor writes

[Norman Vickers]

To:  Musicians and serious jazzfans list + DJML

From: Norman Vickers

 

Here is a note from Charlie Suhor.  He follow up on a post about a Voice of
America  honoring Conover.

 

Thanks, Charlie for clarifying this for us.

\

 

 

 

From: Charles Suhor [mailto:csuhor at zebra.net] 
\
Subject: Re: Willis Conover and Jazzfest

 

Not to put too fine a point on it, but Willis Conover emceed the first two
New Orleans Jazzfests in 1968 and 1969. He was brought in too late to book
the acts for '68, but he took the lead in '69. In 1970, the Wein/Quint
Davis, et al., management began. Sadly, they claim to be originators of the
event. I had minimal involvement in the '68 and '69 planning, but as local
writer for Down Beat I conferred with Willis, Doug Ramsey (then a local
newscaster), and other leaders and followed the events closely.

Dan Morgenstern, then the editor of Dow Beat, was 100% supportive. I did an
advance cover story for the '68 event, and he ran my complete review
afterwards. In '69 he flew in to review the festival. To my surprise he
brilliantly arranged to have the June 12, 1969 issue of DB stitched into the
Jazzfest program. I had an angry article on the historical abuse of jazz in
the local press. Dan had an absolutely poetic essay called "The Meaning of
New Orleans." Back to Willis-his article, "New Orleans, New Orleans Jazz,
the New Orleans Jazz Festival, and Me," was the canniest combination of
cool-headedness and rage (about the often bizarre local head-butting) I've
ever seen. 

All of this is told, admittedly from my perspective, in "The Strange Case of
the Jazz and Heritage Festival." Pages 34-43 of my book Jazz in New Orleans:
the Postwar Years Through 1970. It's available on line, or more economically
on interlibrary loan. 

Charlie Suhor
 
-end--