[Dixielandjazz] Jazz Quotes & Al Hirt

Thu May 14 14:09:26 PDT 2009

Mart,
I'm not surprised a bit. That's sounds exactly like the Al I knew.  
When Showboat Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City opened its doors for  
business in 1987, Al was the featured performer the first weekend. He  
saw our band playing in the lobby during the afternoon and came over  
to greet us He listened for awhile and had many compliments for our 75- 
year old cornetist. He stayed around until our break for a brief chat  
and I mentioned about my stint in New Orleans. He said, "YES, I knew  
you looked familiar! You were that bearded tuba player from the  
Mustache club who used to come over my place after hours."  That was  
16 years prior and I had shaved off my beard in 1981. Good memory for  
a man who shook so many hands over the years.
Cheers,
John

On May 14, 2009, at 4:05 PM, macjazz wrote:

> I had the nerve to call Al Hirt one night about 10:00.  I was  
> recommended for the same intestinal by-pass that he had had.  It was  
> a very unusual and highly experimental surgery at the time.
>
> He not only took my call, he spent well over an hour on the phone  
> with me talking about the issues and events of his surgery, then  
> about my having lived in New Orleans etc. and could not have been  
> nicer or more gracious.
>
> I asked him once about playing and was told "Oh, they'll get along  
> without me a set or two.  This is important."
>
> I am much in his debt.
>
> Mart
>
> Martin D. McKay, Designated Listener.
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "jazzdude39" <jazzdude39 at att.net>
> To: "Martin D. McKay" <macjazz at comcast.net>
> Cc: "DJML" <Dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
> Sent: Thursday, May 14, 2009 3:36 PM
> Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Jazz Quotes & Al Hirt
>
>
>> John,
>>
>> My stint in New Orleans from 1966-67 allowed me similar experiences  
>> as you state, with Al Hirt. On many occasions I enjoyed sitting in  
>> and listening to Al and Pee Wee with other young musicians who  
>> dropped in to enjoy the hospitality and encouragement Al presented.  
>> He said on more than one occasion that he thought his playing was  
>> more technical than tasty, but proved he was capable of many  
>> approaches to playing and seemed to enjoy meeting the younger  
>> players and sharing idea's. Danny Barker was the first to take me  
>> to Al's late retreat and often Connie Jones, George Finola, Irving  
>> Fazola, Cougar Nelson and Jim Haislip and would be there along with  
>> players from some of the big bands playing around town. The booze  
>> was always flowing and humor abounded as Al had a great sense of  
>> humor. I learned a lot from him and will never forget those great  
>> times back when. I rarely heard the Al Hirt on records that I heard  
>> then.
>>
>> Dave Hanson
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "John McClernan" <mcclernan1 at comcast.net 
>> >
>> To: "Dave Hanson" <jazzdude39 at att.net>
>> Cc: "Dixieland Jazz Mailing List" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
>> Sent: Thursday, May 14, 2009 3:13 PM
>> Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Jazz Quotes & Al Hirt
>>
>>
>>> Just to play devil's advocate....
>>> I worked for 6 months across the street from Al Hirt's NOLA club  
>>> in 1971. When we finished work, many nights we went over to his  
>>> small bar on the side street (Saint Louis St.?) and sat in with  
>>> Al's combo. He  was always gracious, encouraging to young players,  
>>> and very musical in  his own playing. He also knew a ton of tunes.  
>>> The commercial Al Hirt  (a la "Cotton Candy") was nowhere to be  
>>> found in those jam sessons. I certainly enjoyed those sessions  
>>> with Al much more than the ones with Pete Fountain.  (Duck! Here  
>>> come the brickbats!)
>>>
>>> Cheers,
>>> John
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On May 14, 2009, at 8:37 AM, Marek Boym wrote:
>>>
>>>> I can identify with that!  I tried listening to Hirt's records on
>>>> Audiofidelity, and didn't like even one.
>>>> Cheers
>>>>
>>>> On 14/05/2009, ROBERT R. CALDER <serapion at btinternet.com> wrote:
>>>>> Charles Mingus was not the only musician who did not like Al  
>>>>> Hirt's music.
>>>>> Humphrey Lyttelton was very friendly with Buck Clayton, and   
>>>>> remembered that Buck's preferred manufacturer of trumpet   
>>>>> mouthpieces sent Buck free mouthpieces every so often. Into each  
>>>>> of  these was cut a facsimile of Al Hirt's autograph.  Once Buck  
>>>>> had  his new free mouthpieces he took them to be modified, which  
>>>>> meant  simply having the Hirt signature gouged out.
>>>>> Ouch!
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
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