[Dixielandjazz] Jazz Quotes & Al Hirt

Thu May 14 15:29:08 PDT 2009

I have no quarrel with anything you people say.  I got my first
(Verve) Al Hirt LP in 1961 - my mother brought it from the US.  Even
then, as a young man (I was in regular service then), I liked
everybody on that LP except Hirt - his playing lacked what could best
be described as "soul."  BTW, I still have the LP and listn to it from
time to time, and my reaction is still the same.  And it's not that I
haven' tried - even after trying the Audio Fodelity LPs, I bought a
recording of Al Hirt and Pete Fountain Live at the Super Bowl.  I
still have ht Fountain tracks, and those they recorded together, but I
could not take the Hirt band, and I got rid of the record.

Al Hirt had fantastic technique, and might have been a great guy, but
traditional jazz musician he was not.

Cheers

On 15/05/2009, John McClernan <mcclernan1 at comcast.net> wrote:
> 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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