[Dixielandjazz] Hanging out with the big timers

[Stephen G Barbone]

These days, Jonathan Russell is hanging out with the top dog in Jazz,  
Wynton Marsalis. Seems that Wynton had invited J, along with some of  
the other teenage jazz greats that have appeared with LCJB, to come to  
the Lincoln Center Jazz Band rehearsals anytime as well as jam with  
them on some numbers. And J has been doing just that.

Last weekend he jammed with the band on a number written by Bobby  
Hutcherson. If was a feature number for the New Jazz masters awards  
ceremony which J watched later from a front row seat.

Wynton, who it seems, has taken an interest in Jonathan, asked him if  
he'd been getting any gigs, telling him after the Hutcherson tune,  
that he could fit in anywhere, anytime. When hearing that J was not  
getting a lot of gigs, he said he'd see if he could put together  
something interesting. He also told J that out of all the kids he'd  
invited to rehearsals and to sit in, J was the only one who responded  
by doing it.

Perhaps the others were intimidated by Marsalis? Nah says J, he throws  
a football around backstage while talking about jazz to the kids who  
played with LCJB, or kids who were in the audience during his young  
people programs. Wynton is cool, he adds.

I wish I was gigging nearer Jonathan's home because I sure as hell  
would be offering this young man more than the 3 or 4 gigs per year he  
plays with us in the Philadelphia area. (Mine are about a 300 mile  
round trip for him, necessitating a $150 travel payment in addition to  
gig fee, and hotel accommodations when he stays overnight)

Two things I don't understand. First, why don't those kids Marsalis  
invites to hang out with the band do just that? It is one thing for  
opportunity to knock, but for goodness sake, you might want to answer  
the door. Second, why don't we in the OKOM end of jazz utilize the  
prodigious talent of this young man and offer him paying gigs?

Does Wynton Marsalis see something that the rest of us don't?

Cheers,
Steve Barbone
www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband