[Dixielandjazz] Sigurd Rasher - was Nazi Band Rules

[Jack Mitchell]

Steve Barbone wrote>


When Eugene Ormandy conducted the Philadelphia, he forbade Glenn and
> other orchestra members from recording jazz on pain of dismissal. He 
> actually had a record label cease production of a jazz record with  Glenn 
> on it.

 Fortunately not all symphony conductors had that attitude. In March, 1948 
guitarist Ray Price tried to book the hall at the Sydney Conservatorium of 
Music for a concert by the Port Jackson Jazz Band. The staff hummed and 
hawed a bit, so Ray went to Sir Eugene Goosens, conductor of the Sydney 
Symphony Orch. who said "Of course, go ahead".

A few years later Ray was playing bass violin with the SSO, but was sacked 
from it after a couple of year,s  allegedly for playing jazz (with the PJJB) 
in his spare time. Actually the establishment was annoyed because Ray, a 
natural PR man, was getting more publicity in the press for the PJJB than 
the SSO did. Also they weren't all that enchanted with Ray's habit of 
passing out leaflets advertising the PJJB during interval at the Town Hall 
concerts by the SSO.

About six months after leaving the SSO Ray got a job (four nights and 
Saturday arvo) for a trio (Bob Barnard on trumpet) at the Macquarie Hotel, 
an unsalubrubrious waterfront venue. Ray burned his bridges re returning to 
the Symphony by reporting (in the press of course) that he preferred the 
Macquarie - he met nicer people there than at the Town Hall.

Best wishes
Jack Mitchell