[Dixielandjazz] Sigurd Rasher - was Nazi Band Rules

[Larry Walton Entertainment - St. Louis]

> When Eugene Ormandy conducted the Philadelphia, he forbade Glenn and
>> other orchestra members from recording jazz on pain of dismissal. He

You hit a nerve with this one.  When I was in college my instructors almost 
to a man disapproved of me playing sax.  My major was the Oboe.  I played in 
all the clubs on the East side of the river at Cape Girardeau, MO along with 
many others over a 5 state area.  I was married with a baby.  I had to work 
wherever there was a gig,

There was a lot of pressure put on me to mend my evil ways and stop playing 
in the dives and clubs.  I almost lost my scholarship several times over it 
and I am sure I received lower grades because of it.

They made no bones about it.  If I expected to graduate I would quit playing 
jazz in the clubs.  It didn't happen but the threat was there.  My piano 
player did flunk out but came back a year later and finished his degree. 
I'm not sure if my drummer ever finished school.

Many years later I retired as a teacher and since I worked for the state 
they gave me the opportunity to see all my records and remove anything I 
wanted.  I came across the packet of recommendations that the college 
placement bureau sent to my employer.

I have to tell you I was shocked.  I would not hire the guy they were 
describing.  The recommendations ranged from luke warm to bad.  To this day 
I still can't believe I ever got a job teaching.  Those guys stabbed me in 
the back.  I think that it was because I played sax in the clubs and this 
was the way they could get back at me.

When they started a big jazz band I was barred from participating.  While 
this all happened almost 50 years ago it still bothers me some.
Larry
StL
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jack Mitchell" <fjmitch at westnet.com.au>
To: "Larry Walton" <larrys.bands at charter.net>
Cc: "DJML" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Tuesday, January 19, 2010 11:28 PM
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Sigurd Rasher - was Nazi Band Rules


> 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
>
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