[Dixielandjazz] Joya Sherril Obit - Sang with Ellington & Goodman

[Stephen G Barbone]

> "Jack Mitchell" <fjmitch at westnet.com.au> wrote:
>
>  From: Harry Callaghan
>
>
>  "Interesting, Jack, but possibly my distinguished colleague from  
> Philadelphia was referring to the first American band to tour beyind  
> the Iron Curtain when making reference to Benny Goodman"
>
>  Not possibly, Harry, but definitely. Even I could see the bleeding  
> obvious. I was not trying to upstage Benny Goodman, who I heard in  
> Sydney in March, 1973 and at Carnegie Hall in 1976, but to mention a  
> little known dixieland band that made a bit of history.

Dear Jack &Harry:

Actually I did not reference BG as the first American jazz band to  
tour behind anything. That reference was simply part of a New York  
Time Obituary by Peter Keepnews. The reference to BG's band as being  
the first American jazz ensemble to tour behind the Iron Curtain, are  
his words, not mine. (see polite obit snip below)

"In 1962, Ms. Sherrill was the singer in a band assembled by Benny
Goodman that performed throughout the Soviet Union. The Goodman tour,
sponsored by the State Department, was the first by an American jazz
ensemble behind the Iron Curtain."

I simply posted the entire obit of Ms. Sherrill to the DJML, without  
comment, as written by Keepnews and printed in the Times, because I  
figured some listmates may have known about or heard, Ms. Sherrill.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone
www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband