[Dixielandjazz] The Under Cover Spy & Muskrat Ramble

[Stephen G Barbone]

On Jul 12, 2010, at 12:04 AM, Jack Mitchell wrote:

> For his first assignment, he was posted to Cambodia and told
>> to find an apartment near the royal palace, open the windows at  
>> night, and play "Muskrat Ramble". Prince Sihanouk, the eccentric  
>> ruler of the country, was reputed to be an amateur musician who  
>> loved jazz and had  his own band. Who knew but what he might hear  
>> that plaintive sax in  the jungle night and invite you young  
>> american to come on over and sit  in? Alas, this never happened."
>>
>>
>
> I don't know about that Prince, but the King Of Thailand was a more  
> than adequate
> jazz saxophonist, and often jammed with Australian musicians such as  
> Lachie Thompson
> and Laurie Gooding when they were stationed or living in his country.
>
> In 1977 the Col Nolan Quartet in Sydney recorded one of his  
> compositions, LOVE IN SPRING, and in the early 1960s the Port  
> Jackson Jazz Band had his composition WHEN in its repertoire.
>


And, of course, the King of Thailand was an ardent Benny Goodman fan.  
BG on visiting that country performed both for and  with the King  
sitting in circa 1956. King Bhumibol was also reportedly a great fan  
of Jack Teagarden and Lionel Hampton. And in 1996 he jammed with  
Warren Vache, Benny Carter and others.

The Prince Sihanouk affair took place during the early stagers of the  
Vietnam war with the US intervening. The prince, like thailand's King,  
was both a composer as well as a jazz musician. In trying to keep  
Cambodia out of the conflict, made a couple of deals with the North  
Vietnamese. The USA intelligence agencies were trying to get close to  
the Prince hence the Muskrat Ramble.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone
www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband