[Dixielandjazz] First Tune of the night

[ROBERT R. CALDER]

I am still aghast at the number of times I've heard performers begin concerts of 
sorts of jazz variously called modern,just as if they had considered and 
discussed things as thoroughly as Ken Mathieson did yesterday, and ruled out 
every possible good idea that came up. 


I've taken visitors from Germany to gigs in London, and heard a musician among 
them remark "music!" after the band's third number had started. The opener had 
actually disorientated the audience. 


The rule seems to be in a song title.  If you don't start with bewitch you can 
quickly bother and bewilder.  

The trouble in starting with something which is a little out of the way is that 
prospects of immediate rapport with cognoscenti in the audience can get blocked 
by the palpable incomprehension of other patrons and resultant wrong atmosphere 
-- and of course dumbing down does nobody any good either. The over-familiar 
alienates equally with the rebarbative (like stirring wishes for an occasion on 
which saints don't trude in).. 

The same thing is true of any programme, whether of a music CD or whatever: 
summon as soon as poss a maximum range of interest with an absolute bar on 
turn-offs.   


Since my late father was responsible for road safety in the city of Glasgow I 
much appreciated hearing Danny Moss years later -- and only a couple of streets 
away from my father's former office -- announce a restful final number to 
encourage those who were driving to take care and avoid excessive speed. So 
unlike those berks in the Old Fruitmarket fifteen years ago hustling people out 
because it was only three hours till the next concert. It really is lethal when 
the band and management (or either) can't express sympathy with the audience 
over the need for the music to stop. I've experienced too much of that as well!