[Dixielandjazz] Kenny Davern biography

[Bill Haesler]

Dear friends,
Australian jazz enthusiasts and musicians will recall the numerous visits to Australia by that superb clarinetist Kenny Davern (1935-2006).
Scarecrow Press has announced the release this week of his biography "The Life and Music of Kenny Davern. Just Four Bars" by Edward N. Meyer. No. 63 in the Scarecrow series, Studies in Jazz. 
   http://www.scarecrowpress.com/Catalog/SingleBook.shtml?command=Search&db=%5EDB/CATALOG.db&eqSKUdata=0810876922
Kenny first visited Australia in 1977 as the guest of the 32nd Australian Jazz Convention. A wonderful musician and an entertaining man who delighted all of us at the week long jazz event in Hobart, Tasmania.
(He even sat in twice with my band, to our great delight.)
His next trip down-under, two years later, was as a sideman with The Worlds Greatest Jazz Band at the 34th Jazz Convention in Perth, Western Australia in 1979. 
More visits followed, with Ralph Sutton (1981) and as featured soloist with Bob Barnard's Band in 1987, 1988 and 1992.
I think he must have liked us.
Notwithstanding the US$75 price tag, this new book should be an interesting read, as Kenny was a unique jazz personality.
Very kind regards,
Bill.