[Dixielandjazz] A remembrance of Chuck Hedges

[Don Ingle]

The news of Chuck Hedges’ passing was sad to receive; a fine player and 
a great and humorous guy to be hanging with. This fellow will miss him 
as others will I’m sure.

But in all the sadness of the news came a flash of memory that made me 
smile, even burst out laughing. That was the recollection of one of the 
best stunts Chuck ever started – this time en route to Sacramento in a 
United Airliner half filled with musicians. I was with the Sons of Bix, 
and there were some members of at least three other bands and single 
players I can not quite recall.

We’d been air born about an hour out of Chicago when Chuck reached up 
and took his clarinet case out of the overhead and began to assemble it. 
He called out loudly, “Hey – do your remember those old black and white 
movies where a college or swing band suddenly got a jam session going on 
a train or plane. So let’s do it,” he said and began to play. It took 
less than a minute or two before others scrambled to find whatever they 
could get from overheads or under the seat, and soon there wa a banjo, 
guitar, two cornets, a soprano, a trombone, a pair of drum sticks and a 
small cymbol and a roaring good jam session was underway. It lasted for 
most of the trip until the pilot asked we get ready for landing and to 
please return to seating.

Once we landed, and were about to disembark, the voice of the pilot came 
on to thank us for flying with United, then, dropping into a perfect 
Lawrence Welk accent, he added…”and to the musicians on board...”*/ah 
thank-a you boyz!/*”

Chuck’s clarinet may be silent now, but that memory keeps him close and 
me smiling. */Ah thank-a you, Chuck!/*

Don Ingle