[Dixielandjazz] Vache, Barnard and "The Gig"

[Stephen G Barbone]

Following paraphrased from the book, "The Life and Music of Kenny  
Davern". (From an interview with Vache by Edward Meyer who wrote  
Davern's biography)

Warren Vache  Jr., was subbing for Billy Butterfield at Condon's.  
Between sets, Frank Gilroy, screen writer for "The Gig"  came over and  
asked if he had ever acted in movies.  No said Vache, but the end  
result was that Gilroy asked him to become musical director, put a  
band together to supply the music for the movie and gave him a screen  
part. The resultant band was Vache, Kenny Davern,  Dick Wellstood,  
Milt Hinton, Reggie Jackson and drummer  Herb Harris. (who had hired  
previously  Vache to do several movie sound tracks)

On the day they were to record the jazz music in studio, August 28,  
1984, Vache had a temperature of 104 degrees. Gilroy sent him home. By  
coincidence, Bob Barnard who was visiting from Australia, was also in  
the studio and so he supplied the jazz parts Vache was supposed to play.

Vache whose primary movie part was having his fingers shown during the  
musical parts later had to figure out what Bob had been playing and  
approximate the correct finger positions. His, Wellstood's and  
Davern's hands were shown in the movie so as to sell the concept that  
the actors were jazz musicians as the actors mimed the playing.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone
www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband