[Dixielandjazz] When to pack it in

[Harry Callaghan]

I am not about to take sides here with either Steve or Bob, or anyone else
who has commented thus far on this subject. but there can obviously be no
set rule as the situation will be considerably different depending upon the
individual.

As an example, I saw Lionel Hampton perform on either the Leno or Letterman
show after he was 90 and he appeared perfectly capable.

I know that one of my favorite jazz musicians Benny Carter also performed
into his 90s but never saw him to form a judgment as to whether he should
have hung up his instruments earlier.

However, (and this is as big a Sinatra fan as you are ever gonna hear from)
when I heard Frank's rendition of Kander & Ebb's "Maybe This Time" on an
album issued commemorating his 80th birthday, I actually felt embarassed for
him.  He sounded as if he had been chewing razor blades.

I know for a fact that Bob has heard the same album and pretty much agrees
with me.

As in the old Eddy Howard number "To Each His Own"

 But to add to what Bob alluded to earlier, if the entertainer cannot come
to this realization on his/her own,  I would hope someone close to them
would step forward and tell them to bow out gracefully

And not that it is at all relevant, but quite coincidentally Earl "Fatha"
Hines was my favorite jazz pianist.

Tides
HC

On Mon, Jan 24, 2011 at 2:24 PM, Robert Ringwald <rsr at ringwald.com> wrote:

> On Monday, January 24, 2011 9:04 AM, Steve Barbone wrote:
>
> >I guess I'm in the minority here along with Ginny.  IMO, musos should
> > keep performing as long as they enjoy it.
>
>
> There are no absolutes.
>
> I doubt that Steve would still have the same opinion if he had seen Earl
> Hines as I did.
>
> For clarity sake, here is my post regarding this sad event once again.
>
> Quote
> At a Pianorama at one of the Sacramento Jazz Jubilees, now called
> Sacramento Jazz
> Festival and Jubilee, Earl Hines performed.  I don't think he even knew
> where he
> was.
> He would start a song, end up playing another one, do the same old cliche
> (SP) series
> of notes over and over.  Then go into an ending and play maybe 30 tags.  It
> was awful...
> Unquote
>
> Very sad indeed to see this great pianist essentially making a fool of
> himself.  I know them's strong words.  I know he did not know how badly he
> was playing.  I doubt if he even realized where he was.
>
> I saw Louis Armstrong in 1968.  While he was in ill health and played very
> little trumpet, he sang, talked, and obviously knew where he was.  Perhaps
> if he had lived to be 90, he still could have performed and done a good job.
>
> However IMO, when a performer is no longer capable of performing in front
> of an audience on a professional level, he should stop.  Perhaps in the case
> sighted above, someone, maybe a care giver, should have stopped Hines from
> continuing to perform.
>
>
> --Bob Ringwald
> www.ringwald.com
> Fulton Street Jazz Band
> 530/ 642-9551 Office
> 916/ 806-9551 Cell
> Amateur (Ham) Radio K6YBV
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> To unsubscribe or change your e-mail preferences for the Dixieland Jazz
> Mailing list, or to find the online archives, please visit:
>
> http://ml.islandnet.com/mailman/listinfo/dixielandjazz
>
>
>
> Dixielandjazz mailing list
> Dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
>



-- 
Beware of Greeks bearing gifts
      - Vergil: The Aeneid Book II