[Dixielandjazz] Ellington and Basie Bands

[Stephen G Barbone]

On May 23, 2011, at 9:56 PM, dixielandjazz-request at ml.islandnet.com  
wrote:

> Bill Haesler <bhaesler at bigpond.net.au>
>
> Dixiejazzdata wrote [in part]:
>> ........and no doubt many of them did not even need the charts  
>> anymore to play at the quality level that Ellington and the other  
>> Big Band leaders had.
>
> Dear Bart,
> Spot on.
> When the Ellington band visited Australia way back when, the music  
> on the music stands stayed closed.
> I also seem to recall that it was the same with the Basie band when  
> they came here.
> But not as obvious.

Yes indeed Bill:

I saw Count Basie numerous times at Birdland in NYC, and then once at  
the old opera house in Lancaster PA. The band books were open, but  
they never turned a page.

At the Opera House, this was easy to spot because we had seats in a  
box above and to the right of the band. As we looked down, we could  
see the open music books.

They played two sets, swung their asses off, and never turned a page.

Cheers,
Steve