[Dixielandjazz] NIGGLE KENNEDY

[ROBERT R. CALDER]

Master Kennedy has never been my favourite fiddler 

I did once review his CD with Joe Lovano and other lions of a current generation 
on BlueNote 

I seem to remember I had a few reservations, but nothing anywhere near 
disqualifying him from being regarded as a serious jazz violinist -- though on 
that recording certainly of a sort of only minoristy interest among present 
company.

I can't see anything that would get in the way of his making music within the 
range this page's participants refer to as OKOM.  If he can hear the music as 
the music it is, not-misassigning it to some supposed historical period 

As I recall from Stuff Smith's reminiscences, his hero Jascha Heifetz liked to 
sit in with the band, not least on piano. But then Yank Lawson did say to Ken 
Gallacher that when working for the NBC Symphony musicians were astonished to 
find Heifetz knew even better and quicker short cut to the bat than anybody. 


Even though the occasional booze story of Kennedy is less decorous, good luck to 
him!

Robert