[Dixielandjazz] Fw: What's in a Name? (was Swing 2012)

[Ken Mathieson]

I sent this to DJML on July 31 but so far it hasn't appeared, so here goes again: 


Hi Marek et al,

Marek wrote:
If you'd like to know how they sound, trytheir website below.  They
also give critics' opinion - and quote listmate Ken.
Whatever happened to all these people?  Johnny Dankworth became a
formal John, Johnny Russell - ditto, and Kenny has become Ken.
Same name?  Sure, but is it a reflection of attitude?


I know all the Swing 2000 -and-whatever-it-is guys very well. Indeed Dick Lee and Roy Percy are members of my Classic Jazz Orchestra, while I've worked with John Russell and Steven Coutts often over the years. The local musos like to tease them about choosing a dumb name that requires them to reprint all their stationery and re-brand their PR every year. However I have to correct you about my having written a review of them. No matter how much I like them as people and love their music, I never write reviews of any fellow musicians. The review in question was written by a journalist-author called Kenny Mathieson who is no relation, plays no instrument and the sound you can hear in the background is that of a can of worms being opened!

On almost a daily basis, I get mistaken for my namesake and congratulated or lambasted for his reviews in the press. It's even more complicated than him being Kenny and me being Ken: when I started playing semi-professionally 55 years ago, everyone in the business called me Kenny and that's how I still am to the musos from that era who are still around. When I was around 20, my natural torpor set in and I decided to lose a syllable and become just Ken. Much later on, Kenny (the other one) came on the scene writing reviews, books etc and instant confusion arose. Colleagues who knew the difference started calling me "Tall Slim" and the other one "Short Fat" but to this day the confusion continues. I know Kenny quite well and have nothing against him, but some of his more critical reviews have caused me problems with musicians who assume the Scottish Jazz scene is too small to have 2 people of the same name and that I've taken to slagging people off in print.

So, in my case, I'm Kenny to the older musos, Ken to friends, younger musos and at home, and Kenneth to my brother and cousins, so it's not a reflection of attitude, more the impact of life in its different stages. At least I didn't call myself Ken-1983 'way back!

Cheers,

Tall Slim