[Dixielandjazz] Don Ingle

[Herbert]

Some memories of Don Ingle.

I have known Don for 40 plus years as a musician, sportsman, outdoor  
writer, sketch artist, critic and friend.  Don was among many other  
things, one of the worlds better jazz trumpeters.  His tasty licks  
were always a delight to the uninitiated, and a wonder to his fellow  
players.  I performed with him in several of his groups in Grand  
Rapids, Michigan, and in his home town of Baldwin.  I was a member of  
the group he called "The Jack Pine Savages", entertaining the people  
of Baldwin on one of his last performances before retiring the horn.   
This had been an annual event in the town for many years, and was  
played outdoors in the band shell in the public square.  I remember  
several New Years Eves driving through terrific snow storms to reach  
Baldwin to play a job with him at one of the sportsman's clubs on the  
Manistee River:  my wife Rose and Jean Ingle staying at Don's house  
in toasty warmth waiting for us to finish the job.

Don played trumpet with my band "The Epsilon Jass Band"  for a couple  
of full seasons, and we recorded some of the best tracks the band has  
ever done.  It was amazing how his lead horn gave the band a unique  
and traditional sound that brought us closer together, and made it  
cleaner and more exciting.

Don was always interesting and colorful, his dissertations long and  
continuous;  and very informative on any subject he chose to expand,  
which he did with great frequency, even on the bandstand.  Sometimes  
opinionated and a braggart, but as Jell Roll Morton used to say. "It  
ain't braggin'  if you can do it".  He was a delight to know, an  
amazing font of knowledge and information, and a comfort to me  
knowing he was only about 100 miles away, and would be ready as a  
friend at any time.  I wish I had his talent as a writer so I could  
do a much better job of telling this tiny bit of my remembrances.

God bless you, Don.   Thank you for the wonderful memories, and for  
sharing your talents with us.  The world is certainly a better place  
for having had you as one of it's great and talented members.  We  
miss you.

Bud Bechtold