[Dixielandjazz] Showmenship

[Robert Ringwald]

I have been going over some old emails on showmanship that I didn’t get to when they were originally posted. I wanted to comment on something that Jim Kashishian wrote:



“””

I attempted, live, the "slide between the toes" thing during a gig years &

years ago, having heard that Bob Havens had done it.  (I'm not sure whether

he did or not!)  It worked & I've done it ever since when the audience is

hot enough.

“””



Working with Bob Havens for some 12 years, I can attest to the fact that indeed Bob Havens used to lay on his back and play the trombone, moving the slide with his foot. He used to do it nightly with the band I had when I lived in Los Angeles, the Great Pacific Jazz Band. At the age of around 80 or so, he does not do it any more. However, he still plays just as great as he always did. 



Bob will be the guest star of the Sacramento Traditional Jazz Society on Sept 9 2012. 



BTW- Lawrence Welk saw him do the trick and hired him for the TV show. That gave Bob 22 years of steady, good-paying work. Aint nothing wrong with that. 



--Bob Ringwald