[Dixielandjazz] Louis in Glasgow

[Ken Mathieson]

Hi Robert et al,

Robert wrote:
>snip
"I was a bit too young and missed the gig, which was in a football stadium."
<snip

>From memory, none too reliable nowadays, the concert Robert describes was in 
May 1962. I was in the middle of a series of crucially important 
examinations for my accountancy degree when Louis and the All Stars played 
an open-air concert at Ibrox Stadium in Glasgow. I actually had an exam the 
morning after, but figured I might never get the chance to see Louis again 
and, if I failed the exam, I could re-sit in September. Predictably I did 
fail, but passed in the re-sit and, most importantly, I got to see Louis on 
stage doing his show.

It was a glorious Spring day, but evenings in mid-May in Scotland can be a 
bit cool and this was no exception. The local promoter who was putting on 
the show had gone for overkill: the first half had an opening set by a local 
band, The Steadfast Jazz Band, followed by a local pop singer who had 
fleetingly hit the big-time, Karl Denver, followed by Chris Barber's band 
with singer George Melly guesting. Everyone was there to see Louis, so we 
all sat through the long first set with growing impatience. The PA in this 
huge stadium consisted of a single mic centre stage. The Steadfast's 
trumpeter stood up close to it and blasted straight at it to no great 
effect, while Barber's trumpeter, Pat Halcox stood about 6 feet back and 
again blew straight at it.

After the interval, Louis emerged and had some difficulty getting up the few 
wooden steps to the stage. I think one of them had given way, anyway the 
show was held up while a joiner fixed the step. Then the band came back out, 
Louis was announced, then climbed the steps, placed the mic in front of Joe 
Darensbourg, the clarinettist on the tour and played Sleepy Time Down South 
on trumpet without the aid of the mic. He simply pointed his trumpet up into 
the grandstand and out poured the most gorgeous sound, not loud but big, fat 
and HOT. He used the mic for vocals, but not for his trumpet, which carried 
clear as a bell. The band was Trummy Young, Joe Darensbourg, Billy Kyle, 
Billy Cronk (bass), Danny Barcelona and Jewel Brown (vocals). The opening 
bars of Sleepy Time were just electrifying; genuinely causing the hairs on 
the back of my neck to stand up. The rest of the programme was routine All 
Stars material with Indiana, The Gypsy, A Kiss to Build a Dream On, Mop Mop, 
Tiger Rag etc. By the end, none of the crowd seemed to be aware of how cool 
the evening had become.

If I'm honest, it probably wasn't the best gig I ever saw except for Louis' 
astonishing personality, which held the public's attention all the time he 
was on stage, and his famed "1000-killerwatt" smile. Years later, Benny 
Carter told me that, of all the amazing people he had met in his life - 
musicians, singers, movie stars, politicians, presidents, academics etc - 
Louis had by far the most amazing personality. He could walk into any room 
without saying anything and everyone would stop to look and smile at him; he 
had the gift of being able to light up any company just with the sheer force 
of his genial personality and everyone present would would be desparate to 
talk to him.

I had a bit of explaining to do to my parents when I got home, but the 
memory of that evening has lasted 52 years and rising.

Cheers,

Ken Mathieson