[Dixielandjazz] Support live jazz

[Marek Boym]

Last Wednesday a friend and I went to hear Eli and the Chocolate Factory in
an Jaffa bar.  A strange place - the address was easy to rind, but not the
bar itself - no sign whatsoever, just for those in the know.  Inside, too,
it was a bit strange - I have never seen a madonna watchim ove a bar!
Otherwise, the place is friendly, even if its beer selectoin is hardly
enormous.
When we arrived, there was a DJ dispensing very much OKOM, and, even more
important - at a CIVILISED volume!

The band had Eli on his new cornet, Amnon on trombone, Ilan on banjo and
Tal on double bass.   Music was the usual mix of standards, wit ha few
warhorses thrown in.  Eli also sang in his laid-back manner.  In all, a
very nice evening of music and beer.
Last night, another friend and I went to hear the same group (with a
drummer this time) ar a loft in Te-Aviv.  This time, Eli played his usual
trumpet.  Music was similar, with some things they did not play two nights
earlier.
In both places, the public was young and quite enthusiastic, in particular
on Saturday.  And if I rised the age average at the Jaffa bar, last night,
despite some 60 people there, I must have doubled it!
So perhaps the kids will not become great trad fans, but at least it will
not scare them away!  People react to good music whatever their age, tjey
just need to be exposed thereto.  Perhas one thing the band should have
done was to say a few words about the style - nothing elaborate, not a
lecture, just something like "what we play is usually called Dixieland" to
make the public aware of it.
Since it was a private residence, there was a cover fee (equivalent to less
than three Yankee dollars), and refreshments (soup and beer were the same
price as the cover, coffee - I don't know).  Beer was served from a
make-shift bar - a tin tub with ice.  A new version of the old Maccabee
beer (brewed since 1968), something I had not noticed before byuing it.
Labelled "Strong Lager Beer", it has 7.9% abv rather than the customary
4.9% of the original product, with a sweetish taste one would not expect in
a European lager, but common to some Canadian and American microbrewery
lagers.
A very pleasant evening.  Seeing youngsters swaying and dancing to the
sounds of traditional jazz was really encouraging, in particular as none of
the dancers was from the swing dance group.
Cheers