[Dixielandjazz] Support live jazz

[Marek Boym]

True to my slogan, last Sunday night I went to hear Eli and the Chocolate
Factory in Tel-Aviv.  I came early in order to find a good seat, only to
find out there weren't any!  The room was prepared for dancers, not
listeners (eventually, they brought me a chair to sit by (not at) the bar,
at the back of the hall which became a big dancing floor.  I do not
remember who it was (probably Buddy Tate) who said that "dancers put soul
in the music," but that night it indeed was so.  I do not remember the band
sounding as good as that night!  Wow!  and the dancers were just all over
the floor, whether the dances were fast or slow.  The band played lots of
traditional standards, but also swing standards and Ellingtonia.  The band
was very impressive in slow numbers, the two moody Ellington pieces - Mood
Indigo  and - I believe (not sure) the Mooch being really outstanding.  The
sound was first class - not too loud, but clearly heard in the whole room.
And the DJ played swing numbers before the band started and during the
intermission; the dancers, by the way, didn't mind whether music was live
or recorded - they just kept dancing!  And made me feel so old - there
might have been two not young enough to be my grandchildren!
Swing dancing seems to be where bands should play.  While festivals are
fading away due to ageing and dwindling audience, the kids are to dance to
the sounds of good music (I have already mentioned this more than once over
the years, as did Steve Barbone.  Most of the dancers will probably not
become jazz fans, but some might (isn't this the same story as the great
West Coast revival - dancers coming to dance to traditional jazz?).
Cheers
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