[Dixielandjazz] Vale Harry Harman

[Bill Haesler]

> Joe Bebco <joe.syncopatedtimes at gmail.com> wrote (in part):

> Younger people getting into the music usually start from the beginning and devote their learning to the 20s-30s period, and I was no
> exception. Most straight jazz history that they will find relegates the revivals to a sidebar (with the exception of British Trad for some
> reason.) The 40s revival section will start with Lu Watters and end with Turk Murphy...

Dear Joe,
That is how I started in Melbourne, Australlia. In 1945. Listening to a schoolmate's father's Bob Crosby Bobcats' and Muggsy Spanier 78s while he was at the war.
We attended the local town hall Friday night dances and heard our first live jazz when the Graeme Bell Dixieland Jazz Band made a special appearance.
We were hooked and followed them everywhere. The band was raising funds at concerts and dances for its 1947 journey to Czechoslovakia, France and Britain. 
We discovered other Melbourne bands and enthusiasts, jazz on radio, the Lu Watters band, JRM, early Louis, et al. Read and absorbed the book 'Jazzmen"...

> the 70 years following being not particularly studied by anyone under 50 unless they grew up in a jazz club with parents involved. It is hard to come by a lot of that information second hand.

I was lucky and have been studying jazz continuously for those last 70 years. Mainly Classic Jazz, the Blues and Swing as a record collector, discographer and writer.

> Given my role with The Syncopated Times, (as the youngest writer by several decades at 39) I'm giving myself a crash course in the recent history with the hope of connecting the younger players who I follow to the reality that they are standing on the shoulders of people who have been continually reviving jazz for three generations.

I had a look at The Syncopated Times site which I did not know about. It appears to be quite an adventurous undertaking.
Congratulations.

> And that their playing style builds on them rather than growing whole cloth from original sources. Many do know it, and lots of bands have people of mixed ages, but many others want to distance themselves from the "Dixieland" generation while not being all that distinguishable.

And on the way miss some very exciting jazz music.

> I know this is a very old conversation. My point is that there are dozens of bands that I should be expected to know in case someone mentions them, (as I learned with Soprano Summit) and I'm working on it.

Keep up the good work, as it is your generation's task to keep our music alive.

> I know that Australia has an unusually strong traditional jazz scene up to the present day, with bands of all ages. I get lots of hits on the website from there and had intended to do a roundup of recent albums at some point, or a band profile, but my to do list only gets bigger and I'd rather find a local to submit a story. I'd love to have a regular writer from the area.

They are out there.

> As far as history in general, I'd wager most Americans wouldn't know Australia was involved in World War II, let alone jazz, but that's our education system.

Sad, but true.
Except for US troops who were ot here at the time.
Few Americans know that Darwin was literally demolished in February 1942 the first, and largest, of more than 100 air raids on Australian soil during 1942–43. 
But, as 'they' say, don't mention the War.
<big grin.
Very kind regards,
Bill.