[Dixielandjazz] Bobby Hackett in Glasgow

[Ken Mathieson]

Hi Robert et al,

Robert mentions not seeing Bobby Hackett with Peter Ind in Glasgow's 
MacLellan Galleries. I was luckier: I got to play with him there, but 
not with the excellent bassist Peter Ind. Bobby had been booked to 
appear with Dick Sudhalter's excellent band (and Peter Ind may well have 
been the bassist in it) as well as Kenny Stewart's Trio, of which I was 
one-third in numbers but possibly two-thirds of its volume, had also 
been booked to open the show. Dick's band had travelled by train from 
London on same-day return-tickets, but someone had screwed up with the 
train times and they had to leave at the first interval to catch the 
return train to London. Eight to ten hours on a train to play for about 
45 minutes then get home about 2:00 in the morning - there's no business 
like show business indeed!

And so it came to pass that Kenny's trio was asked if we'd mind backing 
Bobby for the second set (Bobby , as the undoubted star of the show, had 
flown up from London and was staying overnight with friends near 
Glasgow). We of course said something along the lines of "well OK, just 
this once" and sorted out a programme with him at the interval. He was 
utterly charming and supportive, but he was also very ill with severe 
diabetes, so the set consisted mainly of ballads. Needless to say his 
playing was gorgeous and tasteful and I played mainly brushes while 
marvelling at the quality of Bobby's tone and the subtlety of his 
phrasing. A few days later I bumped into a well-known Glasgow drummer 
noted for his loudness, technical prolixity and general bombast, who 
said it must have been hell playing a 50-minute set of ballads on 
brushes. However, I remember it as an honour and privilege to play a 
part in such wonderful music, and I really got the "less is more" 
message thanks to Bobby.

Cheers,

Ken