[Tradjazz] Tradjazz] The Bronx Zoo gig

[Bruce McNichols]

Bud Blacks posting (below) reminds me of one of Herb Gardner's clever ploys.  Herb is the talented trombone/piano man in my band.   

Herb works in many bands so of course, he is sometimes faced with tunes he may not know.  If he is asked (for instance) "Do you know 'Alaphontis Rag?'"  He responds with "Do you do the verse?"  That often results in something like "Uh, um.  Let's do Royal Garden'."

McN

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Bud Black 
  To: tradjazz at list.okom.com 
  Sent: Tuesday, October 24, 2006 7:06 PM
  Subject: Re: [Tradjazz] Tradjazz] The Bronx Zoo gig


        One time when I was working on the Delta Queen, the band leader and my best pal, Larry Skinner, informed me that he had recently hired a piano man from Columbus, Ohio named John Ulrich (I hope I spelled that correctly), and this guy new as many songs as I did.  One evening while the band was playing the dance set after the evening's show, Larry called me up to sing a song with the band.  As I stepped up to the mike he said to me, "What would you like to sing?"  Looking sideways at his new pianist I said challengingly, "How about a 1927 tune called 'Peek-A-Boo Eyes?"  John looked up at me over his piano and said, "You sing that in the original key?"  What a guy!

        Bud Black 

        -------Original Message-------

        From: Bruce McNichols
        Date: 10/24/06 18:41:29
        To: tradjazz at list.okom.com
        Subject: Re: [Tradjazz] Tradjazz] The Bronx Zoo gig

        I don't recall Chuck Slate saying that, but I did hear the classic story of Wild Bill Davison, replying to a well-dressed society type lady, who requested "The Saints."  Bill responded with that same thought, although he used a colorful adjective, to describe the type of band she should get her own of (nice sentence, eh?).
        Dick Rath, the wonderful bone man, used to work with us in the 1960's.  One time a customer approached me and said "Here's five dollars, can you play The Saints."  Rath, standing there with us, pulled out his wallet, and said to me "Here's ten.  DON'T!).  Ya gotta love it.
        McN

        ----- Original Message ----- 
        From: RICK KNITTEL 
        To: tradjazz at list.okom.com 
        Cc: tradjazz at list.okom.com 
        Sent: Tuesday, October 24, 2006 5:47 PM
        Subject: Re: [Tradjazz] Tradjazz] The Bronx Zoo gig



------------------------------------------------------------------------

        Hey Bruce:

        Remember what Chuck Slate used to say to a sideman that complained about something, especially the tune he called, -----------"Get your own band."

        Rick Knittel

        On Tue, 24 Oct 2006 13:10:55 -0400 "Bruce McNichols" <muskrat at bestweb.net> writes:
        What a delight to read Steve Barbone's latest posting.  I, of course, agree with his ideas on gigs that aren't perfect (are any of them?).
        The best part is his ending remark: "Glad I went because this old dog learned a few new tricks."
        What a pleasure to find such a like-minded guy.  I firmly believe in the old adage "You learn something new, every day."  Sad to say, I know one jazz musician (who shall remain nameless) who had the audacity  to say "I've heard it all."  He was referring to how he would never go to see other bands.  I was not mad at him for that attitude.  Frankly, I felt sorry for him.  Imagine the pleasure he's cheating himself out of.

        On the subject of bitching sidemen, over the years, I've sometimes been faced with sidemen who complain that I've hired a certain, not-so-good, player.  As leaders know, contracting musicians for gigs is sometimes very difficult.  My comeback to the complainers has to do with "Don't think about that guy.  Think about the other guy we'd have been stuck with, if that guy wasn't available."
        Some people say that the glass is half empty. Some say that it's half-full.  I say the glass is too damned big!
        McN






------------------------------------------------------------------------


        _______________________________________________
        Tradjazz mailing list
        Tradjazz at list.okom.com
        http://list.okom.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/tradjazz


       
               
       



------------------------------------------------------------------------------


  _______________________________________________
  Tradjazz mailing list
  Tradjazz at list.okom.com
  http://list.okom.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/tradjazz


-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://list.okom.com/pipermail/tradjazz/attachments/20061026/c1ac1417/attachment.htm