"...and you’ll never meet another Ambassador like me!"
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American Ambassador to Thailand H.E. Eric G. John, his charming wife Madame Sophia and their handsome son Adam hosted a night of New Orleans, Louisiana, jazz at their official residence in Bangkok on August 21.
The world-famous Preservation Hall Jazz Band performed and had the usually formal ambassadors and madams from many countries, Royal Family members, High Society elite and US embassy and consular services personnel in attendance on their collective feet clapping to time and swaying with the beat.
Preservation Hall Jazz Band from
Bluesy vocalist and trumpet player Mark Beaud led off with “St. James Infirmary Blues”, a jazz classic that was the predecessor to modern-day rap in that the chorus is built upon by improvisational, rhyming lyrics of the singer. Then clarinetist Charlie Gabriel took over the improve and added a verse or two of his own.
But the highlight of the night was when Ambassador John, who had been playing trombone next to his friend and fellow trombonist Lucien Barbin, took his turn at the mike to expand the legend of the “St. James Infirmary Blues” by ending with, “and you’ll never meet another Ambassador like me!”
Phil Graham of SPICE! Magazine, Preservation Hall Jazz Band leader and musician Mark Braud, US Ambassador and trombone player Eric John and Pattaya Times Media Corp. Managing Director Drew Noyes talk about jazz.
Truer words were never spoken! Not since President Bill Clinton’s Saturday Night Live performance on his sax has any American political servant won the hearts of the audience with such coolness.
Ambassador John has made several visits to Pattaya and is very frank, direct and well-spoken. At times he has appeared somewhat stiff like former Vice President Al Gore, but in reality he just has good posture! He is certainly not stiff. And he proved it while performing with the reservation Hall Jazz Band.
Ambassador Eric John and his friend Lucien Barbin play
The night was reminiscent of the evening in which then US Ambassador Boyce jumped on the drums for set during M.R. Malinee’s magical 0th Birthday concert two years ago t the Oriental Hotel, Bangkok.
As Ambassador John opened the jazz set he took the time to introduce each musician with caring details about the background and legendary roots of these masters of
Ambassador John pointed out that the Preservation Hall Jazz Band was born in the French Quarter of New Orleans, by the parents of tuba player Ben Jaffe whom he introduced.
Wife of Turkish Ambassador Madame Tansel Aldemir enjoys the concert with M.R. Malinee Chakrabhandhu and M.L. Poomchai Chumbala and other dignitaries.
“Charlie Gabriel here on clarinet is a fourth-generation
To the smile of Ambassador John, Charlie quickly quipped that there are two more generations of Gabriel jazz musicians already on the scene.
“Äh, then that brings the total to six generations of jazz,” Ambassador John replied as the audience applauded with approval at appreciation of keeping the jazz tradition alive.
Clint Maedgen on vocals and saxophone, music director and pianist Rickie Monie, band leader, vocalist and trumpet player Mark Braud, Ernie Elley on drums and Lucien Barbin, trombone player and close friend of Ambassador John were all individually introduced by the US Ambassador.
This gave the honored guests a real feel for the musicians as down to- earth people will style and grace that are preserving American heritage and its original music.
When Ambassador John and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band played “When the Saints Go Marching In” they marched and swayed through the crowd of 200 applauding guests.
M.R. Malinee Chakrabhandhu, Drew Noyes and the wife of the Ambassador from Mexico Madame Patricia Puente have front row seats for the great jazz performance at the
American cultural events like this evening of jazz, the recent Fourth of July celebration and the ART in Embassies Exhibition held at the United States Embassy,
Jazz is a musical art form which originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the
The instruments used in marching bands, dance bands and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band are the basic instruments of jazz: brass and reeds tuned in the European 12-tone scale and drums.
The music of
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