The 2009 Atlanta JAZZ Party!

According to Philip Carroll Jr. "Upon presenting to any audience, Dad always started out with a joke."

Well, have you heard the one about how the successful lawyer, doctor and CEO were each welcomed into heaven by St. Peter and ushered through the Main Pearly Gate -- whereas the jazz musician was instructed to go around back, go through the kitchen and take service elevator up to the bandstand -- where he'd have to play for an eternity.

Because of the respect, stature and pride that Phil and his Atlanta Jazz Party have given us musicians, I dare to hope that St. Peter may have heard about me in a favorable way and may just let me slide through the Main Gate!

Phil's message has always been, "It's all about the music." It started around 1940 when he was 12 years old and accepted Nick Rongetti's "Everyone's Welcome" invitation to enjoy jazz at Nick's in Greenwich Village.

As he matured, so did his love of jazz until (as related in Phil's obituary in The Mississippi Rag), "In 1990 he decided to 'throw his own party' and the Altanta Jazz Party was born. He chose musicians whose talent he respected, who would play tunes he wanted in a style he liked, plus they had to be 'nice persons.'"

For these 20 years Phil has extended the same "Everyone's Welcome" invitation to all of us - - musicians, fans, friends, nice persons, alike!

Over the years, Phil and I shared our thoughts on music and found ourselves pretty much in agreement. A lot of our shared ideas pertained equally to performers and listeners. As we all prepare to share this 20th Edition of Phil's Party I thought we can imagine enjoying the experience through Phil's eyes and ears. Following are some vintage Phil Carroll (I can still hear Phil talking)

sayings:

"Over the years, I have seen and heard many great and well known jazzmen and also lots of lesser known and often forgotten good players.....On balance, our players today are every bit as good as the ones I grew up with, and probably are more versatile and surely have more formal training. All of you musicians have given us a great deal of pleasure and we applaud your enthusiam and devotion to classic jazz."(-Phil Carroll 2005 Atlanta Jazz Party program)

"Music is a Celebration of 'The NOW'. I've always enjoyed sharing historical jazz stories and insights as a background to better prepare the audience, but the listening and enjoyment always happens in The Present, "The Now.'" (Phil's program notes in every year's program ended with an invitation to enjoy the weekend, "The Now")

"I love the classic traditional kind of jazz. To me, good jazz always has a melody, and the artistry of the players is in how they can improvise on the melody, maintaining the same chord structure and always finding their way back to the melody, often playing many choruses and never repeating themselves." (- Phil Carroll 2008 Atlanta Jazz Party Program)

"You guys were really talking to each other."

"Listen to that!! They're playing off each other making the whole band sound better."

"Look at that!! They're having as much fun as we are."

I do believe that Phil understood that the more we (both musicians and listeners) "bring to the party" the more we all share in the enjoyment.

I have my own words -- exude positive energy, show your emotion (smile applaud cheer cry) enter the musical conversation, listen, react, enjoy.

But I think Phil said it best -- "It's All About The Music - Everyone's Welcome."

--by Ed Polcer

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