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Presenting Emperor Norton's Jazz Band playing "Struttin' With Some Barbecue" in San Francisco.
It was our first gig and it went better than any of us imagined. It was a blast and a complete success. Russell Wittenbrook is playing trumpet, Hudi Brenman is playing clarinet, Scot Gorman is playing tuba, Will Pratt is playing banjo, and Adam Everett is playing the drums. I'm playing the trombone, all the way on the right. I've even got a feature in the middle of the tune! This gig was honestly the most fun I've ever had playing music. The crowd was wonderful and the place was completely full - there were probably 100-130 people in that little place! Not only did we get paid, but I got a free Guinness and a free coke!
If you haven't heard of Emperor Norton, here's a bit from Wikipedia:
Joshua Abraham Norton (c. 1819 - January 8, 1880), the self-proclaimed His Imperial Majesty Emperor Norton I, was a celebrated citizen of San Francisco, California, who in 1859 proclaimed himself Emperor of these United States and Protector of Mexico. Born in London, Norton spent most of his early life in South Africa. He emigrated to San Francisco in 1849 after receiving a bequest of $40,000 from his father's estate. Norton initially made a living as a businessman, but he lost his fortune investing in Peruvian rice.
After losing a lawsuit in which he tried to void his rice contract, Norton left San Francisco. He returned a few years later, apparently mentally unbalanced, claiming to be the emperor of the United States. Although he had no political power, and his influence extended only so far as he was humored by those around him, he was treated deferentially in San Francisco, and currency issued in his name was honored in the establishments he frequented.
Though he was considered insane, or at least highly eccentric, the citizens of San Francisco celebrated his regal presence and his proclamations, most famously, his "order" that the United States Congress be dissolved by force (which Congress and the U.S. Army ignored) and his numerous decrees calling for a bridge and a tunnel to be built across San Francisco Bay. On January 8, 1880, Norton collapsed at a street corner, and died before he could be given medical treatment. The following day, nearly 30,000 people packed the streets of San Francisco to pay homage to Norton. Norton's legacy has been immortalized in the literature of writers Mark Twain and Robert Louis Stevenson, who based characters on him. In December 2004, a resolution was made to name the San Francisco - Oakland Bay Bridge in honor of Norton, but the idea did not progress further.
We'll be playing around the San Francisco Bay Area as often as we can. Let me know if you want to hear more about our gigs!
Click to viewIt was our first gig and it went better than any of us imagined. It was a blast and a complete success. Russell Wittenbrook is playing trumpet, Hudi Brenman is playing clarinet, Scot Gorman is playing tuba, Will Pratt is playing banjo, and Adam Everett is playing the drums. I'm playing the trombone, all the way on the right. I've even got a feature in the middle of the tune! This gig was honestly the most fun I've ever had playing music. The crowd was wonderful and the place was completely full - there were probably 100-130 people in that little place! Not only did we get paid, but I got a free Guinness and a free coke!
If you haven't heard of Emperor Norton, here's a bit from Wikipedia:
Joshua Abraham Norton (c. 1819 - January 8, 1880), the self-proclaimed His Imperial Majesty Emperor Norton I, was a celebrated citizen of San Francisco, California, who in 1859 proclaimed himself Emperor of these United States and Protector of Mexico. Born in London, Norton spent most of his early life in South Africa. He emigrated to San Francisco in 1849 after receiving a bequest of $40,000 from his father's estate. Norton initially made a living as a businessman, but he lost his fortune investing in Peruvian rice.
After losing a lawsuit in which he tried to void his rice contract, Norton left San Francisco. He returned a few years later, apparently mentally unbalanced, claiming to be the emperor of the United States. Although he had no political power, and his influence extended only so far as he was humored by those around him, he was treated deferentially in San Francisco, and currency issued in his name was honored in the establishments he frequented.
Though he was considered insane, or at least highly eccentric, the citizens of San Francisco celebrated his regal presence and his proclamations, most famously, his "order" that the United States Congress be dissolved by force (which Congress and the U.S. Army ignored) and his numerous decrees calling for a bridge and a tunnel to be built across San Francisco Bay. On January 8, 1880, Norton collapsed at a street corner, and died before he could be given medical treatment. The following day, nearly 30,000 people packed the streets of San Francisco to pay homage to Norton. Norton's legacy has been immortalized in the literature of writers Mark Twain and Robert Louis Stevenson, who based characters on him. In December 2004, a resolution was made to name the San Francisco - Oakland Bay Bridge in honor of Norton, but the idea did not progress further.
We'll be playing around the San Francisco Bay Area as often as we can. Let me know if you want to hear more about our gigs!