What serial killer apparently liked Jazz so much that he (or someone pretending to be him) once wrote a letter that was printed in the newspapers saying that he would kill again at a specific time on the night of March 19, but would not kill anyone in a building where a jazz band was playing?
++++++++++++++++
08-19-03, 01:17 PM
VivienneHa
The Axeman of New Orleans

08-19-03, 01:50 PM
DorianGreyed
That was quick, Viv. And right, of course.
Nice job !

Most notoriously, on March 13, 1919, a letter preporting to be from the Axeman was published in the newspapers saying that he would kill again at 15 minutes past midnight on the night of March 19, but would spare the occupants of any place where a jazz band was playing. That night all of New Orleans's dance halls were filled to capacity, and professional and amateur bands played jazz at parties at hundreds of houses around town. There were no murders that night.

from the same site
Not everyone was intimidated by the Axeman. Some well armed citizens sent the newspaper invitations for the Axeman to visit their houses that night and see who got killed first. One invitation promised to leave a window open for the Axeman, politely asking that he not damage the front door.

08-19-03, 07:20 PM
redder
Hi, DG (sorry to but in)...but somethings just have to be said... well deserved!

08-19-03, 07:23 PM
DorianGreyed
Thanks, Redder.

09-05-03, 09:29 AM
XFED
Sorry, guys, but got to ask it. Is this story responisble for the slang term musicians long used for their instruments? "My axe." They certainly did when I was playing in the 1950's and 1960's.

09-05-03, 03:23 PM
DorianGreyed
I did a little checking, X, and the earliest reference I have found to ax/axe as a musical instrument is by Leonard Feather in 1955. I will keep looking.

09-06-03, 09:35 AM
XFED
Thanx, Greyed. That was back in the days of Down Beat magazine, which all us aspiring hispters read like the Bible. Don't know if it even still exists.

09-06-03, 03:31 PM
DorianGreyed
A quick call to my uncle tell me that his subscription is still active. Downbeat is in its 69th year.
See DownBeat here.

09-06-03, 08:09 PM
XFED
Greyed -The magazine evidently outlasted my limited talent by about 68 1/2 years!

12-04-06, 04:22 PM
DorianGreyed
A quick (and personal) update on Downbeat -

DG, Jr is in his senior year of college. His degree will be in Fine Arts, Music, Jazz Studies. The uncle to whom I referred in an above post now gives my son an annual subscription to Downbeat.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: DorianGreyed,

A quick blast from the past - The college forwarded my son's Downbeat to my house over the Christmas break. I thought I was in some sort of time warp. On the cover was Sun Ra. (And that may be the most inside joke ever to be posted on AP. There may be about 4 or 5 of us who get it.)