Suncoast Jazz Festival director Joan Dragon has had a long and varied worklife, in and outside the music world. Having never attended this festival, I confess she was not known to me, but her friend and TST subscriber Betty Comora felt she was owed some ink. Here is the result, in Joan’s words. She took the specific questions I asked and worked them into her narrative; hence, you will not see the usual Q. and A. that usually populate my interviews.
To be honest, I have been reluctant to do this interview since I feel that the level of my musicianship cannot compare to that of the many fine banjo players with whom I have worked. A few masters who quickly come to mind are: Ron Bill, Gim Burton, Ron Beisel, Bob Price, Mike Gentry, Barry Foulon, Ed Cuneo, and Michel Lavigniac. And, of course, this list would not be complete without Joel Schiavone, the mastermind behind the concept of Your Father’s Mustache, who was able to combine banjo playing, beer, and peanuts with family fun and all-out entertainment. Ultimately, my forte had much more to do with production and letting the other musicians take center stage.
Inspiration has come to me in many forms throughout my life. One of my earliest memories that stands out is when my dad and I took the train into New York City to hear a jazz band with Bunk Johnson. Bunk bought me a lemonade. I was just a little girl, but I was hooked!
