[Dixielandjazz] OKOM Bands of 40-50 years ago

[Stephen Barbone]

Pat Cooke Wrote:

      "Most of the OKOM bands of today ARE the same guys who played it
40-50
years ago.....myself included."

List Mates and Pat:

For Pat & a few others, including me, that is true. But we are a few
survivors. I'm talking about Cutty Cutshall, Wild Bill Davison, Billy
Butterfield, Sidney DeParis, Wilber DeParis, Omer Simeon, Edmond Hall,
Jack Teagarden, Lou McGarity, Billy Kyle, Hank D'Amico, Gene Schroeder,
Bobby Hackett, Sidney Bechet, Albert Nicholas, George Lewis, Louis
Armstrong, Roy Eldridge, Jim Beebe, Don Ingle, Charlie Hooks, Vic
Dickenson, J. C. Higgenbotham, Pee Wee Russell, Big Chief Russell Moore,
Abe Lincoln, George Wettling, Barrett Deems, Jimmy McPartland, Bud
Freeman, Turk Murphy, Lu Watters, Bob Scobey, Kenny John, Buster Bailey,
Jack Fahey, Billy Maxted, Phil Napoleon, Andy Russo, Sal Pace, Barney
Bigard, Yank Lawson, Bob Haggart, Max Kaminsky, Dick Sudhalter, Jack
Lesberg, Zutty Singleton, Rex Stewart, Buck Clayton, Charlie Shavers,
Benny Morton, Rosy McHargue, Brad Gowans, Jess Stacy, Dick Cary, Dick
Wellstood, Joe Sullivan, Gene Krupa, Hot Lips Page, Cozy Cole, Arvell
Shaw, Trummy Young, Johnny Windhurst, Sol Yaged, Red Allen, Tony
Parenti, The Bobcats, and a whole bunch of others.  Including Coleman
Hawkins at the "Metropole" in a dixieland setting and once, Dizzy
Gillespie who was sent in as a sub by Charlie Shavers. It must have been
a treat to hear Diz alongside Tony Parenti on that narrow bandstand
above the bar. And perhaps to learn that all that talk about Dizzy
disliking Dixieland was BS.

Even survivors like Kenny Davern who was arguably the hottest Dixieland
clarinetist in NYC in the 50s, has had to modify his format in order to
make a living. It is a rare treat to hear this man in concert with a
Dixieland band these days.

The comparisons I draw relate to them, and the bands in which they
played.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone

PS. No doubt Jim Beebe, Charlie Hooks and Don Ingle could add a bunch of
guys to the list above. I'm just remembering those I saw in NYC, or had
records of. Chicago and points west must have had many more.