[Dixielandjazz] Sittin' in with Bob Scobey and Clancy Hayes "Ace in the hole"

Thu, 5 Dec 2002 01:23:45 EST

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In a message dated 12/4/02 6:22:20 PM Central Standard Time, JimDBB@aol.com 
writes:

>   So true.  One of the great classics. The ace in the Hole was a semi-hit 
> for Scobey and Clancy and was on jukes boxes around the country.  This one 
> recording introduced them and this music to many people beyond the 
> tradtional-dixieland jazz audience.  That honky tonk into and then Clancy 
> does the verse, then a blistering break on trumpet by Scobey that takes the 
> band and Clancy into a swinging tempo. It doesn't get better than that.  
> The incredible swing that those guys generated has never really been 
> duplicated.  

 I posted recently that Scobey and Clancy Hayes performed their classic "Ace 
in the Hole" in the key of F.  However, I'm just listening to it and it 
sounds to me like the key of G.  I don't have a keyboard to check it at the 
present so I wonder of Ringwald or someone will check their recording of it 
and determine what key they are in. The CD I have it on is a Giants of Jazz 
pirate CD from Europe and the speed may be a bit off.  The Good Time Jazz 
release, I'm sure is at the right pitch.  Come to think of it I have an old 
Good Time Jazz LP with it on.  What a great band with Scobey, Clancy Hayes on 
banjo and vocals, Jack Buck on trombone, George Probert on clarinet & SS, the 
incomparable Freddy HIguera on Drums and Burt Bales on piano with Dick Lammi 
or Gene Mayl on bass.  Bob Scobey is easily one of the great hot trumpet 
masters.

I have the greatest fondness and memories of those guys.  They went out of 
their way in 1952 to let me sit in with them at Vic's and Roxie's in Oakland. 
I was just out of high school and stationed in the military at Treasure 
Island.  Emil Orth and I used to go their every weekend and take turns 
sitting it with them. Jack Buck was playing piano and so they had no 
trombone. I remember getting up my nerve and asking Scobey if he ever let 
anybody sit it. I had my Marine uniform on so as to cadge drinks from 
customers and bartenders wouldn't ask for age identifacation. ( the Korean 
War was on and patriotism was in the air.) Scobey said, "Sure kid, what do 
you play."  I replied, "the trombone." Scobey said, " Bring it over 
sometime."  I was there with it the next week. Emil started going with me. He 
and I were privates First Class which paid very little so we had to be 
resourceful.  Every night there was a great learning experience for us with 
the extensive repertoire that they played. Emil and I were in this same 
Marine Corps Band and Clancy Hayes would pick us up at TI on his way to 
oakland.  If he didn't show by a certain time we knew that he had missed the 
turn off and so we would hop the train and make it over there.  One time 
Clancy drove into the base at Treasure Island to pick us up and the Military 
Police stopped him and gave him a ticket.  Scared the hell out of him and he 
never drove in there again.

Bob Scobey actually hired me to work a private party with him during that 
year that I was stationed there.  Darnell Howard was on clarinet. I was 
pretty green but they put up with it.  We played "Do You Know What It Means" 
and I noticed Darnell giving me the eye.  At the end of the set he called me 
over and said. " You don't know the bridge on "Do You Know What It Means" and 
you are trying to fake your way through it." There is a very particular 
harmonic line in the bridge and I'm going to show you how it goes for the 
trombone."  And he did.

And about 5 years later Scobey hired me to work with them 1957-1959.  What 
fun and excitement working with those guys though the band changed completely 
by the time I joined them.  

Jim Beebe

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<HTML>In a message dated 12/4/02 6:22:20 PM Central Standard Time, JimDBB@aol.com writes: 
 
 
<BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">&nbsp; So true.&nbsp; One of the great classics. The ace in the Hole was a semi-hit for Scobey and Clancy and was on jukes boxes around the country.&nbsp; This one recording introduced them and this music to many people beyond the tradtional-dixieland jazz audience.&nbsp; That honky tonk into and then Clancy does the verse, then a blistering break on trumpet by Scobey that takes the band and Clancy into a swinging tempo. It doesn't get better than that.&nbsp; The incredible swing that those guys generated has never really been duplicated.&nbsp; </BLOCKQUOTE> 
 
 I posted recently that Scobey and Clancy Hayes performed their classic "Ace in the Hole" in the key of F.&nbsp; However, I'm just listening to it and it sounds to me like the key of G.&nbsp; I don't have a keyboard to check it at the present so I wonder of Ringwald or someone will check their recording of it and determine what key they are in. The CD I have it on is a Giants of Jazz pirate CD from Europe and the speed may be a bit off.&nbsp; The Good Time Jazz release, I'm sure is at the right pitch.&nbsp; Come to think of it I have an old Good Time Jazz LP with it on.&nbsp; What a great band with Scobey, Clancy Hayes on banjo and vocals, Jack Buck on trombone, George Probert on clarinet &amp; SS, the incomparable Freddy HIguera on Drums and Burt Bales on piano with Dick Lammi or Gene Mayl on bass.&nbsp; Bob Scobey is easily one of the great hot trumpet masters. 
 
I have the greatest fondness and memories of those guys.&nbsp; They went out of their way in 1952 to let me sit in with them at Vic's and Roxie's in Oakland. I was just out of high school and stationed in the military at Treasure Island.&nbsp; Emil Orth and I used to go their every weekend and take turns sitting it with them. Jack Buck was playing piano and so they had no trombone. I remember getting up my nerve and asking Scobey if he ever let anybody sit it. I had my Marine uniform on so as to cadge drinks from customers and bartenders wouldn't ask for age identifacation. ( the Korean War was on and patriotism was in the air.) Scobey said, "Sure kid, what do you play."&nbsp; I replied, "the trombone." Scobey said, " Bring it over sometime."&nbsp; I was there with it the next week. Emil started going with me. He and I were privates First Class which paid very little so we had to be resourceful.&nbsp; Every night there was a great learning experience for us with the extensive repertoire that they played. Emil and I were in this same Marine Corps Band and Clancy Hayes would pick us up at TI on his way to oakland.&nbsp; If he didn't show by a certain time we knew that he had missed the turn off and so we would hop the train and make it over there.&nbsp; One time Clancy drove into the base at Treasure Island to pick us up and the Military Police stopped him and gave him a ticket.&nbsp; Scared the hell out of him and he never drove in there again. 
 
Bob Scobey actually hired me to work a private party with him during that year that I was stationed there.&nbsp; Darnell Howard was on clarinet. I was pretty green but they put up with it.&nbsp; We played "Do You Know What It Means" and I noticed Darnell giving me the eye.&nbsp; At the end of the set he called me over and said. " You don't know the bridge on "Do You Know What It Means" and you are trying to fake your way through it." There is a very particular harmonic line in the bridge and I'm going to show you how it goes for the trombone."&nbsp; And he did. 
 
And about 5 years later Scobey hired me to work with them 1957-1959.&nbsp; What fun and excitement working with those guys though the band changed completely by the time I joined them.&nbsp; 
 
Jim Beebe</HTML>

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