[Dixielandjazz] Dress &

Tue, 9 Jul 2002 22:33:00 EDT

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In a message dated 7/9/02 8:07:27 PM Central Daylight Time, 
charliehooks@earthlink.net writes:

> I can guarantee one thing: the people whose music you are emulating--black
> men from an earlier America--dressed to the nines!  Tuxedos and patent
> leather shoes gleaming!  They made white gentlefolk look like "white 
> trash"!
> These guys, and I've been fortunate enough to play with some of them--Duke
> Groner, Joe Johnson, Jimmy Johnson--innumerable!  If you wish to imitate
> rockers and other strange species of noisemakers, that is your right; and I
> would never say you nay.
> 
> But OKOM was originally High Style, baby!  And if you don't believe me, 
> look
> at the pictures!
> 
> Charlie

   Great post charlie, one that should be reposted and remailed periodically. 
Bassist Duke Groner was the living example of great dress as you point out.  
Duke absolutely could not stand the T shirt musicians and he wouldn't abide 
carelessly dressed musicians on gigs that he was on.  I dont' recall if you 
were on this gig or not but we were playing a private party in the Chicago 
area.  It was a nice party at a nice home and it was hot.  We were playing 
away and I hadn't actually turned around for a bit.  Duke came up and nudged 
me..."You got to do something about this."  I looked around and our drummer, 
Dickie Borden was banging away...stripped to the waist.  I stepped over and 
right in his ear, I said, "Duke is very upset, you'd best get your shirt on." 
 That got faster results than if I had just said, " Get your shirt on."

Duke had great charm which was augmented by his stylish dress.  He won over 
his wife peanut ( Louise) from Count Basie.  She was all set to marry Basie 
and Duke came along...that was it for the Count.  He always called them when 
he was in Chicago.  Peanut was a gem.  Her brother Paul Webster was the great 
trumpet palyer with Jimmie Lunceford.  Peanut said the the Lunceford band was 
always dressed to the nines and even had matching luggage.

I think, Charlie, that we have come to the end of a great era in music.  The 
greats who brought about this music have gone or are going.  Fortunately, 
much of it has been recorded and will live on.

Jim Beebe

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<HTML>In a message dated 7/9/02 8:07:27 PM Central Daylight Time, charliehooks@earthlink.net writes: 
 
 
<BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">I can guarantee one thing: the people whose music you are emulating--black 
men from an earlier America--dressed to the nines!&nbsp; Tuxedos and patent 
leather shoes gleaming!&nbsp; They made white gentlefolk look like "white trash"! 
These guys, and I've been fortunate enough to play with some of them--Duke 
Groner, Joe Johnson, Jimmy Johnson--innumerable!&nbsp; If you wish to imitate 
rockers and other strange species of noisemakers, that is your right; and I 
would never say you nay. 
 
But OKOM was originally High Style, baby!&nbsp; And if you don't believe me, look 
at the pictures! 
 
Charlie</BLOCKQUOTE> 
 
&nbsp;&nbsp; Great post charlie, one that should be reposted and remailed periodically. Bassist Duke Groner was the living example of great dress as you point out.&nbsp; Duke absolutely could not stand the T shirt musicians and he wouldn't abide carelessly dressed musicians on gigs that he was on.&nbsp; I dont' recall if you were on this gig or not but we were playing a private party in the Chicago area.&nbsp; It was a nice party at a nice home and it was hot.&nbsp; We were playing away and I hadn't actually turned around for a bit.&nbsp; Duke came up and nudged me..."You got to do something about this."&nbsp; I looked around and our drummer, Dickie Borden was banging away...stripped to the waist.&nbsp; I stepped over and right in his ear, I said, "Duke is very upset, you'd best get your shirt on."&nbsp; That got faster results than if I had just said, " Get your shirt on." 
 
Duke had great charm which was augmented by his stylish dress.&nbsp; He won over his wife peanut ( Louise) from Count Basie.&nbsp; She was all set to marry Basie and Duke came along...that was it for the Count.&nbsp; He always called them when he was in Chicago.&nbsp; Peanut was a gem.&nbsp; Her brother Paul Webster was the great trumpet palyer with Jimmie Lunceford.&nbsp; Peanut said the the Lunceford band was always dressed to the nines and even had matching luggage. 
 
I think, Charlie, that we have come to the end of a great era in music.&nbsp; The greats who brought about this music have gone or are going.&nbsp; Fortunately, much of it has been recorded and will live on. 
 
Jim Beebe</HTML>

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