[Dixielandjazz] Dixieland Dress

[Dottie Lawless]

Turk Murphy's band was always in uniform - black pants and matching
jackets (not sure, but probably five different colors) for regular gigs,
and light blue (denims or summer slacks) and matching tee-shirts for
summer casuals.  He was very strict about this.

Dottie Lawless

JimDBB@aol.com wrote:

> In a message dated 7/10/02 10:09:23 AM Central Daylight Time,
> barbonestreet@earthlink.net writes:
>
>
>
>> With all the different views re uniforms and how bands wore them in
>> past
>> etc, etc. there is one thing many of us forget. That in the 40s, 50s
>> and
>> 60s in New York City, there were all kinds of Dixieland Bands
>> playing in
>> all kinds of clubs. Ryan's players on 52nd Street, wouldn't be
>> caught
>> dead in uniforms. They wore nice suits. Condon's gang downtown?
>> ditto.
>> The bands at Nick's? A few did, but most did not. The touring N.O.
>> Revivalists? Suits. Why all the suits do you suppose? Maybe because
>> that
>> is how regular people dressed in NYC back then. Today, in a more
>> casual
>> world, why shouldn't casual dress be acceptable?
>>
>> For those of us who grew up in NYC in that era, jazz was serious
>> music.
>> And the musicians who played it were serious about how they played
>> it,
>> but relaxed and fun loving when they played it. And I think most US
>> East
>> Coast jazz musicians will tell you today that uniforms are hokey and
>>
>> only worn when the client paying the bills demands it.
>
> Louis Armstrong never thought that 'uniforms' were 'hokey.'  I can
> assure you of that.  Perhaps you don't understand that a 'suit' is a
> uniform if it's done in a particular way.
>
> Armstrong's band had special made uniform-suits which they wore with
> bow ties.  Louis and the band always looked terrific.  I don't know
> how they did it with their traveling schedule and cleaning hassles.
>
> And you would probably never catch Armstong playing a performance in T
> shirts.
>
> As far as the 'East Coast' musicians and 'uniforms'...perhaps that
> attitude is the reason they are still on the East Coast.
>
> Jim Beebe