[Dixielandjazz] More on Stacey

[Don Ingle]

Re: Jess Stacey
What has not been mentioned here is the stormy marriage of Jess to Lee
Wiley. Both were heavy drinkers at the time of their marriage and those who
were around them knew of the oft-times fighting and shouting matches they
were prone to. These got almost violent at times. A famous food fight in a
club one time was reported where the two tossed entrees at each other.
When their marriage was over things got quieter for both.
Lee in fact in late life turned into a tee-totaler, married a high society
guy in New York, and went heavy into charity work. Jess on the other hand
seemed to go into oblivion as far as a career went. A truly sad page in his
history.
Another interesting thing about Stacey in his limbo from music was that he
not only worked for Max Factor, but also worked for the US post office for
awhile.
Jess also came out of retirement once and awhile and once he played solo in
a small lounge room in Van Nuys, ca. very early 1960's, where I had the
great good fortune to hear him one evening. He played quietly, restrained
but every so often the old spark would ignite and his hands would sort of
reach out and grab a fistful of keys and make magic happen.
Certainly one of the great - and sadly too often ignored -jazz pianists.
Nice to see him getting his due here among our listmates.
Don Ingle