[Dixielandjazz] Re: More on Stacy

[Bill Haesler]

Dear Fred,
I wonder if Don Ingle's comment regarding Jess Stacy working for the US Post
Office (which I had not heard before) is linked to your own musings on the
Whitney Balliett interview extract: "I took a job in the mail room at Max
Factor. It was a lowly job, and I guess you'd call it beneath my station. I
walked ten miles a day delivering mail, but at least I enjoyed the first
vacations with pay I'd ever had. I worked there six years, and when I hit
sixty-five they retired me".
In Derek Coller's excellent book 'Jess Stacy. The Quiet Man Of Jazz' (Jazzology
Press 1997) he uses the Balliett quote and includes the following information:
"On September3, 1963 Jess Stacy started work for the cosmetic firm, Max Factor &
Co., Hollywood. He was employed as a mail clerk. To quote the company, 'Mr
Stacy's primary duties were to deliver and collect company mail following an
established route throughout Corporate Headquarters.'
I suggest it probably 'seemed like' ten miles a day to Mr Stacy.
I am sure Derek Coller would have mentioned the US Post Office in his
excellently researched book if it had been a fact.
Kind regards,
Bill.
PS: In 1969 when compiling the cover notes to Swaggie LP S1248 ('Jess Stacy.
Piano solos') I found quite a few early missing links in my Jess Stacy biog. I
bit the bullet and wrote to him. He returned my notes, completely retyped by
himself, with all the missing stuff included. He also told me to "call me Jess".
A big buzz for me!
A great man and a great pianist.