[Dixielandjazz] This date in history

[Don Ingle]

Nov. 21, 1955 is a date in history for this fellow.
I was playing with Ted Weems and we had a rare one month stay in New Orleans
rather than string of endless one nighters.
On the street, Santo Pecora was playing the Famous Door, Papa Celestine at
the Paddock. Sid DaVilla's Mardi Grad Lounge featured a band led by drummer
Freddie Kohlman (with whom I later worked with in Chicago's Jazz Ltd. House
Band), and Armond Hugg played solo piano in a small lounge on St. Charles.
The reason that I have this date engraved in memory is that I brought Jean,
my bride to be, down from Michigan, and we got married in Christ Episcopal
Church on Canal Street right across from the Vieux Carre. Since Jean's
family could not be there, Ted Weems gave the bride away, the gal singer
Bonnie Ann Shaw (who later maried Diamond Jim Moran's son) was bridesmaid, a
college friend on duty with the air force nearby was best man ,and the whole
Weems band made up the wedding party.
I recently had a wedding movie shot by bassist Gene Dragoo converted to a
video and in it we see the band, my parents, Ted Weems, and a very
overserved bridegroom who was not yet used to drinking that much wine and
other sauce. Such a silly grinning mug that glowed back on the screen.
So tonight, Jean and I will slip off for a dinner to celebrate 47 years of
wedded bliss -- or music biz survival at its best -- and lift a glass in the
direction of the Crescent City, where the N.O. gumbo makes a good glue to
hold a couple together.
It's been a hell of a ride, and we're looking at more to come.
Don Ingle