[Dixielandjazz] The Dirty Dozen

[Bill Gunter]

Listmates,

I've received a couple of interesting e-mails off list on the Civil war 
thread. Thanks for that.

However, here is an interesting link to jazz.

There is a sort of 'trad band' from N.O. (I think) called "The Dirty Dozen." 
It's an interesting name seeing as how there are only eight or nine guys in 
the band. I've heard them a couple of times and they do put interesting 
twists on tunes like "Sidewalk Blues" and other OKOM compositions.

The name, however, as I understand it, derives from the days of slavery when 
slaves just off the boat from Africa were bunched up into groups of 12 for 
auction on the slave blocks. The term for such a group at that time was the 
"Dirty Dozen."

I'm not sure that this is exactly where the latter day Dirty Dozen Jazz Band 
got their name but I think it's an interesting connection if it does indeed 
refer to slave blocks.

Respectfully submitted,

Bill "Just Trying To Be Historically Accurate" Gunter
jazzboard@hotmail.com



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