[Dixielandjazz] generations apart...

[Charlie Hooks]

    Someone, I can't recall who, asked, "Who is Glenn Gould?" and it
reminded me of Duke Groner's ordeal with the Chicago Tribune reporter.

    A few years ago when Tommy Loy had conned "Dick's Last Resort" into
hiring my band a couple of nights a week, management was clawing for any
publicity it didn't have to pay for and hustled the Trib to send reporters
for interviews.  Duke Groner was a natural for this.

    Duke was a black gentleman of the old school, elegant of dress and
genial of manner, a good bass player and vocalist who had sung with Fletcher
Henderson, worked with Cab Calloway, friend of Bill Basie (from whom he'd
stolen his wife, "Peanut").  Famous players and show biz people frequently
dropped into the club to visit Duke; he knew everybody and everybody knew
him.  So he's a natural, right?

    Well, sort of.  The young woman from the Trib (I can't believe she was
actually on staff, maybe a wannabe--do they do that?) was young and
attractive and earnest, wanting to do it right.  A pleasant girl.  She had
her notebook and was writing things in it, but I soon noticed that Duke was
trying hard to keep smiling and seeming a bit glassy-eyed.  Uh oh!  Not like
Duke!  Women always fell all over Duke, and he loved every moment of it.

    After she left, he stood looking after her, and I couldn't help asking
him, "Uh, man, what was all that?"

    Duke still seemed abstracted.  "She wanted to know," he said, "what was
my all time favorite 'group.'  I figured she meant 'band,' and I said,
'Well, that would have to be Duke Ellington.'"

    "Um-hm," I said sagely. "I can see that.  Ellington.  I might go with
that, too.  Was she surprised?"

    "I don't think so," he said.  "Not really.  She curious, though.  She
wanted to know: who is Duke Ellington."  He smiled ruefully. "I knew right
off I was in trouble, but till she asked that, I just didn't know how much!"