[Dixielandjazz] Bands

[Stephen Barbone]

Bands performing frequently in the NYC area in the 50s in addition to
Condon's groups and the DeParis Brothers included those led by:

Phil Napoleon    at Nick's
Pee Wee Irwin   at Nick's
Billy Maxted      at Nick's
Conrad Janis      at Central Plaza
George Lewis     at Childs
Charlie Shavers  at the Metropole
Jack Fine           at The Cinderella Club
Bob Wilber       at Stuyvesant Casino
Sidney Bechet   at Ryan's till Feb 1950.

as well as local favorites like:

The Southampton Dixie Racing and Clambake Society Jazz Band
Village Stompers
Beale Street Stompers

Charlie Shavers largely ignored in Dixieland circles, had written some
bitching arrangements for the Kirby band decades earlier including Sweet
Georgia Brown which I saw/heard yesterday, performed by the Onyx Club
Band at the Pee Wee Russell Memorial Stomp. One time when Shavers
couldn't make the Metropole Gig, he sent Dizzy Gillespie as a sub and
according to reports by those who were there, it was great. Even Tony
Parenti who was on the gig enjoyed it. He and Diz got along just fine.

Lots of mix and match bands performing Dixieland in the 50s headed by
such luminaries as Tony Parenti, Warren Vache Sr., Sal Pace, Tony
Spargo, (Sbabaro of ODJB fame), Roy Eldridge, Lee Gifford, Joe Sullivan,
Frank Hubbell, Ed Polcer, Charlie Traeger, Johnny Windhurst, Kenny
Davern, Dick Sudhalter, Dave Frishberg, Marty Napoleon, Big Chief
Russell Moore, Kenny John, Sol Yaged and a host of others who are in my
memory banks somewhere. What a decade it was in NYC.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone