[Dixielandjazz] Tony Spargo Kazoo master

[Russ Guarino]

Thanks, Jim.

Do you think Tony played the Bass Kazoo or Baritone?

Russ Guarino


JimDBB@aol.com wrote:

> there has been considerable hilarity at the expense of the kazoo and I
> wold like to point out a true master of the kazoo, Tony Spargo.  Tony
> Spargo )Sparbaro) was the drummer with the Original Dixieland Jazz
> Band and in the late 40s and early 50s he was with Phil Napoleon's
> greayt band at Jimmy Ryan's.  Spargo had a huge kazoo which he had on
> a stand next to the drums.  On certain tunes Tony would launch into
> some really swinging solos on that kazoo.  I was in high school in
> Wisconsin and would pick up their broadcasts in Wisconsin...in those
> dear departed days of AM radio when you could jpcik up stations around
> the country.  I had no idea that he was playang a kazoo and I thought
> that Napoleon was playing with some kind of mute.  At times Napoleon
> would let Tony start off with a kazoo solo and one by one the horns
> would come in and build some powerfully swinging ensembles with the
> kazoo wailing away through it.  Napoleon made a couple of 10" LPs, one
> on Decca  and one on Columbia, and there is at least one good kazoo
> solo on them.
>
> * I just thought it was time for a modicum of respect for the kazoo.
>
> Jim Beebe