[Dixielandjazz] Village Stompers -- Cover Tunes

[Don Robertson]

The tune I most associate with the Village Stompers is Washington 
Square.  This tune was also played by none other than South Frisco circa 
1966.  Just before moving to San Jose in Nov '66 I recorded (with 
Vince's permission) a whole evening of South Frisco at the Pizza Palace 
in Huntington Beach CA on a borrowed reel to reel tape machine.  The 
band, among most of the classic trad tunes (Canal Street, Royal Garden 
etc) , also played Washington Square and, of all things, Mona Lisa. 
BTW, that band swung like mad on just about everthing they played that 
night.  Listmate Mike Logsdon recently transferred a copy of the tape 
onto CD's and sent them to me.  I've been listening with new 
appreciation of how that band was "cooking" that particular evening. 
This was before the 2 cornet band with Leon Oakley and Dan Commins. 
They had Al Crowne on cornet, and, I'm told, John Smith was on soparano 
sax, substituting for Mike Baird.  I'm not sure about the trombone or 
piano, but the rhythm section was Bob Rann on tuba, of course Vince 
Saunders on banjo, and Bob Raggio on washboard (who at that time would 
come up out of the audience and "sit in").

Great memories

Don Robertson
Napa, CA