[Dixielandjazz] Re: Buddy Rich uniforms in Vegas

[Dan Augustine]

>From: Stephen Barbone <barbonestreet@earthlink.net>
>Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Re: Dixielandjazz digest, Vol 1 #420 - 3 msgs
>Date: Thu, 09 Jan 2003 17:20:13 -0500
> > Dan Augustine <ds.augustine@mail.utexas.edu> wrote (polite snip)
> > One time some of us walked into a room where Buddy Rich was rehearsing his band, and from the reaction of Buddy you'd think we were Communist spies sent to steal all his charts and secrets (from the name of the song, "Who cares?"). NOTE, Rich was in Las Vegas at the time Dan Mentions.
>Yeah, Buddy Rich was a trip as last year's postings by many will confirm. Our bass player, Ace Tesone played with him in Philadelphia years ago. Buddy knew Ace was also a fine tailor and had him make uniforms for the band which was going to Vegas. Ace did, and he and wife Betty Anne took the uniforms to Vegas per Buddy's instructions and delivered them. Buddy kept disappearing every time Ace showed up to ask for payment.
>Finally the band manager told Ace that "Buddy don't pay for nothing, the band is bankrupt." Ace later sued and finally got a settlement of Fifty Cents on the Dollar. Needless to say, he never played for Rich again either.
>Ace did get his hotel room and air fare comped courtesy of the band, so he didn't suffer too much. (Wonder who paid that bill?) But question to Dan; Did the uniforms look good?
>Cheers,
>Steve Barbone
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     Don't know if the uniforms looked good or not, 'cause we never got to see the band in performance in Vegas.  Either we couldn't get in to see the show, or we left, or who knows what (maybe we were a bit 'miffed' at Buddy's behavior toward us), but we never did catch his band in Vegas.  I did see him once or twice at Disneyland in California when i was in the Air Force band at Riverside c. 1967-68, and the uniforms then looked good.  (Well, compared to mine....)

    Dan
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** Dan Augustine - ds.augustine@mail.utexas.edu             **
** Office of Admissions, University of Texas; Austin, Texas **
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