[Dixielandjazz] Blue Room...Duke Ellington

[Don Ingle]

I played the Blue Room of the  (then) Roosevelt Hotel. The last time was
1955, November, when I was with Ted Weems. We had been on a killer road tour
of one-nighters and then came in for a one-month stand. I called my fiance
Jean in Michigan and said get your butt down here and let's get hitched. We
did and 47 years later we're still hitched. Ted Weems gave the bride away in
place of her father who could not be there.
The Blue Room had a house band, led by Leon Keller if memory serves -
though time does dim "the little gray cells'". I played it with Chuck Cabot
in 1954 for a three-night run, with Paul Neighbors' band coming in on our
tail.
The hotel was owned by Seymour Weiss, who reportedly had big mob
connections. Whatever he requested we played -- you know it was a request
you couldn't refuse. <G> Actually he was very nice to the bands that played
there.
Don Ingle
----- Original Message -----
From: <Artwoo@aol.com>
To: <patcooke@cox.net>; <kash@ran.es>; <dixielandjazz@ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Saturday, January 11, 2003 12:41 PM
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Blue Room...Duke Ellington


> Hi Group:
>
> The anecdote about the bad key on the piano reminds of the time I heard
Duke
> Ellington play in Las Vegas in the 60's. (may have been  the Sands Casino)
>
> He was giving one of his trademark piano intros and came across a bad
note.
>
> Duke waved off the band and with a great smile on his face told the
audience
> "You'd think with all the money this casino has, they could afford to fix
> this piano."
>
> The audience roared with approval. That gesture transformed a legend into
a
> warm human being.
>
> Then he resumed his piano intro perfectly, avoiding the note in question.
>
> I will never forget that incident.
>
> Sincerely,
> Art Wood
>