[Dixielandjazz] Blue Room...Duke Ellington

[Don Ingle]

Her name was Bonnie Ann Shaw, and she later married Diamond Jim Moran's son
in N.O. She was bridesmaid when Jean and I married in Christ Episcopal
Church right across the street (Canal from the Vieux Carre.
Yeah, Leon KellNer -- close but no cigar.
Don Ingle
----- Original Message -----
From: "Patrick Cooke" <patcooke@cox.net>
To: "Don Ingle" <dingle@baldwin-net.com>; <Artwoo@aol.com>; <kash@ran.es>;
<dixielandjazz@ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Saturday, January 11, 2003 2:23 PM
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Blue Room...Duke Ellington


> >>I played the Blue Room of the  (then) Roosevelt Hotel. The last time was
> 1955, November, when I was with Ted Weems.<<
>
>    I remember that, Don.  I was playing at a resort hotel over in Point
> Clear, Alabama when Ted's band was there.  Weems' girl singer was from the
> Point Clear area, and I remember her telling us how Ted Weems made her
learn
> to whistle, a la Elmo Tanner.  Of course, she couldn't whistle like Elmo,
> but Weems wanted to keep the whistling going.
>     I don't remember the girl's name, but we did use her to sing with us a
> few times.
>     Pat Cooke
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Don Ingle" <dingle@baldwin-net.com>
> To: <Artwoo@aol.com>; <patcooke@cox.net>; <kash@ran.es>;
> <dixielandjazz@ml.islandnet.com>
> Sent: Saturday, January 11, 2003 12:26 PM
> Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Blue Room...Duke Ellington
>
>
> > 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
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> >
>
>