[Dixielandjazz] Thanks...Tony Almerico

[JimDBB at aol.com]

In a message dated 1/17/03 4:35:10 PM Central Standard Time, 
bhaesler at nsw.bigpond.net.au writes:


> Tony Almerico, trumpet.
> Born NO. 1905. Died NO. 5 Dec 1961.
> Played/recorded with Slim Lamar & His Southerners (1928), Mart Britt & His 
> Orch
> (1928). Basically the same group and reissued on Retrieval CD RTR 79006. 
> Irene
> Beasley (1928).
> With Slim Lamar's Argentine Dons.
> Own first band in 1936
> Own band on Streckfus 'Capitol' and 'President' in the 1940s.
> Operated Parisian Room, Royal Street, NO. from 1948 to 1960.
> Weekly national broadcasts from the club featuring Pete Fountain, Santo 
> Pecora,
> Armand Hug, Irving Fazola, Jack Delaney, Harry Shields and others.
> Had own DJ show for several years.
> TV program host.
> Recordings with own band, Buglin' Sam and Lizzie Miles in NO (1949-1961) 
> for
> Crescent City, Dot, Vik, Southland, Cook, Imperial, GHB (LP).

   Tony Almerico is, in my opinion ( warped to be sure), one of the unsung 
heros of New Orleans Jazz.  In my high school days I picked up his weekly 
Parisian Room broadcasts way in up Wisconsin...thanks to AM radio and WWL's 
clear channel station.  I lived for those broadcasts.  Tony always presented 
an exciting show featuring solid New Orleans Dixieland Jazz.  Tony himself 
played an exciting trumpet and along with Jack Delaney on trombone and Tony 
Costa on clarinet, they made up a very formidible front line. The rest of the 
band was equally good. I don't believe that Tony ever got the artistic 
recognition that he deserved.  He made very few recordings and they don't 
capture what he was doing with the Parisian Room band.  

I"ve always wanted to say...thanks, Tony Almerico.

Jim Beebe

 Note * Tony Almerico, in a way, represents the very significant influence 
and contribution of musicians of Italian descent to New Orleans Dixieland 
Jazz.  This has long been overlooked because of the  'Jazz is black music' 
fraud.
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