[Dixielandjazz] Thoughts about Rules and Eddie Condon

[Stephen Barbone]

List mates:

When he opened his famous night club at 47 West Third Street in New York
City, circa 1945, Condon's first band included Wild Bill Davison, Bud
Freeman, Brad Gowans, Joe Marsala, Dave Tough, and Joe Sullivan.
The hours were 9 PM to 4 AM, 6 nights a week.

After that Condon's recordings became lively extensions of the
improvisational sessions that rocked the West Third Street bistro
nightly. This was hot jazz, tempered with refinement, technical
excellence, and freedom for musical expression. While retaining a
Dixieland flavor, he honored the past, but also added a fresh approach
that extended the music's appeal.

During the initial surge of Condon releases, he faced the highly
competitive bebop era. Despite this strong opposition, his records
continued to sell in large quantities. An his club was always packed.

Throughout his New York City years starting in the 1930s, his all star
groups regularly included: (in addition to those mentioned above) Red
McKenzie, Bunny Berrigan, Hot Lips Page, Sidney Bechet, Henry Red Allen,
Arthur Schutt, Leo Watson, Jimmy Dorsey, Willie The Lion Smith, Tommy
Dorsey, Jonah Jones, Gene Krupa, Vic Dickenson, Gene Schroeder, Bob
Wilber, Ralph Sutton, Leonard Gaskin, George Wettling, Billy
Butterfield, Cutty Cutshall, Bobby Hackett, Lou McGarity, Peanuts Hucko,
Dick Cary, Jack Lesberg, Buzzy Drootin, John Mortillaro, Dick Wellstood,
Kenny Davern, Ruby Braff, Pee Wee Russell, Edmond Hall, Max Kaminsky,
Muggsy Spanier, Jack Teagarden, George Brunis, Miff Mole, Joe Marsala,
Jimmy McPartland, Bob Haggart, Ernie Caceres, Jess Stacy, Joe Buskin,
Jimmy Archey, Zutty Singleton, Sid Catlett, James P. Johnson, Benny
Morton, Bill Harris, Lee Wiley (vocalist), Artie Shapiro, Fats Waller,
and a host of other players, mostly unsung, like Johnny Windhurst.

Legend has it that Bunny Berrigan's "I Can't Get Started" ideas were
hatched in a session with Condon after an beautiful guitar intro that
Condon contributed one night.

The Condon groups were loosely organized small band jazz outfits. About
the only rules they had were, you have to be friendly with the rest of
the band, drinking scotch helps, and make sure you come to play.

Yeah, no racial BS there, just lots of differently styled players, no
compartmentalization of styles into "swing" or "dixieland" or " modern
jazz" or "modern dixieland", or "authentic jazz" Just some really
diversified and very exciting combinations of musicians, often playing
their asses off.  It was a free wheeling approach to the music and it
worked until Eddie Condon passed away in 1975.

As he put it: "We called it music." There were few, if any, rules.

Trumpeter - commentator Digby Fairweather sums it up well in "Jazz, The
Essential Companion", Prentice Hall 1987:

"It would be hard to overestimate Condon's jazz contribution. He created
an image for Chicago Jazz and, more important, a collection of faultless
recorded jazz music. He was fiercely loyal to the musicians he loved,
created a professional frame for them to shine in, and was a fine judge
of humanity who liked the good things about people: genuineness,
creativity, humility."

Perhaps, most of all for those of us who were lucky enough to see / hear
/ play,  with any of his groups live at Nick's first, and then Condon's,
he gave us some joyful memories that will never be forgotten.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone