[Dixielandjazz] Re: Jack Pettis (was Dillon Ober)

[Bill Haesler]

Dear Mike,
Occasional DJMLer and lurker Warren Vache, Snr wrote an article 'The Piquant
Puzzle of Jack' for Mississippi Rag (1985). Warren also wrote the Pettis
entry for the 'New Grove Grove Dictionary of Jazz' and the notes ('The
Pettis Mystique') for a 2CD set of Pettis recordings (Kings Cross Music
KCM005). Derek Coller also had an article in Mississippi Rag (April 1993).
There is an all-to-brief summary of Pettis in John Chilton's 'Who's Who Of
Jazz'. There is also a four and a half page comprehensive entry about Jack
Pettis and Al Goering in Warren Vache's definitive book 'The Unsung
Songwriters' (2000). Much of the available information is seemingly based on
a 14 Aug 1936 Squirrel Ashcraft interview with Pettis.
Rust lists a 21 April 1937 record date for Variety by Jack Pettis & His
Orch.
>From all this interesting material (which includes bands he played with) we
find that Jack Pettis was born someplace in about 1902, was a pioneer
saxophonist and stopped playing sometime after 1937. No information about
when or how he died.
Perhaps Warren has some new and unpublished information.
Kind regards,
Bill.