[Dixielandjazz] Washboard concert

[Bill Gunter]

Kurt asks:

>By the way, does anyone know when the washboard was first used in OKOM?

Most likely around the early 20s in New Orleans. I have some video tapes 
featuring vignettes of early N.O. small OKOM folk and jazz bands which show 
the washboard in use. One particularly interesting clip involved two guys 
and a woman. It was a "contrived" performance but very amusing.

A woman is seen washing clothes with washtub and washboard out in the back 
yard. She goes into the house leaving the washboard in the tub. Along comes 
her "musician" husband who says "My woman done been usin' my instrument for 
washin' the clothes." He snatches the washboard, shakes off the soapy water 
and goes to meet his ukulele playing buddy. They sit down and the 
washboardist says "Whut we gonna play?" and the uke player starts strumming 
a jazzy little riff. The washboard player reaches into his pocket, pulls out 
a kazoo, sticks it in his chops and kazoos away while strumming the 
washboard (on his lap) with thimbled fingers.

I don't know the name of the tune but it was a delightful sequence. Hadda be 
early 20s.

Ralf Reynolds has made a pretty thorough study of this matter and he love to 
talk about it.  If you see him ask him that question (When was the washboard 
first used in OKOM?).

Warmest regards,

Bill "Thimbles" Gunter
jazzboard at hotmail.com

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