[Dixielandjazz] Re: GREAT 50'S REVIVAL PERIOD

Morton Weintraub mortw at ix.netcom.com
Sat May 29 14:44:22 PDT 2004


     There was surely plenty of Jazz in NYC in the 50's progressive as
well as OKOM.
     Downtown, in Greenwich Village, Eddie Condon's was always crowded,
and the music was great. A little further west, on W. 9th St at 7th
Ave., Nick's was a great place. There was no cover charge and the beers
were not unreasonable. The music was classic Dixieland
      Over on the East side, virtually across the street from each other
on 2nd Ave. were the Stuyvesant Casino and the Central Plaza. They both
had started as Wedding Halls and Bar Mitzvah Palaces. As the Jewish
community moved out to the suburbs they morphed into Friday and Saturday
night Dixieland heavens. Conrad Janis had a very long run on 2nd Ave.
       The 2nd Ave places were very popular with the weekend college
trade.
With the beer at $5 a pitcher it was theoretically possible for two guys
to get their dates drunk for $15. Unless, of course, they got drunk
first. 
        Uptown, on 52nd St., Jimmie Ryan's was going strong. But, the
prices were higher. At most of the uptown spots, Royal Roost, etc. Bebop
and progressive jazz had taken hold.
         Such, such were the joys
Mort Weintraub   





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