[Dixielandjazz] Nob Hill Gang

[Robert S. Ringwald]

Bill,

This band was led by Jimmy Diamond, the pianist.  They were the house band 
in the New Orleans Room at the Fairmont Hotel for many years.  The Fairmont 
is a very famous old hotel on Nob Hill in SF.  I knew them all well.

Most are gone now.

After they left the Fairmont, Turk Murphy had the band there for a while 
until his death.  Then the leader of the Royal Society Jazz Band (can't 
remember his name) had a 6 piece band there for a while.  I subbed with them 
one weekend.

No more Jazz at the Fairmont now.

One night Woody Herman came into the New Orleans Room at the Fairmont.  A 
customer bought that LP that you have, & took it over to ask Woody to 
autograph it.  He did, but he signed it "Count Basie".



Lots of big names appeared at the Fairmont in the show room upstairs.  They 
used to hang out in the New Orleans Room & sometimes sit in.  In fact, 
Hendricks from LHR is on that album on one cut.

--Bob Ringwald
Placerville, CA USA

ed ----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bill Haesler" <bhaesler at bigpond.net.au>
To: "dixieland jazz mail list" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Monday, November 01, 2004 3:10 PM
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Nob Hill Gang


> Dear friends,
> A mate has acquired an LP about which I have been unable to uncover any
> information.
> Not listed anywhere.
> The Notorious Nob Hill Gang.
> An unnumbered Nob Hill Gang Records LP (probably 1970s) featuring jazz 
> tunes
> including an interesting tune variation (incorporating "One O'clock Jump"
> and 2 others) on "Royal Garden Blues" plus "Muskrat Ramble/Closer Walk/San
> Francisco Blues/Sweet Substitute/Doin' The Racoon/etc".
> Personnel includes John Markham, ldr/d [ex Barnett, Goodman, Billy May,
> Norvo]; Jerry Butzen, tb [Red Nichols, Wally Rose]+ Oz's Judith Durham;
> Jimmy Diamond, p [Barnett, own band, Ory, Muggsy]; Buddy Powers, t; Ernie
> Figuero, t; George Butterfield, sb [Bales, Barnett, Spanier, Kenton]; 
> Vince
> Cattolica, cl; [Bales, Hines, Marsala, Sullivan] .
> [Information taken from my 1995 edition of 'Jazz West' by KO Eckland.]
> What was 'The Nob Hill Gang' (presumably named after the swish San 
> Francisco
> neighbourhood)?
> A one-off-LP studio group?
> A regular working band?
> Where (if at all) did it fit into the traditional, home-grown OKOM scene?
> Very kind regards,
> Bill.
>
>
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