[Dixielandjazz] Teddy & now the Dukes!

[James Kashishian]

Nostalgia time!  First, gobs of posts on Teddy Buckner, and now videos of
the Dukes!

It's absolutely just great to see that every time Teddy's name is mentioned
on DJML the posts roll in with tales of the man and his music.  Teddy only
seemed to have friends, and if you ever met him you'd know why.

I spent my early Dixieland days listening to Teddy live, and the Dukes on
record.  Not only did I listen, I actually got to play!  In the case of
Teddy it was on stage, with the Dukes it was playing along with their LP's,
and I still point any fledgy musician to that band for ear training.  Not
because they were an "easy" band, rather they were a "sensible" band. 

The videos of the Ed Sullivan Show...great!   While Freddy was my main point
of interest as a young trombonist, it was Frank's trumpet that caught my ear
this morning while listening to those videos.  What fun it would be to have
a blow with that guy.  What drive!  

Blasted for being commercial?  Yes, they were.  I had fellow bandsmen in
California (I won't mention names!) who thought they were selling out.  All
they did was become successful for playing fun music well.

Heard them in a lounge in 1963 in Las Vegas.  Just a handful of people in
the place.  They played the same as if the joint was jumping.  Wish I had
had the nerve to have spoken with them (I was young!). 

Jim