[Dixielandjazz] Carol Doda

[Bill Gunter]

Hi All,

Edwin Coltrin reports (about the theater displaying the ecdysiastic talents 
of Ms. Storm)  -

>Well the El Rey is correct but the location was on San Pablo Avenue and in 
>Emeryville. I recall the billboards extolling the virtues of Tempest. Also 
>full or half page newspaper ads
>
>Ah youth where have you gone. I tried to remember the promoters name but as 
>with age some things just don't come back

I meant San Pablo Ave. but I think Emeryville was wrong . . . wasn't the El 
Rey just south of the intersection of University and San Pablo?

Also, it seems to me that Tempest's manager was her husband who was also a 
professional wrestler of some repute.  I don't recall his name at all . . . 
it's lucky I'm able to remember Tempest Storm.

While we're on the subject of strippers in the burleyque . . .  here in 
Sacramento, back in the good old days (late 50s - early 60s), there were a 
couple of theaters in town that showed naughty movies and then had a live 
show featuring some pretty well worn bump and grind artistic dancers.

The music was provided by local musicians. And here is the OKOM connection 
(you don't think I'd be continuing an off topic thread, do you?).

Pianoist/saxophonist, Johnny Nelson, of Sacramento was the leader of the 
trio (piano, drums and bass as I recall) who backed up the dancers at one of 
the theaters, the name of which has faded into history just like the 
building itself along with the porno reels of film and the kootch dancers.

Johnny is a friend who recalls those days fondly. He says that between shows 
he had plenty of time there in his dressing room to work on jazz 
arrangements and practice his piano. Sheriff John Misterley (spelling?) was 
in office and was very anti-nipple. He would raid these erotic palaces 
regularly to be sure the morals of the community remained suitably 
unsullied.

Johnny was in the pit when Misterley raided the last time which finally 
resulted in the closing of the establishment.  One of the girls had an act 
in which she stripped down beyond the pasties and g-string and for the 
climax of her act she would pluck a pubic hair from someplace and sort of 
throw it to whomever was in the front row.

That did it.  No longer was it possible to spend a pleasant afternoon 
listening to Johnny Nelson playing some GREAT JAZZ with his trio (with 
appropriate drum rolls and rim shots from the percussionist at just the 
right moments).

Johnny is still in Sacramento and plays the occasional gig. He is a 
wonderful sax player and for several years played a regular gig with 
guitarist Jimmy Rivers. Jimmy is gone now, but us old timers remember them 
fondly as two more examples of the fine musicians to be found in these 
parts.

Sorry for the long recollection of earlier times when our kind of music had 
a solid place in the culture of northern California.

Respectfully submitted,

Bill (humming a few bars of "The Stripper") Gunter
jazzboard at hotmail.com