[Dixielandjazz] Source for picture of Louis Armstrong'sOriginalAll Stars

[Stan Brager]

Fred;

To set the stage for the coming of the all star concept, let's remember that
by 1946, the stature and the financial rewards of the big bands had fallen
dramatically. Louis Armstrong was no exception to this phenomenon. Satchmo
had appeared with small groups on V-Discs, Esquire concerts, Carnegie Hall
and Town Hall. These engagements were merely one time shots and did not
represent themselves as Louis Armstrong organizations in any way. Louis'
organization consisted of an 16 piece big band.

While the Town Hall concert featured many of the players who would later
become part of Armstrong's All-Stars, this was a concert with Louis with a
group of jazz stars but without his regular band at the time. Furthermore,
the Town Hall concert was produced by Ernie Anderson who hired the players.
It wasn't until the concert was shown to be a financial success that Joe
Glasser (Louis' manager) decided to drop the band in favor of the All-Star
concept. The rest is well-known.

By the way, there were 2 drummers at Town Hall - Big Sid played the first
half and George Wettling the second half.

This information comes from Dan Morgenstern's liner notes to the RCA CD
"Pops: The 1940's Small-Band Sides", The Time-Life Giants Of Jazz - Louis
Armstrong with "Notes on the music" by John S. Wilson, and the French RCA CD
"Louis Armstrong At Town Hall" with notes by Daniel Nevers and Iraskli De
Davrichewi.

Stan
Stan Brager
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Fred Spencer" <drjz at bealenet.com>
To: "Stan Brager" <sbrager at socal.rr.com>
Cc: <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Thursday, July 14, 2005 8:10 AM
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Source for picture of Louis
Armstrong'sOriginalAll Stars


> Dear Stan,
> Yes, Dick Cary was first. Michael Meckina in "The Louis Armstrong
> Encyclopedia" ( Greenwood Press, 2004), says that the  All Stars first
> performed in a May 7,1947 Town Hall concert. However, although Louis had
> assembled the band, he had a "stomach ulcer flair-up [sic]"  and Bobby
> Hackett was the leader. Meckina adds that the original (I assume at the
Town
> Hall) personnel was Jack Teagarden, Peanuts Hucko, Dick Cary, Bob Haggart,
> and Big Sid Catlett, but with no attribution of the source. All this seems
> somewhat dubious but...?
> There is a picture of the originals with Dick Cary and Velma Middleton,
"in
> concert in Boston, 1947", in "Louis Armstrong. A Cultural Legacy" ( Queens
> Museum of Art and University of Washington Press,1994). I should be most
> gratreful if you could send me the origin of your more believable
> information. All the best.
> Fred
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Stan Brager" <sbrager at socal.rr.com>
> To: <FOThree at aol.com>; <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, July 13, 2005 3:29 PM
> Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Source for picture of Louis
> Armstrong'sOriginalAll Stars
>
>
> > The original All Star line-up included Dick Cary on piano in lieu of
Earl
> > Hines. Their debut came on August 13, 1947 at Billy Berg's night club in
> > Los
> > Angeles. The All Stars made their recording debut on October 16, 1947
and
> > cut 4 sides for RCA Victor:
> >
> > A Song Was Born
> > Please Stop Playing Those Blues, Boy
> > Before Long
> > Lovely Weather We're Having
> >
> > Soon after these recordings were made, Earl Hines replaced Dick Cary.
> >
> > Sorry I don't have the picture you requested.
> >
> > Stan
> > Stan Brager
> > ----- Original Message ----- 
> > From: <FOThree at aol.com>
> > To: <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
> > Sent: Tuesday, July 12, 2005 3:04 PM
> > Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Source for picture of Louis Armstrong's
> > OriginalAll
> > Stars
> >
> >
> >> Gentelmen:
> >> Can anyone refer me to a book that would have a picture of Louis and
his
> >> original all stars - Jack T., Barney, Earl Hines, Big Sid, and Arvel
> > Shaw -  with
> >> or without Velma?
> >> Fred Ollison
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
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> > Dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
> > http://ml.islandnet.com/mailman/listinfo/dixielandjazz
> >
>
>
>