[Dixielandjazz] Did these guys really exist

[Edmetzsr at aol.com]

In a message dated 8/26/2007 7:02:37 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 
jbutler6 at twcny.rr.com writes:

Some of the players on the Empire City Six LP's seem to be somewhat 
suspect. I refer mainly to Tony Spair on trumpet who really sounds like 
Phil Napoleon and also Phil Failla on drums who could be Sonny Igoe. Any 
answers?

Jim, be assured that Tony Spair did exist, although I believe this spelling 
is improper but phonetically correct. I remember well sitting in with the band 
that played at a place called the "Paddock" in Trenton, NJ in the 1950s. 
    I was in college in Philadelphia and had a roomate (trombonist Marty 
Bergen) who came from Trenton with whom I would periodically spend the weekend - 
usually because we had a gig in the area. Tony was a Phil Napoleon "sound 
alike" - as a matter of fact, the Paddock house-band was a "Phil Napoleon at 
Nick's" sound-alike band (we often snuck up to the village in NYC to catch the 
Napoleon band at Nicks, so we knew the sound). They had virtually all of the 
Napoleon arrangements down cold. 
    Angie, one of the owners of the Paddock played clarinet, Ellsworth Felton 
played trombone, Johnny Coates Sr. played piano (he was a great stride player 
and father of John Coates Jr. who is still playing around the Poconos). I 
don't recall the drummer, although Artie Geidlin of Trenton sat in on occasion.
I can't tell you anything about Phil Failla,
Regards, Ed Metz



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