[Dixielandjazz] More on pianos -- and not just crappy ones

[Don Ingle]

Back in the hallowed days of my late teens and early 20's when I hung 
around Club 47 in Studio City and heard some of the legendary jams held 
there, I got to know a sit in player, a lawyer named Carrol Fuller,  who 
was not only a two-fisted, barrelhouse player on piano but also played a 
wonderful "Brother Boyce" (Boyce Brown) style of alto sax. (Brown w as a 
legendary Chicago jazz player who became a Catholic brother in a 
monastic order. He is all too often neglected...what say you Bill Haesler?))
One night I heard Doc Rando tell Nappy Lamare (both were Bob Crosby 
alumnis and owners in the club) that Carrol Fuller had just showed up. 
"Does he have his alto with him"," Nappy asked. "Yeah he does," Doc 
said. "Thank God," said Nappy.'"Our tuner's out of  town."
The remark was that when Carrol played their piano, he played so hard 
that it would  knock it out of tune in about a half hour.
He was just awesomely powerful but swung hard so the guys used to like 
him sitting in. But Nappy always had to call the tuner in to get the 
piano back in shape afterwards.
Club 47 tales -- well, there are enough for several books, and one day I 
ought to write one. But first I have to do one on my dad and the 
Weems/Jones/Natural Seven gang.shenanigans.
Don Ingle