[Dixielandjazz] Musicians who liveed in Queens:

[Steve Barbone]

"Ron Wheeler" <ronald_wheeler at bellsouth.net>
 
> In addition to all the below, add Tony Bennett from Astoria, Queens.  Maybe
> not so much OKOM, but he's certainly a jazz singer and still has a hell of a
> set of pipes.

He's MKOM. Other jazz or OKOM musos who lived in Queens included: Mercer
Ellington, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Slam Stewart, Lester Young, Cootie
Williams, Earl Bostic, Billie Holiday, Glenn Miller, Ben Webster, Charles
Mingus, Milt Jackson, Benny Goodman Roy Eldridge and Cannonball Adderly.
Plus the R & B Godfather, James Brown.

Lots of other eclectic residents of Queens including Nancy Davis who was
born in Flushing, later became an actress, then married Ronald Reagan and
became first lady. Plus actor Carroll O'Conner who graduated from Flushing
High School and then went on to star in movies and on TV as the Northewrn
Redneck in "All In The Family", the setting for which was Queens.

The black musos moved, mostly into the St Albans area of South Queens and
lived in some beautiful homes there. I think Clarence Williams and wife Eva
Taylor were the first to reside there and then followed by over 100 jazz
musicians. For a look at some history and some houses, see:

http://www.forgotten-ny.com/STREET%20SCENES/jazztour/queensjazz.html

You will see that in those days, jazz musicians made money as the houses are
beautiful. That area of Queens today is a middle class, mostly black area.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone