[Dixielandjazz] Stan Freberg

[Bill Dendle]

I have since recalled, with the help of a lot of coffee and the passage of
the day, that the story was actually from Stan Freberg's autobiography, and
that Rick Fay and Jackie Coon were both tickled at seeing their names in the
book. I was enjoying their company at the LA Sweet and Hot Jazz Festival at
the time they related the tale to me. Eddie Erickson and I were appearing as
a duo then, and got a great deal of pleasure out of watching Rick and Jackie
together. They had been friends since they were teenagers, and were both
around 70 at the time. I remember commenting to Eddie that in twenty years,
those two older men laughing it up would be we. Only ten years to go...

And, of course, there has not, to my knowledge, ever been a famous "Red
Roxx" unless of course, he is a typo too.

-
Message: 9
Date: Sat, 3 Mar 2007 08:23:00 -0800
From: "Bill Dendle" <bdendle at winfirst.com>
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Stan Freberg
To: <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Message-ID: <OGEIKJOAELPINHKNFHLBAEFHCAAA.bdendle at winfirst.com>
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Rick Fay and Jackie Coon told me a wonderful story about Stan Freberg, which
is part of the autobiography that Rick Fay either wrote or was writing
toward the end of his life. Jackie and Rick were working in a show band
called Red Fox and his Jazz Hounds (not the famous Red Roxx), which was in
need of a new guitarist/banjoist. Rick and Jackie wanted Stan on the band,
as he was so funny and creative, but he wasn't a player. Somehow they
convinced Red Fox that he was, and got him the job. As they traveled about
the country, doing shows here and there (mostly there, as they hadn't been
here yet {Victor Borge, 1950})Stan spent his nights in the hotel room
desperately practicing chords. Onstage, he kept his right hand a good two
inches away from the strings (I can hear Tom Wiggins suggesting that it
would be best if all banjoists played this way:)). The band managed to cover
for Stan long enough for him to become ingratiated with Red, and when, at a
rehearsal, Red asked to hear the guitar part alone, Stan had to confess that
he couldn't yet play. He stayed on the band, and eventually learned to play
enough to accompany his "singing."
The details may not be completely accurate, but the story is basically
sound; much like my banjo playing.

Bill Dendle





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