[Dixielandjazz] On Ted Vesley

[Bill Haesler]

Dear Don, 
Your informative piece put another face to Ted Versely, so I went searching.
Not much to find unfortunately.
Until this thread, I had only of known him as another fine big band
trombonist, who had honed his craft with Fred Waring then worked and
recorded with Ben Pollack (1937), Artie Shaw (1938), Les Brown (1939) and
Benny Goodman, (Aug 1939- July 1940 when the BG orch disbanded for a while).
He doesn't surface again until the late  1940s in the LA studios where he
was used for recordings by Matty Matlock, Bob Crosby, Jess Stacy, John Scott
Trotter, Red Nichols and Mel Torme. He finally came almost full circle to
work and record with Ben Pollack in the 1950s .
However this small Yahoo item adds an interesting postscript.
Hopefully, others can fill in the biographical gaps.
Kind regards,
Bill.
 
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Friday, July 03, 1998
Las Vegas music store founder Nikki Vesely dies
By Warren Bates Review-Journal

  Las Vegas businesswoman Nikki Vesely, who helped found one of Las
Vegas' most enduring music stores, died Tuesday. She was 85.
  A resident of Las Vegas for 44 years, she handled the books for Ted Vesely
Music Co., 1729 E. Charleston Blvd., until her retirement in 1982. She also
was an accomplished musician. "She was a very fine pianist and
organist and violinist," said her son, Jerry Vesely, who now runs the
business. 
  Nikki Vesely and her soon-to-be husband, Ted, moved to Las
Vegas at about the same time in 1954 when he got a job as a Strip musician.
Ted Vesely, who died in 1973, had played with Benny Goodman and Artie
Shaw before joining the U.S. Navy. After he came to Las Vegas, he
taught music at Sunrise Acres Elementary and Madison Elementary (now Madison
Sixth Grade Center). The couple later borrowed the funds to open the store
in 1962, which has been at the same location ever since.
  Nikki Vesely, born Nadine Hula on April 9, 1913, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.,
also worked as a secretary at the Sands and later as a bookkeeper at Ben
Stack Jewelers. 
  After her retirement, she continued her avocation as a horsewoman,
riding in the Helldorado Days parades. She also co-founded the now-defunct
Las Montadas Horse Club. But her last months were filled with the
heartbreak of the death of her granddaughter, Cody, 11. The girl was
killed Feb. 8, 1997, in Las Vegas by a drunken driver who recently was
sentenced to prison time.
  "I met my wife (Patricia) when I was 42," said Jerry Vesely, who
subsequently adopted Patricia's daughter. "I had
never had children and she (Nikki Vesely) had never had grandchildren. She
was so happy to have (Cody) in her life, so the loss was very devastating
for her."
  A memorial service is scheduled for 1 p.m. July 11 at Christ
Church, 2000 S. Maryland Parkway.