[Dixielandjazz] Killer Musical Instruments was fights at concerts

[Steve Barbone]

Great post Ginny. That was the first time I'd ever seen it, having missed
the movie I guess. I'm cured and will never joke about banjos again.

And how about those "violins" that the Chicago gangsters carried? House
Thompson Machine Guns. That "violins music" was a killer.

And the "Chicago Piano" of WW 2 fame? The nickname of the quad 50 cal.
machine guns that were used as anti aircraft guns on ships and on half
tracked WW 2 vehicles. I played that piano a few times in the 1950s.
Awesome, but now superceded by the new gattlings.

As an aside, in the late 50s, I had a gig at the Melody Lounge in Sunnyside
NY (NYC). Rough crowd there each weekend. Numerous fights during the 6
months we were there.

Best one was when someone was in the public phone, booth near the rear door
beside the bandstand. Guy in the booth wouldn't yield it quickly enough for
another guy who wanted to use it. Both dressed in white shirts and ties.

So the guy on the outside slammed the folding booth door into the user,
grabbed him by the tie and hauled him out. Both proceeded to whale away and
the bouncer pushed both of them outside. About 5 minutes later, the winner
came back in, with no shirt, just the collar and tie spattered with blood.
He grinned at the band and said "You should see the other guy."

We had kept playing, scared to death because the joint was frequented by
petty hoods some carrying weapons. Later that year, a guy came in with his
mother to hear the band, they had a great time and we later found out that
he went to prison the next day for a third degree murder.

Had to be as close as it gets to playing in Chicago during the 20s for the
likes of Al Capone.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone