[Dixielandjazz] Arthur Godfrey

[Robert Ringwald]

I used to listen to his radio show when I was a kid and early teenager, only 
to hear the Dixieland band.

For a lot of the time, a young Dick Hyman was on piano.  Lu Magarity (SP) or 
Cutty Cutshaw (SP) was on trombone.  A clarinet player named Pee Wee 
Spitalero SP) and a guitar player named Remo Palmary.

Pete Fountain appeared on the show quite frequently also.

 There was a bass player and I think his son played drums but not sure. 
Geeze, this was some 50 years ago.

Godfrey played terrible banjo and a cross between a ukulele and a guitar 
instrument that someone designed for him.  I think it was more like a 
4-string guitar.

During the solos on a song, Remo on guitar and Godfrey on banjo would trade 
off backing the soloists.  Even at a very young age, I felt sorry for the 
soloist that had to have Godfrey backing him up.  Not only did he play 
badly, he spent the whole song laughing.

That band though was one of my early influences for Jazz, along with a 
record of Lu Watters and the YBJB, the Firehouse 5+2 and Bob Scobey's Frisco 
JB.

In fact, when I was about 9, I used to watch the Scobey band with Clancy 
Hayes on KPIX Channel 5 in SF.  They did a 15 minute show, which was 
expanded to 30 minutes on Tuesday nights.  It was called "Clancy's Corner."

How come I can remember all of this but can't remember what I had for dinner 
last night?

--Bob Ringwald K6YBV
Note new e-mail address rsr at ringwald.com
530/642-9551
916/806-9551 Cell
www.ringwald.com
Fulton Street Jazz Band

Hear our new CD at:
www.fultonstreetjazz.com/music.htm

 "My choice early in life was either to be a piano player in a whorehouse or 
a politician. And to
tell the truth, there's hardly any difference. I, for one, believe the piano
player job to be much more honorable than current politicians."  --Harry 
Truman