[Dixielandjazz] Conrad Janis' New Film

[Stephen G Barbone]

> "Stan Brager" <sbrager at socal.rr.com> wrote (polite snip)
>
> Please read the following announcement from Conrad Janis and his wife.
>
>
> We have an announcement, ON JULY 29TH AT THE REGENCY THEATERS IN  
> WEST HOLLYWOOD, Conrad & my film BAD BLOOD (Conrad both Stars and  
> Directs with Piper Laurie as his co-star and 10 gorgeous young up  
> and coming Stars as well as many of our regular B.H.U.J.B. group  
> playing a totally original
> sound created for our film, including Doug Mattocks, Dick Hardwick,  
> Raul Reynoso, Brian O'Rourke, Westie Westenhoufer, Kenny Blackwell)  
> which will be Premiering at the WHIFF (WEST HOLLYWOOD INTERNATIONAL  
> FILM FESTIVAL)  at 8:30 p.m


Here is part of a note from Conrad Janis sent earlier this month. The  
first part of it describes his experiences on the NY Jazz scene during  
the time Al Levy posted about. The last paragraph explains a bit about  
his upcoming movie:

BEGIN SNIP. . . "the Dixieland chapter about all the great black  
musicians (mostly from Kansas City) and their influence on Dixieland  
music has yet to be written. I remember the first time Hot Lips Paige  
sat in with my New Orleans Revival group The Tailgate Jazz Band. We  
were playing a steady gig at Jimmy Ryans on 52nd street and Lips was  
playing at the Famous Door or one of the 52nd street jazz clubs and he  
dropped in to hear our group and then asked to sit in. I remember we  
played "That's A Plenty" and Paige's trumpet was soaring an octave  
above the regular lead and it just blew my mind! It was electrifying!  
And I made up my mind right then and there I would try to work with as  
many of the great "Mainstream" players as I could.

In the following years I was lucky to have in my band drummers Jo  
Jones, Panama Francis, Sonny Greer, Baby Dodds,Kansas Fields, Hal  
West, trumpets Roy Eldredge, Charlie Shavers, Rex Stewart, Herman  
Autry, Johnny Letman, reeds Buster Bailey, Coleman Hawkins, Gene  
Sedric, and so many others. Their concept of hot swing when applied to  
Dixieland was in my opinion transformative! To hear Eldredge, Shavers  
and Hawkins play the Dixieland book was incomparable (also Vic  
Dickenson, who was one of the great trombonists in Swing, Dixieland or  
whatever!)

At one time I had Autry on trumpet, Sedric clarinet, Art Trappier  
drums and Wellstood on piano which we realized was really the Fats  
Waller Band! . . .(snip to)

I'm still playing, and my wife and I have just finished editing our  
movie "Bad Blood" a sort of Hitchcockian thriller and we are  
concentrating on getting it released! So that has occupied us for the  
last several years. . ."

---END SNIP

I am looking forward to seeing the movie. But I also look forward to  
his playing again.

Conrad Janis made a great contribution to the development of Dixieland  
when he used those players above in his Tailgate Jazz Band. His music  
was indeed electrifying. It is a great pity that most of the Dixieland  
output of these mainstream players was not recorded, possibly because  
the record companies couldn't see the value of it.  (Black  
mainstreamers playing Dixieland)

IMO, this is a direction in which Dixieland could well have travelled  
but for one reason or another did not.

Hey festival directors, why not seek out Conrad Janis and his Beverly  
Hills Unlisted Jazz Band?

Cheers,
Steve Barbone
www.barbonestreet.com
www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband