[Dixielandjazz] Condon WBD, Fire in the Belly.

[Stephen G Barbone]

> <richard.flecknell at ntlworld.com> wrote:
>
> What a lead - "Blow Torch" Davison
>
> Great clip - Ed Hall as well - perfect.
>
> Shame that many bands today haven't that fire in their bellies.
>
> By the way did you ever play alongside Buck Clayton? - I believe Art  
> Farmer once said "he would listen in vain waiting for Buck to slip  
> up - he never did".

No never played alongside Clayton, but heard him many times. I did  
play alongside Yank Lawson a few times and in my ears, he was louder  
than WBD.

Condon groups all played with fire at his clubs in NYC. Perhaps the  
fieriest was when Brunies was on trombone next to WBD. They had a sort  
of a competition between them to see who could play hotter . . . and  
louder. Cutshall replaced Brunies when B left to go to Chicago circa  
1950 or so. Still fiery but not quite as much.

The incredible power of those Condon bands was, IMO, never fully  
captured on records. Close, but not the same. Ask guys like Jack  
Maheu, Conrad Janis, Roswell Rudd, or Jack Fine about the Condon Gang.  
They were listening back then too.  And didn't Ed Hall swing hot. Pee  
Wee Russell was a treat, too. Another record problem is that many  
collectors who listen to Condon, have the volume turned way down and  
that just is not the way that band sounded.

When Condon was there, you'd be lucky to hear 4 tunes in a set. They  
sat around talking quite a bit. That was part of the show also, but it  
would infuriate many of the "artsy" fans/players these days because  
they would think they didn't get their money's worth. Shoot, 3 tunes  
by that band is worth a whole evening of tunes by lesser bands.

Funny thing is, that the Lu Watters band also played with tremendous  
fire and volume. Most of their clone bands today miss that by a mile.  
Too much listening to records at low volume again and not enough  
listening to them live, or talking with those who did see them live.  
IMO, They get the notes, but neither the fire, nor the volume.

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