[Dixielandjazz] Good unknown musicians

[Stephen G Barbone]

Now, it is a really small world. The band at the Donnell branch of  
NYC's public library was lead by a drummer friend of mine named Dick  
Sherman. They had been there for more than 40 years, every Thursday at  
noon. Probably the longest running steady gig in NYC. You could have  
seen any number of New York's finest OKOMers there including  
trombonists  James Lincoln Collier (also an author), or Dick Dreiwitz,  
tubist Barbra Dreiwitz, Banjo Eddie Davis or Cynthia Sayer or  
Trumpeters Jon Erik Kellso, Peter Ecklund, Dr. Palu (Paul Squires) Ed  
Polcer, clarinetists Joe Licari, Joe Muryani, etc., etc., etc.

Unfortunately, a month or so ago the building was sold and the library  
shut down. It is supposed to be in a new building sometime in 2011.  
I'm not sure if the gig survives at another branch  and will have to  
call Sherman.

Sherman and I played together in the 1950s/early 60s. Among other  
things, he took some lessons from Tony Spargo (Sbarbaro) when Tony was  
house drummer at Nicks in the 50s. So now you have a connection to the  
ODJB. Sherman and I played together a few times at Nicks, Condons,  
etc. as well as lots of times on the college circuit and in the Melody  
Lounge, Cinderella Club and lesser clubs in NYC and Long Island. Then  
I moved to California in 1962. He is still a great friend. He was a  
lawyer on his day gig and is a wonderful, swinging, drummer.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone
www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband


On Nov 8, 2008, at 5:53 PM, Marek Boym wrote:

>>
>> Yes, they are good. One of the neat things about living where I do  
>> is that I
>> get to hear musicians in NYC, Philadelphia and Baltimore-Washington  
>> DC.
>> There are hundreds, if not thousands of good jazz musicians in that
>> corridor. Mostly unknown. How lucky I am, to still get out and  
>> listen to
>> live music. So much good live music lout there, so little time.
>
> I know.  In 1980, I went to the Donnell (sp?) library and heard a
> wonderful group of musicinans of whom I had never heard before, none
> of them too young.
>
> Cheers