[Dixielandjazz] FW: Dukes

[macjazz]

As a kid, I would go with my dad to hear various NO groups, including 
sitting outside Lodge halls, Clubs and Bars in the "wrong part of town" at 
the time to listen to many many performers and groups.  (Yes, the police 
moved us along regularly, even just sitting the car, but much of the time 
they hadn't had supper yet and were happy to go get a little something to 
eat while we continued to sit there.)

The Assunto boys played well and were often around (they were just a little 
younger) but the group itself wasn't looked at the same way the other bands 
were.  It wasn't as much a question of good or bad or of commercial or non 
commercial.  It was more just "different."  At least that is my memory from 
being there as a kid.

It is interesting to me that you put them in a class with Watters and Turk 
in that I didn't really care for them either until I Waa up in my twenties. 
Coincidence? Now I think I have all the Watters LPs that there are, and all 
the AF Dukes for that matter. Still neither of them were in the same group 
(to me at the time) as the various New Orleans groups or the Condon/Rampart 
Street Paraders sides.

Just me and an old man's memory.

Martin D. McKay (Designated Listener)




----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jim Kashishian" <jim at kashprod.com>
To: "Martin D. McKay" <macjazz at comcast.net>
Cc: "Dixieland Jazz Mailing List" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Thursday, November 13, 2008 1:03 PM
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] FW: Dukes


>
> Martin D. McKay wrote:
>>New Orleans considered the Dukes as commercial almost from their 
>>beginning.
>
> They were never in the same class with groups like the Basin Street Six
> (George Girard and Pete Fountain) or even Al Hirt's early groups.
>
> I, of course, can only speak from the So. Calif side, as that is where I 
> was
> at the time.  The Duke's Audio Fidelity records made them a commercial
> success, which somehow tends to get one tarred with the nasty "commercial"
> brand!
>
> To my ears, they were as "smooth" as the Basin Street Six...smooth 
> probably
> being the nasty part that turned away the lovers of the West Coast
> style....represented by Watters & Turk.
> Plus, the Dukes played more well-known (commercial?) numbers than did W & 
> T,
> who were always digging up old songs.
>
> I don't particularly think "commercial" is a naughty word.
>
> Jim
>
>
>
>
>
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