[Dixielandjazz] Jazz Musicians in Queens - was Good unknown musicians - Why?

[Stephen G Barbone]

Dear Bill:

You are welcome. Queens County, part of NYC,  was a treasure trove of  
jazz musicians some famous and some not so famous. From about 1920 on  
to present day. Other jazz and american songbook musicians, not  
mentioned on the site, who lived in Queens include:

Ben Bernie, Lorenz Hart, Carol Sudhalter, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis,  
Russell Jaquet, Earl Bostic, Wild Bill Davis, James "Osie" Johnson,  
Cecil Taylor, Lester Young, Cootie Williams, Oliver Nelson, plus many  
others, not so famous.

Well known OKOMers like Kenny Davern also lived in Queens. He  
graduated from Newtown High School in Queens.  And, perhaps lesser  
known,  clarinetist Hank D'Amico, a neighbor in Flushing and mentor of  
mine, who recorded with Red Norvo, Mildred Bailey and Louis Armstrong  
as well as free lancing with his own group. He was also a studio  
musician. And Jack Fay, a wonderful man and bass player at Nick's,  
with whom I gigged a few times, lived in Bayside, Queens. Sometimes on  
the way home from gigs, we'd hear Symphony Sid on the radio playing  
some great jazz and so we'd just continue driving around and  
listening. Jack played, and recorded OKOM at Nick's, mainly in a Phil  
Napoleon fronted band with Billy Maxted, Phil Olivella (clt), Andy  
Russo (tb), and Tony Spargo (Sbarbaro of ODJB fame). If you have their  
record, you can hear Spargo on kazoo. (Phil Napoleon "Live at Nick's"  
songs are air checks,circa 1949, now on CD circa 1999.) And Sam Spear  
who led one of the bands on the Jackie Gleason show lived and had his  
music store in Flushing. I bought my first expensive clarinet (a  
Buffet) from him. It cost $420 in 1950. Tom Fischer in New Orleans now  
plays it. He inherited it when my fingers became too big to properly  
play it. I switched to a Selmer 10G wide bore and my Buffet replaced  
his clarinet which was stolen shortly after Katrina devastated N.O.

You can see Tom playing it with Jonathan Russell, Buckey Pizzarelli,  
Mark Shane, Chuck Redd, et al, in 2007 at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-Yu5nhkv_w

Who was the first jazzer in Queens? Probably Jimmy Durante, who lived  
in Flushing for a year or so back in the days when he fronted a  
Dixieland Band. Sometime around 1919 or 1920. As kids, we used to  
point out the house he had rented, a few blocks from where I grew up.

Bix holds a special memory for me, since I had a six month steady  
Dixieland gig at a joint called the Melody Lounge in Sunnyside, Queens  
back in 1958. Just a block or two from where Bix died. The band room  
downstairs, was an old speakeasy. Last time I looked, the joint was an  
appliance store.

Lots of "show business" people were around Queens when Davern and I  
grew up there.  From Ziegfeld Follies retirees, to Zelda the snake  
woman in the Ringling Bros Circus. I predate Davern by a couple of  
years but we grew up together at "Nicks" and other joints. Me mostly  
listening, and him mostly playing. I remember the cutting sessions in  
various lofts, and always being cut by him. But I kept coming back for  
more "lessons". Even after my wife to be said; "Steve, he is much  
better than you."  When I told Kenny about that, he laughed and said;  
"Steve. marry her, she is honest."  I did, and we are still married.

Great days. Too bad you can't go home again.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone
www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband




On Nov 13, 2008, at 3:52 PM, Bill Haesler wrote:

> Stephen G Barbone wrote [in part]:
>>
>> For an interesting look at what jazz used to pay, to musicians who  
>> employed good agents, (no starving artists they) see:
>> http://www.forgotten-ny.com/STREET%20SCENES/jazztour/queensjazz.html
>
> Thanks Steve,
> A very interesting look behind the scene.
> Kind regards,
> Bill.