[Dixielandjazz] Billy Berg's and memories

[Thad McArthur]

Hi Don,    Your post "I recall Billy Berg's from my late teens in L.A." opened up a flood of memories, all musical, but not strictly the old traditional jazz that we usually discuss.  Harry the Hipster Gibson, I never saw him, but I lived with him every day for 3 years.  One of my best friends, fraternity brother, emulated him in every way. He was skinny, funny looking and billed himself not as Handsome Harry, but as Ugly Larry the Lipster, did Harry's act probably as well as Harry at the old Fantasia, out by the racetrack in south Seattle every Friday and Saturday.  Larry's skill as a pianist was validated for me in one memorable afternoon.  Larry was the Rally Chairman of the Univ. of Washington Pep Organization and arranged an appearance by Stan Kenton at an all-University pep rally.  Stan was about a half an hour late and Larry's (Greene) skills as an entertainer were wearing a little thin when I saw a little light appear in his eye.  He went back behind the curtain and returned in about 30 seconds with the impressively tall Stan the man.  After a brief bit of repartee they decided to sit down for a little comic 4-hand piano.  There was very little comedy and the piano rapidly esculated into a non-stop 30 minute jam that brought down the house (Meany Hall--about 3,000 cheering rallyiers).  Stan evidently thought this was too good to let go, I heard he wanted to continue it, so a few of us beat it back to the fraternity where we had a well-maintained 7-6 Steinway Grand.  These two guys sat together on that bench for 2 hours and played everything you could imagine or ever wanted to hear.  Stan picked up a bite of food from the kitchen before the whole house sat down to dinner.  With a warm goodbye he then headed downtown for his band engagement at the Civic Auditorium.  This was probably the Fall of 1947 or 48.  Lost track of Larry about 1950, have never heard of him since.  

Slim Gaillard, Larry worked a little of Slim into his act.  The language was Vout, they were the voutians.  It took me until 1951 to catch up to Slim Gaillard in person.  I was pretty crazy about George Shearing, I chased him down to Philadelphia to the Rondevous (is that the right name, Steve???) for a couple of nights in September of 1951.   I was stationed in the army at Rairitan Arsenal near New Brunswick, NJ.  George and his quintet then was up in New York at the old Birdland (1578 Broadway) backed by Slim Gaillard and his 3 musicians (not Slam Stewart yet).  It was Saturday. I got there about 11:30 after South Pacific in the afternoon and Richard Rogers at Lewisohn Stadium in the early evening.  I started with my long-held enthusiasm for George Shearing thru a couple of sets, but as we got to about the third round, I started nodding off during George, but came wide awake when Slim took the stand.  He wasn't that loud, he wasn't that wild, he was just damn good, not taking anything away from George.  They closed the place up about 4:00 A.M. This was probably the greatest day I have ever experienced with music.

I remember your father, his stuff with Spike Jones and then his Natural Seven and Jo Stafford, but I never got to see them.  You must have had a lot of fun growing up in that environment, but then you created a great environment in music for yourself as far as I can tell.  The above rambling is probably enough to receive a cease and desist order from the committee and perhaps from you as well.  I am always interested in any information you have to pass on.  There are a lot of good memories, most are more traditional, that we can pass back and forth.  I hope to hear more from you.

Regards,   Thad McArthur