[Dixielandjazz] Little Known Players

[Stephen G Barbone]

On Oct 5, 2009, at 8:57 PM, dixielandjazz-request at ml.islandnet.com  
wrote:

> James Butler <jbutler6 at twcny.rr.com>
>
> There are so many little known or under appreciated musicians that  
> have
> passed by the music scene that it would be good just to have people  
> mention
> their names. For myself I would suggest people like Lee Giffor,tbnDick
> Baars,cntJohn Ulrich,Pn,Gene Bolen,Clt just to mention a few.Being an
> ex-trombone player I tend to drift in that instrument's direction  
> but you
> get the point. I guess what got me thinking about it was my  
> listening to
> Harry DiVito one of many that has slipped through the cracks. It  
> seems like
> only a select few get to be revered but there sure were an awful lot  
> of fine
> jazz players that haven't seen the light of day recognition wise.  
> Not that
> they are unknowns but more that they are put on the back shelf so to  
> speak.
> It would be nice to start a discussion about woderful players that  
> have
> caught the ear of jazz listeners out there on this list.

Yeah Jim, I'm with you. Harry DiVito was with Phil Napoleon for about  
5 years in the 1950s. Anyone who say Phil at Nick's during that time  
should remember DiVito. He played with a lot of big bands earlier, and  
in bands for broadway shows and movies later. Fine player.

Glad to see you appreciate trombonist Lee Gifford. I talked about him  
with marty Grosz about a month ago. Marty called him a "trick" player  
because of his high note ability. I loved to see Gifford at Nick's  
subbing for Andy Russo in Pee Wee Erwin's band. I later got to work  
about 10 gigs with him in a band called the Beale Street Stompers. He  
replaced Al (Jimmy) Winters when Al moved out of New York. Gifford was  
a very energetic player and fun to play with. Anybody know what  
happened to him?

Grosz and I think he stopped playing and moved to Florida circa 1960.

There are a ton of fine but unsung players here in the East.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone
www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband