[Dixielandjazz] Sam "The Man" Taylor was Sol Yaged!!! 88 today

[Stephen G Barbone]

> "dan" <danielmcm at juno.com> wrote(polite snip)
>
> Sol can be seen monday and tuesday nights at sofia's in nyc with  
> vince giordano. we talk regularly there
> from 'all about jazz'  . . . snip to . . . Equally intriguing is a  
> '50s session fronted by trumpeter Charlie Shavers that has recently  
> been re-released as part of a CD entitled Horn 'O Plenty (Lone Hill  
> Jazz). Here, Yaged's swinging stick is teamed with Shavers' sweet  
> horn, the expressive trombone of Urbie Green and Sam Taylor's  
> honking tenor for a delightful set of eight Cole Porter tunes.

Oh my, love the mention of Sam "The Man" Taylor. He was a honking  
blues player to be sure. And a great showman. I was playing opposite  
him in a Dixieland Band circa late 1950s at the Kit Kat Inn in Bayside  
NY.

Part of his routine was to "walk the bar". For you young folks, that  
meant getting up on top of the bar at the Kit Kat (square with the  
bartenders in the middle) and circumnavigating it while the band  
accompanied his honking solo from the band stand. Folks stuffed money  
into his pockets and trouser cuffs etc., as he walked.

I had a few drinks with him and he suggested that I walk the bar when  
our band started to play again. Kept at it until I agreed. I did it on  
a solo to Royal Garden Blues. The result was I made $27 in tips for  
one solo when the gig paid $25 a man for 3 hours.

Taught me a valuable lesson about connecting with the audience. <grin>

Cheers,
Steve Barbone
www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband