[Dixielandjazz] 50's Dixieland in Boston

[l.swain at comcast.net]

Reading about OKOM in NYC per Barbone got me to thinking about my experiences in Boston in the 50's. 

I graduated high school in 1953, where some of us had put together a small combo that played lots of Dixie, and attended Northeastern U for 5 yrs thereafter. The school is close to Massachusetts Ave, and to a section of that road that included a number of clubs that hosted Dixie bands from around the country -- see http://www.bostonmagazine.com/articles/the_shape_of_jazz_that_was/ for a detailed account of those times. 

I spent many an evening at the Savoy, and met many bands there, featuring giants in the genre. Then attended MIT for 2 yrs, a mile or two up Mass ave, and continued to enjoy times at the Savoy. 

The article, written by well-known Nat Hentoff, tells about those times in detail. 

The clubs have been gone for years. One of the few places we go nowadays to see and hear live Dixieland is the Sherborn Inn, in Sherborn, far from Boston, although there are quite a few venues around the state that can be read about in marce's www.nejazz.com. 

Larry Swain 
Backup pianist of last resort, Boston area.