[Dixielandjazz] Sweet Figlio

[Jack Mitchell]

From: "Anton Crouch" <anton.crouch at optusnet.com.au>
>
> Less well known is Figlio's involvement in an earlier incident in New York 
> in 1917. A French researcher, whose name escapes me for the moment, has 
> investigated the matter of when the Original Dixieland Jazz Band made the 
> Columbia coupling of Darktown Strutters' Ball/Indiana and has provided 
> more information on the "30 January fiasco". It seems that, in 1917, 
> Figlio was living in New York and working as a carpenter with his friend 
> Luigi Stronzo.


Anton, that story has long been discredited. It was based on recollections 
by Eddie Edwards in the JAZZ RECORD for May, 1947. Certainly Edwards and no 
doubt La Rocca met with Columbia executives in late January and probably the 
band gave an audition whilst carpenters were working,. However the two 
titles you mention were recorded on May 31, 1917, with not a hammer blow to 
be heard.

This is from the Columbia files, traced by George Avakian. In fact in his 
discography of the ODJB in JAZZ NOTES (about October, 1944 from memory) 
Brian Rust dated that session as May, 1917 based upon the master numbers.

Best wishes

Jack Mitchell