[Dixielandjazz] First USA Dixieland Jazz Festival - 1951

[Stephen G Barbone]

On Jan 20, 2011, at 4:18 PM, Bill Haesler wrote:

> Stephen G Barbone posted [in part]:
>> On February 23, 1951 history was made in Wilkes-Barre. Eight jazz  
>> bands got together for "The Cavalcade of Dixieland Jazz" which  
>> became the country's first jazz festival.
>> On the 60th anniversary of this important event ....... on Friday,  
>> February 25th, 2011. At 6 p.m., an opening reception will feature  
>> the Lee Vincent Memorial Band.  The concert itself will begin at 7  
>> p.m.  and will feature an all-star cast of jazz greats The Bog  
>> Swing Band, The Jim Waltich Quartet, French jazz vocalist Ilona  
>> Knopfler, and trumpeter Nate Birkey with the Steve Rudolph Trio.
>
> Dear Steve,
> I wonder which bands played at the inaugural event and whether the  
> current lot named will carry on the 'dixieland' tradition.
> Just curious.
> Kind regards,
> Bill.

Dear Bill:

I don't know the answer to either question. However, folks up that way  
still like Dixieland. Barbone Street has done 5 Dixieland Jazz  
weddings in the last 2 years in that area. The location is about 120  
miles NNW from Philadelphia in the hills where they used to mine the  
coal.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone