[Dixielandjazz] Louis and the Dukes of Dkxkieland

[Andrew Homzy]

I think the Dukes' records on Audio Fidelity are hokey - even pandering for commercial success.

However, some of their last recordings made for Columbia are quite good.

On some of them, they added either Jim Hall or Herb Ellis on guitar - and this raised their artistic level, if not credence in the jazz community considerably.

Edmund Hall, Kenny Davern, Nick Fatool, Barett Deems, and yes, the Clara Ward Singers were on these later records.

For me, their masterpiece is "Farewell Blues" - on a very rare Columbia recording, I believe - it is not listed in any discography I have seen. Their arrangement is wonderful,  features two trombones and great solos from all the horns.

I'll send an mp3 on request -

These latter recordings are the ones to judge the Dukes.

Cheers,

Andrew


On 2011-07-21, at 5:32 PM, Bill Haesler wrote:

> Jerry Brown wrote [in part]:
>> Having seen these latest posts about the Dukes of Dixieland I revisited some of 
>> the recordings ......I became mystified as to what was seen to be so special about them.
>> To me they sounded like a very run of the mill commercial dixieland outfit going through the motions of playing familiar "old favourites"......back in the fifties and sixties they were looked upon with scorn by most British jazzers who had a plethora of excellent real jazz band to listen to. 
> 
> Dear Jerry, 
> I have often wondered the same thing.
> Very few jazz people in 1960s Australia considered the Dukes to be a proper jazz band.
> Myself included.
> (We only accepted the Louis' sessions because he was our idol and in top form at that period of his musical career.)
> We too knew that our jazz bands were much better than the Dukes.
> Revisiting the records again in recent years only confirmed my original contention. And yours.
> I suppose now we both risk being thrown off the DJML.
> *>)
> In the meantime, I hope our US listmates can provide the answer to your question:
> 
>> Can someone explain their appeal - is purely nostalgic hindsight which casts such a mediocre outfit in a rosy glow or am I missing something?
> 
> Very kind regards,
> Bill.
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