[Dixielandjazz] Condon / Duff Campbell's Revenge - question about KEY

[Bill Haesler]

GIORGI, RIC wrote:
> I think this has been run over a few times but I can't find the emails.
> Did Condon ever record Duff Campbell's Revenge in Db?...

Dear Ric,
It was.
Back on 28 February 2009.
Initiated by you with contributions from Dan Augustine, Rae Ann and Don Robertson.
Here is what was said at the time, rearranged (by me) chronologically and with all the annoying <<<s removed.
Very kind regards,
Bill.

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From: "Ric Giorgi" <ricgiorgi at sympatico.ca
Date: February 28, 2009 5:25:05 PM CST
To: ds.augustine at mail.utexas.edu
Cc: Dixieland Jazz Mailing List <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Duff Campbell's Revenge - who wrote it? 

Oh Great List - can anyone tell me who wrote Duff Campbell's revenge please? It seems to be credited to Turk but I seem to recall a discussion here that mentioned it being written by someone else.
 Ric Giorgi
Toronto

----- Original Message -----
From: "Don Robertson" 
jdrobertson at att.net
To: 
rahberry at comcast.net
Cc: "Dixieland Jazz Mailing List" <
dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
Sent: Saturday, February 28, 2009 5:28:59 PM GMT -08:00 US/Canada
Pacific
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Duff Campbell's Revenge - who wrote it?

Duff Campbell's real name was Charles Campbell.  A couple of years ago he was still with us at 90+, the San Francisco Trad Jazz Foundation threw a big party for him.   Don't know now. 
Don Robertson
Napa, CA 

Daniel Augustine wrote: 
Ric--
Turk wrote it.  Here's the story, from Bob Krenkel via Tommy Loy: 
"Bob Krenkel, transplanted Chicoan & big fan of Turk's sent this to me. 
Other listmates have asked that it be re-posted. 
Glad to oblige... 
Tommy Loy
Here is the story: 
Duff Campbell was a big fan of Turk Murphy, his band and music.
It seems that Duff made a trip to New York, and while there stopped in at Condon's.  Eddie was at the club that night, and Duff decided to introduce himself.  Part of the introduction was how he was a big fanof Turk Murphy.  Well Condon, in his typical rare (and probably inebriated) form, responded by pontificating about the inadequacies of Turk -- how he and his music were like dinosaurs, antiquated, etc.  
Well, this shattered Duff, and upon returning to San Francisco, he related the incident to Turk. Turk laughed it off, and asked Duff not to take it personally; after all, Condon was just being Condon!
A while later, Turk was contacted by George Avakian of Columbia Records. Avakian had produced several of Turk's albums for Columbia and was also a fan. Avakian informed Turk that he was producing an album entitled Eddie Condon's Treasury of Jazz, which was tied to an anthology being published by Condon at that time.  Eddie Condon would assemble the band and the theme would be tunes of various personalities covered in the book such as Fats Waller, Louis Armstrong, Bix, and Benny Goodman to name a few.  Avakian, being a fan of Turks, wanted Turk included, and asked him if he could send Condon a tune to use in the album.  Turk responded, "Better that that, I'll write one!"  He wrote it with with twists and turns, put it in Db, and titled it "Duff Campbell's Revenge."
The following is an excerpt from the liner notes of the album, written by Condon:
"If we had been able to cover all the personalities and chapters in the book without doing a tune of Turk Murphy's, we'd have gladly ducked the toughie in this collection, but the Bald Eagle that presides over the Columbia eyrie insisted that the discipline was good for us. It's called Duff Campbell's Revenge and The Head explained something about the meaning of the title but we were too busy digging the manuscript. Turk and his boys rehearsed this tune, and they know it inside out.  
We rehearsed it and we still don't.  Frankly, the band staggered through this one; it's a jawbreaker, and if you don't believe it, listen to the general struggle. I am very fond of Turk -- there's a piece about him in the book -- but he gave us a severe penance on this one."
A final note -- On the Condon recording, they play it in Eb. 
Hope this explains. 
Regards,
Bob" 

----- Original Message -----
From: "Don Robertson" 
jdrobertson at att.net
To: 
rahberry at comcast.net
Cc: "Dixieland Jazz Mailing List" 
dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
Sent: Saturday, February 28, 2009 5:28:59 PM GMT -08:00 US/Canada Pacific
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Duff Campbell's Revenge - who wrote it?

Duff Campbell's real name was Charles Campbell.  A couple of years
ago he was still with us at 90+, the San Francisco Trad Jazz
Foundation threw a big party for him.   Don't know now. 
Don Robertson
Napa, CA 

-----Original Message-----
From: 
dixielandjazz-bounces at ml.islandnet.com [mailto:
dixielandjazz-bounces at ml.islandnet.com] 
On Behalf Of rahberry at comcast.net
Sent: February 28, 2009 9:46 PM
To: Ric Giorgi
Cc: Dixieland Jazz Mailing List
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Duff Campbell's Revenge - who wrote it?

Charlie Campbell is still around, shows up occasionally at Pier 23
and always dances while there. 
I think he recently had a birthday party. 
  -- Rae Ann 

http://www.youtube.com/SFRaeAnn
http://www.clintbakerjazz.com/raeannslist.html
http://www.craigventresco.com

Many thanks to Daniel Augustine, Rae Ann and Don Robertson, 
Fascinating information about Duff Campbell's Revenge. If you see
Charlie Campbell, would you tell him my bands are playing it in
Toronto please? 
Cheers, 
Ric Giorgi
Toronto  
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