[Tradjazz] Influences

[Steve Barbone]

"Bill Barnes" <cleanhead77 at earthlink.net> wrote:

> Hi Steve:
> I recall you used to date Hank D'Amico's daughter back then, too.
> The radio shows you mentioned were Ted Husing's in NYC ( He also
> announced the Dodger games along with Red Barber, or was it the Giants?).
> That's the show that got me interested in Dixieland.
> The other show, from New Orleans, was Tony Almerico's All Stars
> from the Blue Room of - what was the hotel? It's still there..........
> Your old buddy
> Bill Barnes

Yeah, I couldn't remember Tony Almerico's name. Thanks for the jog. There
was another great band on that show from time to time and I can't remember
it's name either. Red Barber announced "Dem Bums", the Dodgers

Yes, I dated Betty Lou D'Amico in those days. Very pretty girl, dancer,
great legs, beautiful person, like Hank. Unfortunately she passed away from
Cancer when she was in her 50's. Same thing that got Hank in his 50's. His
other daughter and son Hank Jr., are still alive as far as I know and I last
spoke with them two years ago.

For those who don't know Hank, he played clarinet with the best of them. Was
with Red Norvo and Mildred Bailey ( a hell of a band) in the late 1930's,
then became a studio musician in NYC in order to eat, free lancing jazz on
the side in NYC and on Long Island. Recorded with Louis Armstrong and also
cut a few sides under his own name. Beautiful tone, beautiful ideas. He and
Red were a great contrast to Goodman and Hampton back then. A wonderful
player and a wonderful man.

I'll never forget a funny scene when he, Chuck Traeger and I were digging
the sounds in NYC one night after hanging out at the 802 hiring hall. Hank
had his clarinet and was sitting in. We all had a lot to drink and the next
morning Hank's wife call Traeger, and then me, because Hank had  come home
without his clarinet. He needed it for his studio gig that afternoon and
couldn't remember neither where he left it, nor where he'd been.

I called Chuck and we mentally retraced our steps and figured out where he
must have left it. Chuck called the club (Famous Door) and sure enough,
there it was on the band stand. He called Mrs. D and Hank picked it up there
on the way to the studio. Mrs. D'Amico was a wonderful person who adored
Hank and like my wife, put up with the idiosyncrasies of a jazz musician.
How lucky were both were/are.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone