INTERMISSION June 2012 Edition Larry Ward, Editor at [email protected] NEXT MEETING “D” DAY SUNDAY, JUNE 17 WED., JUNE 6 www.nojcsc.org FATHER’S DAY, SUNDAY, JUNE 17 FLAG DAY, THURSDAY, JUNE 14 June 2012 Office of the President The very existence of the Intermission is being threatened by the sudden departure of our Intermission Editor, Larry Ward. Larry is unable to continue due to pressing personal commitments. The person(s) to replace Larry must have a reporter’s flair for producing articles and items of interest that relate to our Club and to Jazz. They will work closely with our outside computer consultant on final assembly and production of the magazine. Larry estimates that the average time it takes him to produce the Intermission every month is approximately twenty hours. In order to keep continuity of the Intermission for our July edition we must be able to have the new person(s) in place and in training before June 17th. Please call me at 949 498 9301 or email me at [email protected] for more discussion if you have a seri- ous interest. In closing, I would like to say ‘thank you’ to all the volunteers who come together to make our Club what it is and a special thank you to all of the musicians who practice their instruments in dark closets, bathrooms and anywhere they can whilst risk- ing serious personal injury from their neighbours, friends and families in their pursuit of music perfection. (I know that I keep repeating this paragraph but it is that important.) Keep “Classic Jazz live, if we don’t who will”? “The Beat Goes On” John Hockins - President YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE!!! PIZZA PARTY!!! The Club meeting on June 17th happens to fall on Father’s Day, so the Club will celebrate this grand occasion by serving PIZZA and other GOODIES to one and all. So come out in force and enjoy GREAT DIXIELAND JAZZ and SUMPTUOUS GOOD EATS. Published Monthly by New Orleans Jazz Club of Southern California A non-profit 501C(3) corporation - www.nojcsc.org June 2012 Issue No. 6 of our 44th Year CHECK PAGE 8 FOR NEW ADS!!! CHECK PAGE 8 FOR NEW ADS!!! 1 Jazz Pioneer ‘Faz’ Fazola Fazola or Faz was born in New Orleans, GOOD OL’ USA! Louisiana as Irving Henry Prestopnik. He got the nickname Fazola from his childhood Flag Day, June 14 skill at Solfege (“Fa-Sol-La”). He decided to use the nickname as his family name, and In the United States Flag Day is celebrated many fellow musicians were unaware that on June 14. It commemorates the adoption of Fazola was not his birth name. Many people the flag of the United States, which happened feel that he adopted the name “Fazola” from that day by resolution of the Second Conti- Louis Prima, when ‘Faz’ toured with him. nental Congress in 1777. The United States Prima would tell ‘Faz’ that he was ‘Fazola’, Army also celebrates the Army Birthday on Italian for ‘Beans’. That was Jazz talk for this date; Congress adopted "the American BERNIE & LU’S CORNER being cool. continental army" after reaching a consensus Influenced early on by Leon Roppolo, position in the Committee of the Whole on We have the good fortune to be able to who Fazola continued to idolize throughout June 14, 1775. actually have the date and year of the his life, Fazola was playing professionally In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson is- performer we are about to discuss. She is by age 15. In his home city of New Orleans sued a proclamation that officially estab- Ella Fitzgerald and we saw her at the he worked with such bandleaders as Candy lished June 14 as Flag Day; in August 1949, Candido, Louis Prima, Sharkey Bonano, National Flag Day was established by an Act Coconut Grove in the Ambassador Hotel of Congress. on October 21, 1966, in Los Angeles. Armand Hug, and Ellis Stratakos. When the touring Ben Pollack band came Flag Day is not an official federal holiday, Bernie was still working at TRW and we through New Orleans in 1935 Fazola joined it is at the President's discretion to officially were the guests of a customer and his the band and toured the country and played proclaim the observance. wife and two friends. We had a big residencies in New York City and Chicago On June 14, 1937, Pennsylvania became booth right near the stage where she per- with them. After brief stints with Gus Arn- the first (and only) U.S. state to celebrate formed. heim, Glenn Miller, and time back in New Flag Day as a state holiday, beginning in the Ella was elegant and she had a lovely, Orleans, he joined the Bob Crosby band in town of Rennerdale. warm voice with an extraordinary vocal 1938. His work with Crosby brought him One of the longest-running Flag Day pa- range. Some of her vocals were: “Nice national fame. He ranked first in the Down rades is held annually in Quincy, Massachu- Beat polls of 1940 and 1941 as the top hot setts, which began in 1952, celebrating its Work If You Can Get It”, “Flying 59th year in 2010. The 59th Annual Appleton Home”, “Oh, Lady Be Good” as well as clarinetist, winning out over such other greats as Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, and Wisconsin 2009 Flag Day Parade featured “A-Tisket, A-Tasket”, which she had Edmond Hall. the U.S. Navy. The largest Flag Day parade composed herself. It is clear, listening to Fazola’s mature is held annually in Troy, New York, which References from Wikipedia informs style in the late 1930s (My Inspiration with bases its parade on the Quincy parade and us she was born April 25, 1917. She was the Bob Crosby Orchestra, for instance), that typically draws 50,000 spectators. a diabetic and in 1993 had both legs am- his main influence by then was Jimmie Perhaps the oldest continuing Flag Day putated. She died June 15, 1996, at age Noone. He played on the Glenn Miller com- parade is at Fairfield, Washington. Beginning 79, in Beverly Hills, California. position Doin’ the Jive which was released in 1909 or 1910, Fairfield has held a parade every year since, with the possible exception on Brunswick and Vocalion in 1938 by the of 1918, and celebrated the "Centennial" pa- See you next month.... first Glenn Miller Orchestra. After leaving Crosby’s band two years rade in 2010, along with some other com- later he alternated between playing with memorative events. various groups in New York, Chicago, and Source: Wikipedia Farewell Good Friends New Orleans (including a stint with George Brunies at the Famous Door) before return- For the past year and one-half it has ing to New Orleans for good in 1943. While been my honor and privilege to serve some of his fellow musicians urged Fazola the NOJCSC in the capacity of Editor that greater fame and fortune awaited him in for the Intermission monthly newsletter. the big cities up north, Fazola said he was more comfortable in his home town with its It has been an unforgettable experience wonderful food (which he ate in great quan- as I have gotten to know a fascinating tities, becoming ever more obese). Accord- and devoted group of Dixieland Jazz ing to Pete Fountain, for whom Fazola was musicians and enthusiasts and a lot one of his two foremost idols, ‘Faz’ also more than I ever imagined about the drank heavily, which contributed to his many talented artists who gave the weight and his early death in New Orleans at world the music we so appreciate. Many age 36. thanks to you all, especially John, the In New Orleans ‘Faz’ had a radio show on Board of Directors, Fred, and Sushi. All WWL, sometimes led his own band, and the best . in music and otherwise. worked with bandleaders Tony Almerico and Louis Prima. Larry Ward Source: Wikipedia 2 Jazz Pioneer ‘Peanuts’ Hucko THE WINNERS’ CIRCLE ‘Peanuts’ Hucko long had a sound on DOOR PRIZES: clarinet that is nearly identical to that of Pat Wilke (Noble Cause Foundation): 4-mo. Benny Goodman. A fine tenor player in Subscription to American Rag his early days (although he largely gave Donor: Publisher up the instrument after the 1940s), Teddy Siegele: Bottle of BV Merlot Hucko's clarinet is an attractive addition to any Dixieland or swing combo. He started out as a tenor saxophonist RAFFLE PRIZES playing in the big bands of Will Bradley (1939-1941), Charlie Spivak (1941-1942), Lynn Olson: Pack of 2 Kitchen towels and Bob Chester. Hucko was a member of Nita Westphal: Stainless Steel Sub-Zero Water Glenn Miller's Army Air Force Band, Bottle where he was a star clarinet soloist. Emmy Lou Bradt: Bottle of Sutter Home Merlot After being discharged from the mili- Dodo Stowers: Pack of 20 AA Batteries tary and playing with Benny Goodman Mary Lunning: Planters Dry Roasted Peanuts (1945-1946) and Ray McKinley (1946- Helen Nielson: Wallet 47), Hucko started an on-and-off associa- Donor: Lu Petitjean tion with Eddie Condon. He worked in Nita Westphal: CD, Paul McCartney’s Kisses the studios in the 1950s, visited Europe On the Bottom with Jack Teagarden and Earl Hines in Donor: Stan Verde 1957, toured the world with Louis Arm- strong's All-Stars (1958-1960), and in the Thanks to all those who donated door and raffle 1960s often led his own Dixie/swing prizes and purchased raffle tickets — all drawing band.