Eddie Condon's (named after the guitarist and raconteur) and Jimmy Ryan's were the last two remaining clubs from the 52nd St. era of jazz in NYC. They both featured "Chicago Style" bands; trumpet, clarinet, trombone, piano, bass, drums playing standards and Dixieland tunes. Roy Eldridge led the band at Ryan's until he was forced by health problems to stop playing; Spanky Davis took over and led the band til the club closed. The band at Condon's was led by Ed Polcer; both bands drew from the same group of compatible players, although the Ryan's band was more set, personnelwise. My time at Condon's and occasionally Ryan's was like a post graduate course taught by players who originated the style.
Last edited by Steve Alcott; 03-21-2009 at 06:26 PM.
|