Andy Bartha and His Deep South Dixieland Jazz Band
Andy Bartha and His Deep South Dixieland Jazz Band
Recorded "Live" at Warren Foster's Moonraker Restaurant, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
Art Records ALP-86
From the back cover: Warren Foster, never one to take a back seat to anyone when sure he was right, astonished dubious friends and associates when his installation of Andy Bartha's Deepsouth Dixieland Jazz Band in the Top Gallant Room at the Moon- raker proved more than an aesthetic and financial accomplishment.
Less than a year after construction of what was to be primarily a haven for lovers of good food, properly prepared and efficiently served, not to mention an unrivaled wine cellar, Foster noticed that another element of first rate tradition was a logical suppelment. Subsequent conferences with Andy Bartha resulted in le jazz hot in the Top Gallant.
From the beginning, those who doubted were silenced. The Top Gallant flourished as the below decks area had and Mr. Foster decided to add dancing.
As anyone of taste knows, Dixieland Jazz ranks with the best dance music in the recorded history of mankind. After a brief experimental period, the permanent dance floor was constructed and life at the Moonraker became even more interesting.
Consider the ingredients: business know-how, superlative food, beverages, and music, and a potential audience which was starved for this kind of quality in all departments.
Imitators may have their brief moments in the limelight, but cannot compete with originals. Warren Foster and Andy Bartha (with his sidekicks) fall into the latter category.
Less than a year after construction of what was to be primarily a haven for lovers of good food, properly prepared and efficiently served, not to mention an unrivaled wine cellar, Foster noticed that another element of first rate tradition was a logical suppelment. Subsequent conferences with Andy Bartha resulted in le jazz hot in the Top Gallant.
From the beginning, those who doubted were silenced. The Top Gallant flourished as the below decks area had and Mr. Foster decided to add dancing.
As anyone of taste knows, Dixieland Jazz ranks with the best dance music in the recorded history of mankind. After a brief experimental period, the permanent dance floor was constructed and life at the Moonraker became even more interesting.
Consider the ingredients: business know-how, superlative food, beverages, and music, and a potential audience which was starved for this kind of quality in all departments.
Imitators may have their brief moments in the limelight, but cannot compete with originals. Warren Foster and Andy Bartha (with his sidekicks) fall into the latter category.
Also from the back cover: ANDY BARTHA, Cornet, Detroit, Mich.
Started as concert violinist, took up the horn while in the service. Left Frank Gillis' Dixie 5 to Join Pee Wee Hunt. During the ten and a half years Andy worked with Pee Wee, he made 364 recordings for Capitol, including the hit record, "Oh!" Andy has worked with Patti Page, Les Brown, and "Afternoon At The Chase", and with Clancy Hayes' San Fran- cisco Jazz Band.An album Andy made with the Dixie 5 is now a collectors' item and will be reissued on an LP for the Jazzology label. The album Andy made with the late and great Jack Teagarden is also being processed for reissue on an LP.
BILLY "FATS" HAGEN, Piano, Rochester, N. Y.
The tunesmith of the band, wrote for Stan Kenton and Fats Waller and has been with Andy for seven years.
LARRY WILSON, Clarinet, Dayton, Ohio
Comes from a musical family, received his basic training from his father, Claude Wilson, formerly saxophone player with the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra. Larry traveled with the Bourbon Street Paraders and has been with Andy some six years.
RAY BROOKS, Trombone, Columbus, Ohio
Had his own big band and TV show before moving to Florida. LARRY SCHRAM, Banjo, Algonac, Mich.
Was leader of the "Back Room Boys", now works all the guest artist shows with Andy.
CHUCK KARLE, String Bass, Detroit, Mich.
Worked on Pee Wee Hunt's band with Andy
CARL PETICCA, Drums, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Played with the Ralph Flanagan band on the Jackie Gleason show with Phil Napoleon and was with the Four Saints before joining Andy. JOHN DENGLER, Bass Saxophone, Pocono Mountains, Pa.
Plays 18 instruments, worked with the late Pee Wee Russell, with Bobby Hackett, Billy Maxted, and on the Gleason show with Don Goldie. Because of his versatility, John is much in demand. He plays Bass Sax, Tuba, and Valve Trombone with Andy's group.
Several of the country's top jazz experts have had the opportunity to hear the Andy Bartha Band in the past years and all of them have come away raving about the fantastic horn of Andy Bartha and the tremendous swing of the band. These experts have included: Bill Bacin, president of the New Orleans Jazz Club of California; George Buck, producer of Jazzology Records, and the well-known Alex Grossman, jazz column- ist from the Catskill region of New York State.
Many of today's top jazz musicians have, at one time or another, made appear ances with the Andy Bartha Band and a short listing reads like a Who's Who in Jazz Music. Wild Bill Davison, Jimmy McPartland, Billy Butterfield, Bobby Hackett, Johnny Windhurst, Smokey Stover, Don Goldie, Flip Phillips, Frank Hubble, George Brunis, Eddie Hubble, Rickey Nelson, Les Gifford, Cody Sondifer, Charlie Bornemann, Zoot Sims, Tex Beneke, Pee Wee Hunt, Clancy Hayes, Don Ewell, Johnny Varro, Eddie Peabody, Don McLean, and Ray McKinley are just a partial listing that comes to mind on short notice.
Traditional Jazz Music, whether called Dixieland or what have you, is basically happy music. What is not generally realized is Jazz Music is America's only contribution to the musical arts. Why it has not gotten greater acceptance in the country of its birth has always been one of the big mysteries of life to me. What you will hear on this record is today's modern contemporary Jazz music. There are no messages, no tips on how to turn on, and ways to overthrow anything. Just sit back, dance if you want to but, most of all, listen.
This session is a typical set of the Andy Bartha Band. It was recorded on a Sunday afternoon, November 2, 1969, in the Top Gallant Room of the Moonraker Restaurant in Ft. Lauderdale. If you are ever in Ft. Lauderdale area, I would advise you to make hearing them a must. If you are pressed for time, I would suggest you make it a Saturday night. That's the night Andy and the boys go to 3 A.M.. Whoopie! After the recording date, the band boarded the Harem III, a 60-foot Pacemaker, owned by jazz enthusiast Floyd Lewis, where they found time to relax, unwind, and play some easy midnight blues while sailing down the waterway LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL! – Dick Shinedling
Take Me To The Land Of Jazz
Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gave To Me
Memphis
Milneberg Joys
Careless Love
Bye Bye Blues
The Word Got Around
Melancholy Blues
Wolverine Blues
