Dukes of Dixieland
Encyclopedia
Dukes of Dixieland was a New Orleans dixieland
revival band formed in 1948 by brothers Frank Assunto, trumpet; Fred Assunto, trombone; and their father Papa Jac Assunto, trombone and banjo. Their first records featured Jack Maheu, clarinet; Stanley Mendelsohn, piano; Tommy Rundell, drums; and Barney Mallon, tuba and string bass. During its run the band also featured musicians such as Pete Fountain
, Jerry Fuller, Jim Hall
, Herb Ellis
.And Bob"Duke" Assunto [Son]
Dukes of Dixieland were featured on the first stereo record
, released November 1957, on the Audio Fidelity
label. Sidney Frey, founder and president of Audio Fidelity
, had Westrex cut the disk for release before any of the major record labels. In 1978, the DUKES recorded the first Direct-to-Disk album and then in 1984, were the first jazz band to record on CD. In 1980 they recorded a television special at the old Civic Theater in New Orleans, with the New Orleans Pops Orchestra and later performed in a TV special with Woody Herman, "Wood Choppers Ball." In 1986, they invited jazz master Danny Barker to perform with them at Mahogany Hall to record a television special "Salute to Jelly Roll Morton." In 2001, their gospel CD "Gloryland" was nominated for a Grammy. In 2011 they recorded with the Oak Ridge Boys in a Nashville, a CD titled "Country Meets Dixie."
They have performed with symphony orchestras, including the Cincinnati, Cleveland, Chicago, National, New York Pops in Carnegie Hall and 29 other orchestras around the world. In 2005, they traveled aboard the Steamboat Natchez up the Mississippi and Ohio rivers to Cincinnati, raising money for the Bush-Clinton Katrina Relief Fund, while many of the band members homes were still destroyed. In 2011 they performed with the Boston Pops.
Fred and Frank Assunto both died young and the Dukes of Dixieland disbanded in the early 1970s. In April 1974, Producer/Manager John Shoup re-started the DUKES of Dixieland with Connie Jones
as leader, leased Louis Prima's nightclub atop the Monteleone Hotel in the French Quarter and re-named it "DUKES PLACE." The DUKES of Dixieland have not been affiliated with the Assunto Family since 1974, some 37 years ago.
1975-80
1981-85
1986-89
1990-2010
2011-
Dixieland
Dixieland music, sometimes referred to as Hot jazz, Early Jazz or New Orleans jazz, is a style of jazz music which developed in New Orleans at the start of the 20th century, and was spread to Chicago and New York City by New Orleans bands in the 1910s.Well-known jazz standard songs from the...
revival band formed in 1948 by brothers Frank Assunto, trumpet; Fred Assunto, trombone; and their father Papa Jac Assunto, trombone and banjo. Their first records featured Jack Maheu, clarinet; Stanley Mendelsohn, piano; Tommy Rundell, drums; and Barney Mallon, tuba and string bass. During its run the band also featured musicians such as Pete Fountain
Pete Fountain
Pete Fountain , is an American clarinetist based in New Orleans. He has played jazz, Dixieland and Creole music.-Early life and education:...
, Jerry Fuller, Jim Hall
Jim Hall (musician)
James Stanley Hall is an American jazz guitarist.-Biography:Educated at the Cleveland Institute of Music, Hall moved to Los Angeles where he began to attract national, and then international, attention in the late 1950s...
, Herb Ellis
Herb Ellis
Mitchell Herbert "Herb" Ellis was an American jazz guitarist. Perhaps best known for his 1950s membership in the trio of pianist Oscar Peterson, Ellis was also a staple of west-coast studio recording sessions, and was described by critic Scott Yanow as "an excellent bop-based guitarist with a...
.And Bob"Duke" Assunto [Son]
Dukes of Dixieland were featured on the first stereo record
Stereophonic sound
The term Stereophonic, commonly called stereo, sound refers to any method of sound reproduction in which an attempt is made to create an illusion of directionality and audible perspective...
, released November 1957, on the Audio Fidelity
Audio Fidelity Records
Audio Fidelity Records, was a record company out of New York City, most active during the 1950s and 1960s. They are best known for having produced the first mass-produced American stereophonic long-playing record in November 1957 .-Background:Sidney Frey , founder and president of...
label. Sidney Frey, founder and president of Audio Fidelity
Audio Fidelity Records
Audio Fidelity Records, was a record company out of New York City, most active during the 1950s and 1960s. They are best known for having produced the first mass-produced American stereophonic long-playing record in November 1957 .-Background:Sidney Frey , founder and president of...
, had Westrex cut the disk for release before any of the major record labels. In 1978, the DUKES recorded the first Direct-to-Disk album and then in 1984, were the first jazz band to record on CD. In 1980 they recorded a television special at the old Civic Theater in New Orleans, with the New Orleans Pops Orchestra and later performed in a TV special with Woody Herman, "Wood Choppers Ball." In 1986, they invited jazz master Danny Barker to perform with them at Mahogany Hall to record a television special "Salute to Jelly Roll Morton." In 2001, their gospel CD "Gloryland" was nominated for a Grammy. In 2011 they recorded with the Oak Ridge Boys in a Nashville, a CD titled "Country Meets Dixie."
They have performed with symphony orchestras, including the Cincinnati, Cleveland, Chicago, National, New York Pops in Carnegie Hall and 29 other orchestras around the world. In 2005, they traveled aboard the Steamboat Natchez up the Mississippi and Ohio rivers to Cincinnati, raising money for the Bush-Clinton Katrina Relief Fund, while many of the band members homes were still destroyed. In 2011 they performed with the Boston Pops.
Fred and Frank Assunto both died young and the Dukes of Dixieland disbanded in the early 1970s. In April 1974, Producer/Manager John Shoup re-started the DUKES of Dixieland with Connie Jones
Connie Jones
Connie Jones is an American jazz trumpeter and cornetist from New Orleans.Jones started playing the bugle while in military school, and later changed to trumpet at age 10. His first professional band was the Basin Street Six, a traditional New Orleans jazz group led by him and Pete Fountain...
as leader, leased Louis Prima's nightclub atop the Monteleone Hotel in the French Quarter and re-named it "DUKES PLACE." The DUKES of Dixieland have not been affiliated with the Assunto Family since 1974, some 37 years ago.
Band Alumni
- 1959-61 — Rich MattesonRich MattesonRich A. Matteson, was an American jazz artist, collegiate music educator, international jazz clinician, big band leader, and jazz composer/arranger...
1975-80
- Mike VaxMike VaxMike Vax is a jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, and clinician. A native of the San Francisco Bay Area, he performs exclusively on Getzen trumpets, cornets, and flugelhorns and has the status of an International Artist for the Getzen Company. He has played lead and solo trumpet with the Stan...
- Dick Johnson
- Billy Menier
- Otis Bazoon
- Al Bernard
- Jerry Mehan
- Bob O'Rourke
- Bill Huntington
1981-85
- Frank Trapani
- Phamous Lambert
- Booby Floyd
- Freddy Kohlman
1986-89
- Harry Waters
- J.B Scott
1990-2010
- Richard Taylor
- Al Barthlow
- Everett Link
- Ben Smith
- Tim Laughlin
- Kevin Clark
- Earl Bonie
- Mike Fulton
- Jamie Wight
- Tom McDermott
2011-
- Kevin Clark
- Ben Smith
- Scott Obenschain
- Ryan Burrage
- Alan Broome
- J.J. Juliano
Guest Artists
- Danny Barker
- Charlie Brent
- George French
- Woody Herman
- Moses Hogan
- Luther Kent
- Jack Maheu
- New Orleans Gospel Choir
- Joe Williams
- Oak Ridge Boys