One Reader Writes...

I've really enjoyed and appreciated the many posted comments I've gotten from all of my blog readers. Once in a while I get emails as well, and the letter I got from DIANE from Friday's post about The Latin Quarter I found memorable and inspiring so I asked her if I could post it here to share with you all. 

She had written to me to let me know that her father was a musician who had often played at The Latin Quarter, and I asked if she could elaborate on this bit of personal history.

Here it is:

He's retired. He played with Woody Herman's The Herd. Can't remember the year, but I know it was a version of the band that got very good reviews, and other big bands and went on the road till I was about 3. He decided he was missing my childhood so he took the steady job at the Latin Quarter. When that closed he moved to Vegas and was the lead trumpet at the MGM Grand till he retired. Hearing problems run in my family and he finally couldn't hear enough to play. While at the MGM Grand he used to say he played music for elephants to dance to, because the band had to slow down or speed up for their moves.

He probably is online with some of the bands. He's also on some rock records, as a session player. I know he played with Tony Pastor, and Guy Lombardo. And Sammy Cahn, I think was the leader of the Latin Quarter band. 

I used to go to the union meetings with him. I think it was Wednesday afternoon at Roseland Ball Room. I remember the huge flowered carpet, and the characters. My childhood was very Broadway Danny Rose. And I know that film isn't really that far off becuause my father and Woody shared that era in NY and the small time national touring experience.

He was also 'Gabriel' in Anything Goes, an off Broadway revival. I think it starred Diahann Carroll. Unfortunately, he wasn't very good at keeping track of his career. He and my mom divorced when I was 13, and his memory has now failed. i do know that he played with a band that supported Louis Armstrong's band, and that he used to ride on Louis bus and sit next to him and hear all his stories. One night the second trumpet was out and my dad got to sit in for him. He really loved Louis Armstrong. My father was abandoned by his father as a child, and I think that Louis was a real father figure to him. 

At any rate, his name is Dudley Harvey, and I never even thought of his recordings being online. I know that in those days, the credits and pay structure was much more casual than now. Due to the family situation on my step mother's side, I no longer have access to his record collection or his scrap books. I hope that changes at some point. for now, I hear his trumpet sweet and clear in my mind.

Best to you. 

Diane

Thanks Diane. There is a great blog called "My Parents Were Awesome", and I think this could fit in there quite nicely.

Enjoy!

william

Comments

[Diane]

I'll look at at that blog. Thank you!

[Rita Rosa]

I love to read about people behind stars careers.This guy was one....Probably he was an extraordinay trumpet but...."Life is crazy and then you die" my 6 years old son says that always.