{"title":"The Red Onion Jazz Band","description":"\u003cspan\u003eFor well over half a century, New York City's Red Onion Jazz Band have served as legendary \u003c\/span\u003eDixieland\u003cspan\u003e revivalists, a revolving hub for countless metropolitan area \u003c\/span\u003eJazz\u003cspan\u003e outfits, the backdrop for two marriages, a rookery for younger talent, the house band for a handful of preeminent downtown clubs as well as musical collaborators for artists from both the jazz and folk world. Following a 1951 New York City \u003c\/span\u003eRiverside\u003cspan\u003e recording session with Carl Halen as part of The Washboard Five, drummer Bob Thompson borrowed the name of \u003c\/span\u003eClarence Williams\u003cspan\u003e' studio supergroup, \u003c\/span\u003eRed Onion Jazz Babies\u003cspan\u003e, and assembled an ensemble of jazz aficionados dedicated to the traditional New Orleans style. Following a 1954 recording gig with cornetist \u003c\/span\u003eDoc Evans\u003cspan\u003e, the outfit received top billing two years later on their debut release, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eDance off Both Your Shoes in Hi-Fi\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. By the close of the 1950s, the group, who were also performing as Davern's Salty Dogs, headed back into the studio in support of Chicago cartoonist \u0026amp; poet \u003c\/span\u003eShel Silverstein\u003cspan\u003e, who'd convinced \u003c\/span\u003eElektra\u003cspan\u003e's Jac Holzman he could record an album of old-time jazz and blues for his debut release, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eHairy Jazz\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. With pianist \u003c\/span\u003eBob Greene\u003cspan\u003e as part of the collaborative line-up, the band's moniker had even more credence, as it was he who had previously recorded with an original \u003c\/span\u003eRed Onion\u003cspan\u003e, clarinetist \u003c\/span\u003eSidney Bechet\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAs the 1960s folk boom was full swing in the coffee houses of Greenwich Village, MacDougal Street's unofficial mayor, \u003c\/span\u003eDave Van Ronk\u003cspan\u003e, teamed up with the septet in July '63 to record the second album for his new label, \u003c\/span\u003ePrestige\u003cspan\u003e. Fresh off the release of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eFolksinger\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, and later professing a tongue in cheek desire to \"play jazz in the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eworst\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e way\", the collaborative effort between the folk vanguard \u0026amp; his hot jazz counterparts was the aptly titled \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eIn the Tradition\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. At the close of the decade, vocalist \u003c\/span\u003eNatalie Lamb\u003cspan\u003e began regularly performing with The Red Onion Jazz Band. By 1972, she and the band's percussionist and leader, Bob Thompson, were wed. Several years earlier, the band's long-time trombonist, Dick Dreiwitz, and his tuba playing wife, Barbara, had a son, Dave, who ended up playing bass for \u003c\/span\u003eWeen\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe core of The Red Onion Jazz Band has remained statically fixed around its leader Bob Thompson, who alongside seasoned veterans Joe Muranyi, Steve Knight, Dick Dreiwitz and John Bucher, keep 'marching' along. The outfit's loose assemblage often enables its members to pursue other endeavors and projects. On any given Monday night over a two decade period, veterans John Bucher and Dick Dreiwitz along with newer members Barbara Dreiwitz and Cynthia Sayer, could often be found gigging with \u003c\/span\u003eWoody Allen\u003cspan\u003e and his New Orleans Funeral \u0026amp; Ragtime Orchestra at \u003c\/span\u003eMichael's Pub\u003cspan\u003e in Manhattan. If the band wasn't on the weekly bill at \u003c\/span\u003eThe Cajun\u003cspan\u003e, they were likely working together in Bucher's \u003c\/span\u003eSpeakeasy Jazz Babies\u003cspan\u003e or \u003c\/span\u003eThe Smith Street Society Jazz Band\u003cspan\u003e. The newer generation of Red Onions have been able to stay loyal to their jazz roots as well, with alumni Dan Levinson recording with four ensembles he founded; Vince Giordano keeping busy with session work; and string sensation Craig Ventresco pursuing a solo career out in San Francisco.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIn the seven decades in which The Red Onion Jazz Band has honed its craft, they never officially retired. The group closed the 20th Century with their self-released album \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eSweet and Hot\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, and continued to sporadically gig at \u003c\/span\u003eThe Cajun\u003cspan\u003e jazz club through its shuttering in 2006. That following year, a contemporary street performance from the band, featuring most of the septet's long-term members, was included at the close of the 2007 documentary, \"The Ballad of Greenwich Village Culture and Counter-Culture\". A plurality of lower Manhattan's conformists, provocateurs and residents patiently awaited the revival of The Red Onion Jazz Band's unique brand of dixieland, but their hopes were never fully realized following the death of bandleader Bob Thompson in January 2010.\u003c\/span\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"dave-van-ronk-in-the-tradition","title":"| In The Tradition (LP)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size:12px;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;\"\u003eIn the Tradition was a little strange for an early Dave Van Ronk LP, with the album split evenly between tracks on which the singer is backed by the Dixieland jazz-style combo the Red Onions and by more customary acoustic folk-blues solo guitar. Both of those styles were part of his persona, though it's the more somber acoustic folk-blues that stand out more. It's a reasonably strong album, not too much different from much of the rest of his catalog, other than in the balanced mixture between jazz and folk approaches. Of the trad jazz cuts, the item that might attract the most collector interest is the jaunty \"All Over You,\" which is certainly one of the most obscure (and atypical) early Bob Dylan covers; Dylan would never release his own version, though a demo he did of the tune in 1963 has appeared on bootlegs. It's not much of a song, but its basic joie de vivre fits in well with the jazz segment of this program, on which Van Ronk's gravelly vocals credibly echo (especially for a white singer) the spirit of early New Orleans jazz vocalists like Louis Armstrong. Among the acoustic numbers are \"Green, Green Rocky Road\" and \"Rocks and Gravel,\" both of which would be recorded by several other major talents of the '60s folk scene.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size:12px;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;\"\u003eTracklist\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size:12px;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;\"\u003eA1        Cake Walking Babies From Home\u003cbr\u003e\r\nA2        Ace In The Hole\u003cbr\u003e\r\nA3        St. Louis Tickle\u003cbr\u003e\r\nA4        Death Letter Blues\u003cbr\u003e\r\nA5        If I Had To Do It All Over Again, I'd Do It All Over You\u003cbr\u003e\r\nA6        Whoa Back Buck\u003cbr\u003e\r\nB1        Sister Kate\u003cbr\u003e\r\nB2        Kansas City Blues\u003cbr\u003e\r\nB3        Green Rocky Road\u003cbr\u003e\r\nB4        See See Rider\u003cbr\u003e\r\nB5        Rocks And Gravel\u003cbr\u003e\r\nB6        Hesitation Blues\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size:12px;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;\"\u003e*Audio and\/or tracklist may vary slightly from the vinyl version.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size:12px;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;\"\u003eLabel: Dol\u003cbr\u003e\r\nRel. Date:06\/24\/2014\u003cbr\u003e\r\nUPC: 889397314637\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe allow=\"autoplay *; encrypted-media *; fullscreen *; clipboard-write\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"450\" sandbox=\"allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation\" src=\"https:\/\/embed.music.apple.com\/us\/album\/in-the-tradition\/1444019799\" style=\"width:100%;max-width:660px;overflow:hidden;border-radius:10px;\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFormat Detail: LP\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGenre: Singer\/Songwriter\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFormat: Vinyl\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReleased: 06\/24\/2014\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Dave Van Ronk","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44582342983913,"sku":"N2O0J5-QI6T-00","price":29.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0654\/3523\/8633\/files\/Dave-Van-Ronk-IN-THE-TRADITION_yxu3N_167e3bfb-d56e-4471-a515-d445f226a193.jpg?v=1759117727"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0654\/3523\/8633\/collections\/image_6014d8d6-f769-40e4-b431-e6a32868d473.jpg?v=1708731950","url":"https:\/\/www.vibinvinyl.com\/collections\/the-red-onion-jazz-band.oembed","provider":"Vibin' Vinyl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}