George Pops Foster in Beartown, Illinois - the 1920's, at night

from Jazz Anecdotes, pages 3-4:

Around 1923 the delegate of Local 44 got a one-night job over at Beartown, Illinois, for a little pickup band... This one big tough guy with a long mustache came carrying a crock jug over his shoulder. He was unshaven, dirty, and chewed tobacco and sat in a chair he’d pulled up right in front of the bandstand. He laid a big pistol in his lap and told us to play nothin' but Yes! We Have No Bananas. We started playing it and the guy that put on the dance came up and told us to do what the guy wanted or he'd break the dance up. All night long we played Yes! We Have No …   more >>

cite as

Bill Crow, Jazz Anecdotes (New York, 1990), p. 3-4. https://led.kmi.open.ac.uk/entity/lexp/1436959091648 accessed: 28 March, 2024

location of experience: Beartown, Illinois

Listeners

George Pops Foster
jazz bass player
1892-1969

Listening to

hide composers
Yes! We Have No Bananas

Experience Information

Date/Time the 1920's, at night
Medium live
Listening Environment in the company of others, indoors, in public

Originally submitted by Gorwel Owen on Wed, 15 Jul 2015 12:18:12 +0100