George James was known in Harlem as "Mexico." He was born in the South, but at one time he had fought in Mexico as a mercenary. He had a little after-hours spot on 133rd Street in the late '20s… Willie "The Lion" Smith played there, so it was a natural place for all piano players to hang out… Mexico's was the scene of many battles of music. Every Wednesday night there would be an open blowing competition. A different instrument was featured each Wednesday. One week it would be cornets, another alto saxophones, a third clarinets, and so on, until it became the turn of the tuba players. The joint was so small, only one or two tubas could be in the place at one time… Virtuoso combat was the most popular form of sport for the professional musician in those days. I shall never forget the night Fats Waller, James P. Johnson, and The Lion tangled there. Too bad there were no tape recorders in those days. << less