Dixieland Hall Presents George Finola

Description

Al Clark, the founder of Dixieland Hall, always considered George Finola to be an authentic Dixieland Jazz 'discovery'. Indeed, Dixieland Hall was fundamentally important to the development of young Finola's jazz 'credentials' and his introduction to the Crescent City. After all, George was a white man from up north, so this was going to take a little doing. Only the best played at Dixieland Hall; so, when Al Clark put him on the stage and made this recording, George Finola had to be taken seriously as the great musician that he was. George was originally from Chicago, and he was smitten with Dixieland Jazz while very young. He said that he came to New Orleans 'to listen and learn' from the 'grand old men' of New Orleans Jazz. (Those 'grand old men' can be heard on other recordings in the Nobility® collection.) Ultimately earning world-wide fame for his 'clear, brilliant horn, often blending with the trombone at times riding high and alone', George and his cornet even became the subject of a BBC Jazz spectacular. He toured the world, and he founded the Jazz Institute of Chicago. Ione Anderson, the original reviewer for this recording, said that young George's 'empathy with the music of New Orleans is touchingly evident.' She said that George 'loved the city where Jazz was born.' He earned a seat on the premier Mardi Gras Rex Bandwagon playing with the finest musicians in the country - and he deserved it. He made New Orleans his permanent new home where he flourished until the end of his life.