Columnist Jerry Fink: In face of disaster, band keeps up its Dukes

Friday, Sept. 23, 2005 | 9:38 a.m.

Jerry Fink's lounge column appears on Fridays. Reach him at jerry@lasvegassun.com at (702) 259-4058.

Even a hurricane can't keep the Dukes of Dixieland from performing.

Since 1990 the Dukes, together for more than 30 years, have had a regular gig aboard the steamboat Natchez.

The Natchez, which makes daily sightseeing trips up and down the Mississippi River, normally is docked in New Orleans.

When the Hurricane Katrina warnings were issued, the boat was taken up river to Baton Rouge, where it will remain until early November.

With time on their hands, the Dukes began looking for a quick gig.

They found it at the fledgling Celebrity Las Vegas club, 201 N. Third St. at Ogden Avenue, in the new "downtown entertainment district" across from the Lady Luck.

So far, in addition to the Celebrity Club, the block-long district includes Hogs & Heifers and the Triple G Bar and Grill.

The Dukes of Dixieland should kick the entertainment zone up a notch when they perform Oct. 4 through Oct. 29.

John Shoup, manager of the Dukes and producer of the PBS and Discovery Channel series "Great Chefs," says the six-piece dixieland jazz band has no connection to the original Dukes of Dixieland.

"I just wanted to keep the name alive so I formed my own Dukes of Dixieland in 1974," he said. "I registered the name, which the original band failed to do."

The first Dukes of Dixieland were a dominant force on the jazz scene for almost 30 years.

Its roots go back to 1946 when brothers Frank and Fred Assunto, then 14 and 17 respectively, and a small band of other musicians began playing gigs in New Orleans.

One of the early members of the band was Pete Fountain.

In 1951 a law student at Tulsane University in New Orleans became the group's manager.

The student was Joe Delaney, who, prior to becoming a law student, had worked for Decca records from 1946 to 1951.

In 1967 Delaney became a critic and entertainment writer for the Las Vegas Sun, a position he held until his death at age 80 in 2002.

With Delaney's guidance the original Dukes of Dixieland gained widespread popularity and eventually found a home in Las Vegas. In 1956 it became the first jazz band to record in stereo.

"Joe ran the band in their heyday," Shoup said. "He did a heck of a job."

Following the deaths of Fred Assunto in 1966 and Frank Assunto in 1974 the band disappeared.

Shoup picked up the jazz gauntlet.

"Actually, the old group started falling apart when Freddie died," Shoup said. "Frank ran the band and did pickup gigs for a long time, but after he died in '74 nothing hapened with the band."

He put together the new Dukes of Dixieland and bought a club in New Orleans formerly owned by Louis Prima.

"I had to fly to Las Vegas to ask Louis' permission," Shoup recalled. "I met him on his golf course."

A year later, Prima was in New Orleans when he was operated on for a brain tumor, lapsed into a coma and died three years later in 1978.

Shoup's Dukes operated out of their own clubs for more than 16 years, until they were given the engagement aboard the Natchez in 1990.

"I wanted out of the nightclub business," Shoup said.

The Dukes perform aboard the steamboat seven nights a week during the dinner cruise.

Every year they record a CD.

"We were the first jazz group to record CDs in 1984," Shoup said.

A Mardi Gras album will be released in January.

"And we finished a Christmas album just before the hurricane hit," Shoup said.

Lounging around

Drummer Benny Bennet celebrated his 83rd birthday Tuesday night a Steven David's, 545 E. Sahara Ave.

The Raj Rathor Trio performs from 7 p.m. until 10:30 p.m. Mondays at TIPPS Thai Cuisine, 5740 Spring Mountain Rd.

Catch Larry Wild Wrice and the Gents of Swing from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the Artisan, 1501 W. Sahara Ave., for Sunday Brunches .

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