They used to call New Orleans the city of pleasure.
Not just because of the ladies of pleasure, or because of the hot spots, the honky tonks, barrel houses, gambling joints or the grape, but because music ran through its veins.
It was this way when New Orleans brought forth a new musical style know as ragtime at the turn of the 20th century.
And so it was when a new major jazz style known as Dixieland evolved.
No other city in the world has had so many jazz musicians - both full-time and part-time.
No other city has had so many clubs identified with top names in music - the Red Onion, the Keystone, Pete Lala's, Countess Willie Piazza's, Lulu White's, Spanola's and the Famous Door, to mention just a few.
Folks in New Orleans still talk about The Duke of Dixieland and their 44-month stand at the Famous Door.
They remember how The Dukes - like all young musicians in New Orleans - struggled as youths to make a name for themselves.
They talk about the The Dukes' genius for hammering out a beat; about how they could play slow, low-down gutstruts or fast jive with a swing until the dancers were exhausted and dripping wet; about how they could nearly blow a man down with a hot horn.
The Dukes of Dixieland work with a special arrangements which are planned and then analyzed in delail.
Since each member of the combo is a virtuoso of top caliber, instrumental ines are worked out in such a manner as to afford each player an opporitunity to display his talents.
Consequently, the net result is such as to create the impression with the listener that he is hearing an almost entirely improvised performance.

The DUKE of DIXIELAND were launched on the careet as a jazz combo in 1947, when two brothers named Frank and Fred Assunto formed a small high school band to play Dixieland in their native New Orleans.
They took the name of Basin Street Four, Five, Six, etc., depending on the number of players they could round up whenever they were able to gather for music making sessions.
The turning point in the fledgling jazzmen's careers came when bandleader Horace Heidt took his weekly radio show to New Orleans, combining the wisit with a talent hunting expedition.
Their playing on the Heidt show drew rave notices and earned them an invitition to appear with the Heidt organization on tour.
Conspicuous seccess led them to turn prfessional as the Duke of Dixieland.
Their career has since been marked by one triumph after another at the top night spots all over the country.