The Dukes Of Dixie Land

The story of the Dukes of Dixieland is, in fact, a chapter in the broader saga of one of New Orleans' many musical dynasties, that of the Assunto family, which can boast at least three generations of musicians to its credit. Jac Assunto was one of the first jazzmen to record in New Orleans, documented in 1925 by Ralph Peer as a member of the Midnight Serenaders. The Dukes were formed by his two sons, Freddie and Frank, in 1949, and during the '50s they rose to national prominence, first as a feature of the Bourbon Street scene at the Famous Door, then as a touring act when the...