The Vagabonds

Billed during their heyday as "America's daffiest, laughiest swing quartet," the Vagabonds (Attilio Risso on accordion, Pete Peterson on stand-up bass and comedy guitarists Dominic Germano and Al Torriere) were comedians first and musicians second. There were seemingly a million groups like this after the second World War working the taverns and nightclubs on both coasts; a couple of guitars, an accordion and a stand-up bass, doing "special material," song parodies and comedy routines, usually to hide the woeful vocal deficiencies of the group itself. Not as corny or as rural ...