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Tuesday, September 05, 2006

The last of the Blue Devils 

It is well known by jazz fans that Oklahoma was home to some of the best bands of the big band era. Best and most famous of these was the Blue Devils, originally known as The Oklahoma Blue Devils. The devils through their history had on their roster the best of the best. No less than Charlie Parker, Count Basie and Lester Young called themselves Blue Devils.

During their many trips across middle America the Devils created a fan base that few could rival and with it came numerous battle-of-the-bands challenges. The best of these were played out in Kansas City's legendary ball rooms. The Playmore, Coconut Grove, Hey Hey Club and dozens of others were the scene of battles that were the staple of clubs in the era but are now unheard of.

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