"[Jack Morgan in 1950] took up residence right across the hall from me on the 4th floor of New Hampshire. When he saw my Stan Kenton collection and I heard Diz, the Bird and Miles coming from his room, we became friends - he was the first jazz musician I encountered at Dartmouth.

"Jack was with the Coast under Jack English '49 for one year... When in 1953 [Wheaton} left, Frank Amick entered med school and Strap graduated, the Sultans' front line changed to Jack Morgan, Bob Lonsbury and Ron Dunton, respectively. The rhythm section of Poor, Payson & Biggs remained the same, although because of the front line difference the band moved ever so inexorably from trad jazz to more swing and (dare I say) bop. Jack's idol clearly was Fats Navarro (as is Wynton Marsalis's), and Bob Lonsbury was (is) a Benny Goodman fan all the way. Dunton came from the Kid Ory - Turk Murphy school but he readjusted somewhat, although he still added a gut-bucket component to the group. A picture of us is enclosed - courtesy of Bob Lonsbury."

(Mike Biggs, May 16, 1999)

"...I found another Sultans picture, and made a copy at Kinko's. It is dated 'Webster Auditorium, April 21, 1951'. I'm sorry Bob Poor isn't in the picture, although his bass is. Where did we get the funny hats?"

(Mike Biggs, May, 1999)

Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College Music Department
The Williams Reunion Jazz Band
Arbors Records
Go to Green Collegians page
Go to jazz concerts page

Maynard Ferguson
Stan Kenton bio
CyberJaz links - huge!

For those in New England, here's a great source of dixieland and trad jazz group schedules Click!

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