Tony Sbarbaro

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Tony Sbarbaro, also known as Tony Spargo, was an American jazz drummer from New Orleans. He was born in 1897 into an Italian immigrant family and played in local bands early on, including the Frayle Brothers Band and Papa Jack Laine's Reliance Band. His name is above all associated with the Original Dixieland Jazz Band. He was there when that group made its first recordings in 1917, became its leader in 1925 and remained a member until the band stopped in the 1960s. At that point he was the only founder still playing. The group's Darktown Strutters' Ball from 1917, then still written as Original Dixieland Jass Band, was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2006.

Music and breakthrough

Sbarbaro played a drum kit with many individual touches. He used woodblocks, cowbells and Chinese tom-toms, struck the bass drum with the thick end of the stick and even put stuffed toys in the drums to change the sound. A kazoo was also attached to his kit for sound effects. He also wrote music for the group, such as Mourning Blues.

Influence

He remained a fixture of Dixieland jazz all his life and later played with Miff Mole, Pee Wee Erwin and Eddie Condon, among others. In the 1960s he gave up music, because rock and roll was displacing Dixieland. He died in 1969 in New York, aged 72.

Listening

Discography

Studio albums

• 1949Eddie Edwards And His Original Dixieland Jazz Band

In School of Rock

The chapters, maps and magazine stories of School of Rock are currently available in Dutch only.

• After Hours: Session 1^NL Reader