27—Lu Watters and his Yerba Buena Jazz Band Save Trad Jazz, An Interview With Hal Smith episode artwork

EPISODE · May 1, 2026 · 48 MIN

27—Lu Watters and his Yerba Buena Jazz Band Save Trad Jazz, An Interview With Hal Smith

from FRISCO—The Secret History · host Knox Bronson

In this episode, I interview drummer and jazz historian Hal Smith. We discuss the music scene in San Francisco in the 30s and 40s and how one man, Lu Watters and his band The Yerba Buena Jazz Band, saved traditional jazz after the emergence of swing music. The musicians, the clubs, and how an girlfriend's irate father with a pistol put Lu and his band on the front page, launching their career. All in all, fascinating story!Links:Hal's website: http://halsmithjazz.com.Books:Clancy Hayes, The Swinging Minstrel.Dustbowl To Disney—The Lost Memoir of Danny Alguire.

In this episode, I interview drummer and jazz historian Hal Smith. We discuss the music scene in San Francisco in the 30s and 40s and how one man, Lu Watters and his band The Yerba Buena Jazz Band, saved traditional jazz after the emergence of swing music. The musicians, the clubs, and how an girlfriend's irate father with a pistol put Lu and his band on the front page, launching their career. All in all, fascinating story! Links: Hal's website: http://halsmithjazz.com. Books: Clancy Ha...

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27—Lu Watters and his Yerba Buena Jazz Band Save Trad Jazz, An Interview With Hal Smith

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This episode was published on May 1, 2026.

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In this episode, I interview drummer and jazz historian Hal Smith. We discuss the music scene in San Francisco in the 30s and 40s and how one man, Lu Watters and his band The Yerba Buena Jazz Band, saved traditional jazz after the emergence of swing...

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