Dameronia

Lore & Background

Dameronia debuted in Greenwich Village at the Village Vanguard in 1982. The original line-up included Johnny Coles on fluegelhorn, Don Sickler on trumpet and conducting, Britt Woodman on trombone, Charles Davis, Cecil Payne and Clifford Jordan on saxophones, Walter Davis Jr. on piano, Larry Ridley on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums. Don Sickler and John Oddo handled transcription. Later configurations included Virgil Jones on trumpet, Benny Powell on trombone, and Kenny Washington on drums after Jones's passing.

Reader's Guide

Dameronia's significance lies in its dedicated revival and preservation of Tadd Dameron's bebop compositions and arrangements during the 1980s. By assembling a nonet that included musicians who had worked with Dameron, the group sought to present his music with historical accuracy, distinguishing it from more interpretive tribute bands. Their three albums, recorded for Uptown and Soul Note, document this effort. The ensemble's longevity beyond Philly Joe Jones's death in 1985, with Kenny Washington taking over drums, demonstrates the project's resilience. The 1988 Jazz at Lincoln Center concert further cemented Dameronia's role in keeping Dameron's work in the public ear. For scholars and fans of bebop, Dameronia provides a reliable, ensemble-based reference point for how Dameron's music was originally conceived and performed.

Did You Know?

• The group recorded three albums: two for Uptown Records and one for Red Records.
• Dameronia continued performing after Philly Joe Jones' death in 1985.
• The nonet included several of Tadd Dameron's former colleagues.

Formation & Artistic Mission

In the early 1980s, trumpeter and arranger Don Sickler joined forces with legendary drummer Philly Joe Jones to bring together a nine-piece ensemble dedicated to one singular purpose: presenting the original compositions and arrangements of bebop pioneer Tadd Dameron as faithfully as possible. The group, christened Dameronia, was not a tribute act in the conventional sense. Rather, it was a carefully assembled nonet drawn from Dameron's own circle of musical colleagues, with the explicit goal of producing what the founders described as a "historically accurate" rendering of the composer's body of work. Sickler assumed multiple roles within the project—trumpet player, conductor, additional arranger, and co-transcriber alongside John Oddo—ensuring that the arrangements stayed true to Dameron's original vision. The ensemble's very structure, a full nonet with multiple saxophones, brass, and a rhythm section, mirrored the kind of large-group bebop writing that Dameron had championed throughout his career.

The Musical Lineup

The original Dameronia nonet boasted a roster of distinguished bebop-era musicians. Johnny Coles anchored the front line on fluegelhorn, while Don Sickler handled trumpet duties alongside his conducting and arranging responsibilities. Britt Woodman played trombone, and the saxophone section was shared among Charles Davis, Frank Wess, and Cecil Payne. The rhythm section featured Walter Davis Jr. at the piano, Larry Ridley on bass, and Philly Joe Jones driving the kit. Don Sickler and John Oddo also handled transcription work to ensure fidelity to Dameron's scores. Over time, the lineup evolved. Virgil Jones stepped in on trumpet, Benny Powell took the trombone chair, and Clifford Jordan joined on tenor saxophone. Most significantly, following Philly Joe Jones's death in 1985, Kenny Washington assumed the drum throne, allowing the ensemble to continue its mission without interruption.

Performances & Defining Moments

Dameronia built its reputation across a wide range of venues, from intimate jazz clubs to major concert halls and festival stages. The ensemble made its public debut in 1982 at the Lush Life, a well-known Greenwich Village venue in New York City, setting the tone for a career that would span both club and concert settings. One of the group's most notable appearances came in 1988, when Dameronia headlined a program at Jazz at Lincoln Center titled "The Music of Tadd Dameron." The evening was elevated further by an opening act assembled as an all-star quartet featuring Tommy Flanagan on piano, George Mraz on bass, Kenny Washington on drums, and Charlie Rouse on tenor saxophone. This pairing of a full nonet dedicated to Dameron's catalog with a top-tier quartet underscored the composer's enduring influence across generations of jazz musicians and gave the audience a comprehensive portrait of his artistic legacy in a single night.

Discography & Enduring Legacy

Dameronia's recorded output, though limited to three albums, captures the essence of the group's mission across nearly a decade. The debut, To Tadd with Love, arrived in 1982 on Uptown Records, establishing the ensemble's interpretive approach to Dameron's compositions. The following year, the group released Look Stop Listen, also on Uptown, this time featuring guest appearances by saxophonist Johnny Griffin, adding another dimension to the bebop palette. The third and final recording, Live at the Theatre Boulogne-Billancourt Paris, was issued in 1989 on Soul Note Records, documenting the group's live energy for a European audience. Crucially, the ensemble survived the loss of its co-founder Philly Joe Jones in 1985, with Kenny Washington stepping in on drums to keep the project alive. That continuity—carrying Dameron's music forward even after the death of a founding member—speaks to the depth of commitment the musicians felt toward preserving the bebop tradition.

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