Darktown Strutters? History Question

[Dick Trickle]

Anyone ever hear of them? I know there is a tune called the DarkTown Strutters Ball, they were the big band in my area. Skeets Mabin, Donald Taylor and a few others must have been in it, it was their family band. I will be going to see Skeets's widow someday soon to check out the pictures and if there are any records around.

I've been playing with some guys that are at least 20-30 years my seniors, and they all say that when they were kids that they saw these guys rock it out of the park. I was just curious if any historians here would know of them, or Skeets. Apparently, Cannonball played with Skeets when he was in the service, and Skeets's kids tell me that their dad taught Cannonball alot when they were stationed together. Just curious. Rex