This style of jazz -- a kind of Dixieland revival minus the rhythmic anarchy of the '20s -- began to peak in popularity in the '50s, taking the Assunto brothers' group to a pinnacle of national popularity. The Dukes of Dixieland toured clubs as well as releasing a string of albums and performing on television variety shows. When the group recorded the first jazz album in stereo in 1958, listeners had the unique perspective of hearing one brother on the left channel, the other on the right.

The trumpeter's style is of course heavily indebted to Louis Armstrong, whether in mono, stereo, or quadrophonic. But Assunto also seems to like the somewhat leaner tone of Bunny Berigan as well as the brighter, flashier approach of Bobby Hackett. Showmanship was also a large part of the Dukes of Dixieland's appeal, the Assunto brothers pretty much the opposite of the type of jazzmen who play with their backs to the audience. Frank Assunto also performed vocal duties with the group. He has on a few occasions been credited with the authorship of the standard "St. James Infirmary." If everyone that has been listed as author of this song in some 500 recorded versions ever battled it out, the body count would no doubt be much higher than even a complete version of the song itself.