In February 1948, with encouragement from Hugues Panassié, the orchestra played at the first jazz festival in Nice, with immediate success.
Mezzrow was lifelong friends with French jazz critic Hugues Panassié and spent the last 20 years of his life in Paris.
Jazz critic Hugues Panassié considered him one of the three greatest jazz drummers of his generation, along with Zutty Singleton and Warren "Baby" Dodds.
Hugues Panassié | Hugues-Bernard Maret, duc de Bassano | Victor Hugues | Joseph Hugues Boissieu La Martinière | Hugues Heney | Hugues Dufourt | Hugues de Payens | Hugues d'Amboise |