Jazz Jesters
at the Sherborn Inn, February 26, 2013
Jeff Hughes cornet/flugelhorn, John Clark and Craig Ball reeds, Jim Mazzy
banjo, Ross Petot piano, Al Bernard tuba, Steve Taddeo drums
The Jazz Jesters have found their own sound, different than their
former Jazz Jesters Novelty Orchestra. On this Tuesday, they heard a preview of that sound and the Classic Jazz tunes they will be performing
at the Hot Steamed Jazz Festival in Essex, Connecticut on June 21-23.
Jeff has been rummaging through an antique store and found some Classic
charts, and assembled a repertoire of brand new tunes - for them.
They started with their theme song, Ray Henderson's 1926 Lucky Day with
a piano Intro and Jimmy scatting,
The heart of the band |
Ruby was one of the best known tunes. Benny Goodman's Three Little
Words, the band traded fours with drummer Steve Taddeo, Jimmy vocal,
Craig Ball clarinet hitting the stratosphere like Benny Goodman.One
very old Frat tune Sweetheart of Sigma Chi
was not very romantic, but Jimmy's heartrending version restored it to a real torch song to
that very first Sweetheart –
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with John Clark on alto sax and Craig ball on
gut-wrenching tenor sax, The Sweetheart of Sigma Chi, whoever
she was, would have swooned!
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Clark, leader of Wolverine JB was featured on alto
sax with a tune that proliferated in the 20’s, Walt Donaldson's Little White
Lies.
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Jeff Hughes sang Golden Gate a Hot tempo tune that was
a sequel to Al
Jolson's popular California Here I Come.
From a Dick Powell movie in the 1930’s Thanks a Million.
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We caught Mr. Bernard during the break, sans tuba, for some
interesting conversation about his various types of tuba and
sousaphones.
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Albie is Jeff's favorite bass player of all time. Jimmy and Albie did the
intro to an early jazz tune recorded by the ODJB in 1917 - Wonderful World.
Jeff found a special song in the archives for Ms. Lynn, who is usually sitting
by the piano, but tonight Ms. Lynn was recuperating at home.
Lila was a classic 20’s tune she introduced to Jeff. Steve Taddeo
was rim-tapping on drums, Ross's superb solo played in stride piano.
Clark's alto sax with piano
accompaniment introduced It’s Wonderful a 1930 tune that Stuff
Smith, virtuoso violinist, recorded. It was often performed by Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald throughout their careers. Jeff
played masterful flügelhorn, Jimmy singing in his own unique Mazzy way, Taddeo placing emphasis on the brushes. Beautiful!
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Willow Weep For Me featured Jeff tender solo
on flügelhorn.
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In 1940, Tommy Dorsey made a hit out of a classical tune, Rimsky-Korsakov's Song of India. Taddeo used sticks on choke cymbal.
Perfect.
Craig took the great Tommy Dorsey solo on Running
Wild, an upbeat tune that Bunny Berigan did near the end of his life.
There’s a Cabin in the Pines, a lovely
ballad, 1933, featured Jimmy on vocal. He is a treasure! From the same
show The Broadway Melody, a 1929 American musical film and the first
sound musical, and sound film to win an Academy Award for Best Picture.
It introduced Broadway Melody, played here with both Craig and
John on clarinet.
That’s My Desire, 1931, Jimmy vocal. It was
recorded by the Sammy Kaye orchestra in 1946, although a version of the song recorded by Frankie Laine
became better known over the years. But nobody sings it like Jimmy
Mazzy, and nobody plays it better than the Jazz Jesters!
We're looking forward to hearing these tunes again
at the Hot Steamed Jazz Festival June 21-23. See you
there???
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| By Marce, Updated
March 2013 |
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