Williams Reunion Jazz Band
at Duxbury Bay Maritime Academy, for Opening of the Bay 2011
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| The Williams
Reunion Jazz Band ushered in another official Opening of the Bay in
Duxbury, at the Duxbury Bay Maritime School, an event eagerly
anticipated every spring.
The Williams Reunion Jazz Band was born on New
England college campuses in the 1950's when Dixieland was alive and
well and "runnin' wild".
Band members now
include four Williams College boys: Bob Kingsbury ’58 on clarinet;
Fred Clifford ’58 on Tuba; Tom Hayne ’59 on
Drums and features: John Halsey ’59 on Piano who is a PhD,
teacher and a featured pro in NYC having played with all of the
greats in Jazz. And three permanent guests from Amherst, Bates
and U. Mass are: John Bucher who for 25 years led the Woody
Allen Band at Michael’s Pub in NYC and plays a wonderful
Beiderbecke/Hackett style; Jimmy Mazzy on Banjo who is the #1
ranked player per Jazzology Magazine
and well known to everybody, and Tom Boates
on trombone who plays in the style of Jack Teagarden and Miff
Mole and is featured with the Wolverine Jazz Band.
They began with New
Orleans' intricate rhythms and polyphonic emsemble on Dr. Jazz,
followed by a barn-burning
Struttin' With Some Barbecue. Leader Bob Kingsbury,
casually sitting with his legs crossed, on hot clarinet -
as if there was nothing to it! No effort at all. Jimmy
took the vocal In his own rousing style, Tom Hayne on
drums, ending it with a proper cowbell. |
Jimmy Mazzy |
Tom Hayne drums, John Halsey keyboard |
| They moved to a
bluesy tune, with Jimmy scatting, Tom Boates tailgate trombone
providing rhythmic support.
It was a lively Saturday afternoon, with hot dogs, cotton candy,
face painting and balloons, tables of jewelry, antiques and crafts.
The pier was filled with many harbor visitors, local families, giving us an opportunity
to expose our music to the next generation. They love it! |
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Accompanied by her Mom, this little Princess was dancing to Back Home Again in
Indiana. |
. |
A sizzling Just
A Little While To Stay Here was too much for this little Pirate with a balloon sword.
Great rhythm!
|
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| Hold Me, Squeeze
Me, another Jimmy Mazzy vocal, John Halsey's supple fingers,
Fred Clifford propelling the others with a strong steady beat on the
tubaAwesome muted cornet by John Bucher set off Jimmy's
infamous 'holler', and had him yelling "Testify, Testify!" and
"Beats the Blues!"
Unfortunately, the band only had one hour to play at this Opening
of the Bay, then
Duxbury's High School Jazz Band took over.
However, the WRJB had a fine reception Friday night at the
Duxbury Bay Maritime School’s evening cocktail and heavy hors
d'oeuvre reception, and Saturday night at
the Winsor House Restaurant nearby. Also they performed
at The First Parish Unitarian Church Sunday service.
They'll be back next Spring for Duxbury's Opening of the Bay, and
we'll be there! |
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| By Marce,
Updated May 30, 2011
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