The Jazz Tuber Trio came about ten years ago when Eli Newberger, tuba extraordinaire, Jimmy Mazzy  banjo/vocalist, and Ted Casher, saxophone virtuoso, explored ‘the roots of jazz’ at Boston’s Flower Show.

Tonight they were joined by Carolyn Newberger washboard, and Carrie Mazzy vocals.

Jimmy started on solo banjo and vocal with Irving Berlin’s The Song Is Ended (but the Melody Lingers On).  Jimmy sings great ballads!

Eli and Ted joined him with a smoking Tiger Rag, with Jim scatting.  They are fabulous together.

Carrie conveyed heartfelt emotion on Our Love is Here to Stay, she and Jimmy have been married over 26 years.  Eli backed her on Piano.

Seeing Eli on piano revived pleasant memories of him playing piano with the original Black Eagle Jazz Band at the Passim Coffee House in Harvard Square back in the late 60’s. He was so wound up that he hopped up and down on the piano bench!  Can’t do that playing tuba.

Ted introduced This Is My Lucky Day on clarinet, followed by  Nobody’s Sweetheart Now, and

1928 Blues (Put It Right Here, or Else You’re Gonna Keep It Out There). 

Carolyn Newberger joined them on Coney Island Washboard Roundelay.  (They played this at Lilac Park just a few weeks ago.)  She plays washboard with just as much enthusiasm as Eli on piano!

Rosh Hashanah was coming up the following week, the Jewish New Year. They celebrated with Bi Mir Bist Du Schoen, with Carolyn on washboard, Eli hitting every single note on tuba!

Carolyn was playing washboard back in the mid-1960’s when she and Eli were Resident Directors at Yale’s International House for foreign students in New Haven, Connecticut. They started a Friday Night Café, where musicians could Jam. You might recognize some of them, Sammy Rimmington and Barry Martyn, Peter Ecklund, Mark Finks, Tommy Sancton. Eli played piano and Carolyn played washboard.

Bill Bissonett had a band playing there, with Noel Kaletsky on reeds, Freddy Vigorito cornet, Bill Sinclair piano, Jim Bentley drummer, Howie Vidal trombone. Art Hovey sometimes joined them on tuba.

Eli and Carolyn left for the Peace Corps in 1967 and the washboard was packed away. (The musicians still at the café eventually became the Galvanized Jazz Band.)

Sometime around their 50th wedding anniversary, Eli retrieved the washboard from the cellar, and Carolyn started playing again. “It was just like riding a bike!”

Carrie Mazzy had another fine vocal on Beale Street Poppa, a great Dixieland tune. Eli was back on piano with Up A Lazy River , with everyone jumping in. From Louis’s Hot 5, they resurrected a 1920’s dance, Irish Black Bottom, with Jimmy and Eli in a hot jazzy duet.

Ted joined Jimmy for their rare vocal duet on Louis’s I’ll Be Glad When Your Dead, You Rascal You! a tune Louis dedicated to a Southern cop who had arrested him and put him in jail.  They had to let him out so he could perform at the local theater.  Ted and Jimmy did ALL the verses!

Carrie joined Jimmy for a down-home, moving duet, Dedicated To You and Come on Over To My House Baby 

Muscat Ramble was done in a superb Spanish/ Calypso beat.

Birth of The Blues was fantastic, with Eli back on piano.

His facial expressions reveal his love for this music.  This is a contented man!

Jimmy did another beautiful ballad, Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me.  He should sing more ballads! They closed with All Too Busy, with Jimmy featured on banjo and Carolyn comping on washboard.

There are many sides to Carolyn Newberger in addition to washboard. She is a clinical and research psychologist, flutist, essayist, Grandma, and artist.  We watched her draw these sketches of Jimmy and Ted when she wasn’t playing washboard!

She captures their expressions/feelings perfectly.

We were fortunate to hear this great group two days in a row. Couldn’t pass that up!  They were at a reception for another fabulous artist, Sol Schwartz, at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design in Boston, the previous night.

Eli and Carolyn are spending more time near the Berkshires these days.  He’s put together another Dixieland Band that is getting great reviews, Eli Newberger’s Gershwin Constellation, featuring Ted Casher, clarinet and tenor sax, Herb Gardner, trombone, Jimmy Mazzy, banjo and vocals, Randy Reinhart, trumpet, and Bob Winter, piano.

Stay tuned.  They’ll be on our Calendar.