Thanksgiving was early this year, on the 22nd.  Pre-Thanksgiving traffic was really difficult for fans coming from the main highways.  Unfortunately, this is Boston’s rush hour traffic hitting the intersection of Routes 16 and 27 – right at the Sherborn Inn.   Trumpet player Jeff Stout was one of them.  Primed and ready for any emergency, Ross Petot kept the fans occupied with his sophisticated rendition of Lynn’s favorite, All of Me.

Jeff arrived in the middle of it, and the band managed to squeeze in fourteen songs in 2 ½ hours (with a couple of short breaks) beginning with Stan McDonald on soprano sax for James P. Johnson’s Old Fashioned Love.

I Can’t Believe That You’re In Love With Me showcased their intricate ensemble of trombone, trumpet, clarinet, backed by formidable rhythm section.  Oh, Oh, Oh, What A Little Moonlight Can Do, trumpet took the lead, sax harmonizing.

Stan had the vocal on Irving Berlin’s When I Leave The World Behind, and many others.

 

Daddy Won’t You Please Come Home,he was backed by soft muted trombone. (Gerry Gagnon is also with Pittsburgh Boiler Makers.)

 

 

 

 

I Would Do Most Anything For You,  Stan McDonald on fine low register clarinet.

What made this evening more special was  Matt Chauvin,  creator of the 20’s Jazz  and  30’s Jazz websites – who was video-taping the evening.

Matt is hoping to reach the  ‘general public’, to let them hear the melodic jazz and dance music that reverberated from those years.   Commercial Media won’t play it.  Maybe between Matt’s sites and Vince Giordano’s Boardwalk Empire, it will survive.   It has survived Tuesday nights at the Sherborn Inn, now in its 18^th year.

A couple enjoying their 30^th anniversary asked for Making Whoopie – Stan gave it to Ross who played it in his inimitable stride.  Jolson would have approved.

There were several songs from Stan’s early days with the New Black Eagle Jazz Band.  That’s A Plenty and  Wild Man Blues set sparks flying!

Several Sidney Bechet tunes were featured with Stan on soprano sax or clarinet:  Lastic, Blues in the Air – (also known as Bechet’s Fantasy), theme song for the Blue Horizon Jazz Band.  Stan was solo backed by Ross on piano, Al Ehrenfried on string bass, and Dave Bragdon drums, on Sidney Bechet’s Song of Songs.  Beautiful!

 

 

A sweet love ballad, It Had To Be You, was played in fine Traditional Jazz beat with trumpet quoting a little bit of Gypsy.   Jeff teaches at Berklee School of Music.

There’ll Be Some Changes Made – we hope not!

 

They wrapped it up with Stan’s vocal on a New Orleans tune, Storyville Blues.

The band will not be playing their regular gig in December because Ellen has put together 15 musicians (so far) for another Holiday Jazz Spectacular at the Sherborn Inn on SUNDAY, December 16^th, 2-5 pm.

Jeff Hughes, Jeff Stout, Craig Ball, John Clark, Stan McDonald, Ross Petot, Robin Verdier, Gerry Gagnon, John Kafalas,  Jimmy Mazzy, Dan Weiner, Al Ehrenfried, Gerry Gagnon, Dave Bragdon, Debby Larkin.    FLYER 

See you there!!

Reservations please (508) 655-9521 or info@sherborninn.com. 

Marce