Dan Levinson is a jazz Historian in New York devoted to Traditional Jazz, with a vast collection of memorabilia going back to the 1900’s. He has at least nine different bands. Fortunately for us, he spends much of his time searching out the newest talent coming out of the music schools and teaching these young NY musicians our kind of music, so it will be preserved well into the future.
He seems to save the Millenium All Stars for us at the Hot Steamed Jazz Festival. We have no idea how many young bands he is responsible for, but he has been bringing new ones here to the Hot Steamed Jazz Festival for 16 years. (He breaks the new ones in with a discerning Traditional Jazz Audience.)
This band was actually from the Millennium Generation, with recent graduates of the Manhattan School of Music. Jack Holkum on trombone is 21. Mike Davis cornet, Rob Atkins bass.
Except for drummer Kevin Dorn. Kevin was a young drummer when he first arrived here with Dan 15 years ago in 1998; now he’s one of the “elders” in the band, and has a great Traditional Jazz Band of his own.
Dan invited a fine Connecticut pianist, Ian Frankel, to join the band. Dan promised him there would be no reading, but this is Jazz, and it’s never the same twice. Frankel cleverly breezed through several surprises.
They began with Dan on clarinet with the title tune of an album by his Swing Wing Band, featuring Molly, At The Cod Fish Ball.
It includes Bud Freeman’s Summa Cum Laude Orchestra’s Copenhagen.
Molly has been coming here since 2004 – she is now Mrs. Dan Levinson. Molly also sang some tunes from her own new album, Swing For Your Supper, and I’d Like to Wake Up in the Morning Where The Morning Glories Grow.
The Milleniums presented another tune from the Cod Fish Ball album, originally done by the Rhythm Makers, a mixed band, unheard of at the time. Oh Peter, You’re So Nice. In 1932 it featured PeeWee Russell on clarinet, with Eddy Condon on guitar, Joe Sullivan piano, and Zutti Singleton drums. Dan moved to tenor sax for the 1936 Mez Mezro & Sy Oliver, Hot Club Stomp.
Another from Molly’s Album, done by Bing Crosby and The Bob Cats, You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby. A mellow front line backed Molly on Ruth Ettings 1930 Ten Cents a Dance.
They closed with the Gershwin’s The Lorelei from Pardon My English that opened at the Majestic Theatre, New York on January 9, 1933.
We sure hope Dan Levinson and Molly Ryan are available with more of New York’s new talented musicians for next year’s Hot Steamed Jazz Festival!
http://danlevinson.com/ensembles.html