Eli’s All Stars are not only professional musicians, but friends sharing their favorite tunes, with intricate melodies and counterpoint that resonate with the audience. This is Hot Jazz!

Tonight they were also celebrating three special occasions; Ted and Val marking their 4^th wedding anniversary, and Val, who has worked since she was 16 years old, rejoicing in her retirement – today – with a big cake that she shared with everyone.

The third was that vocalist Rebecca Sullivan was graduating this month with her Masters Degree from the New England Conservatory of Music.   Rebecca was already a jazz vocalist, songwriter and educator when she returned to NEC a year ago in September, when Eli Newberger was appointed as her mentor.

Jimmy Mazzy kicked this evening off with a vocal on You’re Nobody’s Sweetheart Now.  Rebecca stepped in with Duke’s Squeeze Me, Who Could Ask For Anything More,  scatting with Eli’s tuba.  Her delicate and warm version of Laura was absolutely marvelous, with Ted on tenor sax and Bo on flugelhorn, Herb’s mellow trombone.

Carolyn Newberger came in on washboard, taking us to the Bayou Club on Bourbon Street, with When You Wore a Tulip, with the band backing her in stop-time.  Everything sparked!  When Carolyn isn’t playing washboard, she’s drawing fine sketches of the musicians; some were featured recently at Galatea Fine Art in Boston.

 

 

 

To remind Rebecca of what she’ll be leaving behind, Ted sang his own version of Charlie on the MTA.

 

 

The band took a break while Herb moved to piano for a unique song he wrote, Yonz  Gonz  Galookis.  It caught DJ Jazzbo Collins’ interest some time ago; so that he wrote Herb a letter about the inimitable tune and signed it “Uncle Bozo”.

 

 

 

Special guest, vocalist Sarah Gardner, Herb’s daughter, took this opportunity to sing her lively version of Mama Don’t Allow No Music Played Around Here.  The Gardners are a musical family.   Herb often joins his other daughter Abbie with Red Molly, an Americana/Roots FemaleTrio.

 

 

The band returned with a romping South Rampart St. Parade, Jeff’s drumsticks striking the wood block and snare drum.

 

Rebecca returned with an all Gershwin concert.  I’ve Got a Crush On You. Beautiful!  S’Wonderful,  Who’s Got The Last Laugh Now, at times backed by Ted’s clarinet or sultry tenor sax, or Herb’s powerful trombone, Bo’s fiery trumpet.

 

S’Wonderful

The All-Stars then stepped back into the 1920’s with Herb’s exquisite arrangement of Cornet Chop Suey, a joyous romp based on the original Hot Five, with  fiery trumpet, Lil Armstrong’s passionate piano.

 

 

Time for Ragtime.  Jimmy lead on banjo and vocals for Alexander’s Ragtime Band, fantastic front line, Jimmy scatting, drum rim-tapping with both sticks.

 

 

 

 

Another Jimmy vocal and banjo intro with The Saints.  All went silent for Bob’s powerful piano solo, then back to Jimmy vocal.  This wasn’t normal fare, extraordinary ending with tuba and drums.

This old music has so much vitality and energy, you can’t help but enjoy it.  They’ll be back July 3rd – come see and hear for yourself.

Congratulations to Ted and Val; now she’s finally free to join Ted as he plays all over New England.  Rebecca Sullivan will be heading for New York and then Europe in the near future.  She will be missed.  We wish her all the best!!