John Kafalas trombone, Paul Monat cornet, Stan McDonald clarinet and soprano sax,  Ross Petot piano, Gerry Gagnon tuba, Steve Taddeo drums

Stan McDonald’s Blue Horizon Jazz Band presented another fine evening of Traditional Jazz at the Sherborn Inn on August 19^th, with some changes in personnel. Gerry Gagnon moved to tuba, John Kafalas filled in for him on trombone. Paul Monat was back.  He’ll be playing all around New England until September.

They kicked it off with congenial ensemble on All By Myself and Sugar, Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives To Me. Gagnon plays a swinging tuba, 1955 Conn 20J recording bell-front, with a deep sonorous sound boosting the rhythm section.  Monat said “It felt like playing on a magic carpet”. Gerry was tubist with the Boilermaker Jazz Band of Pittsburgh until 1994, when he moved to New England and joined The Blue Horizon Jazz Band.  Seven or eight years later, Stan moved the band to string bass, and Gerry changed to trombone. Stan took the vocal on Darktown Strutters Ball,  backed by this rock solid rhythm section with Ross Petot on piano, and Steve Taddeo drums. The evening was dedicated to John and Elizabeth, who chose to celebrate their 67^th wedding anniversary at the Sherborn Inn with the Blue Horizon Jazz Band.  Congratulations!!

Stan played elegant clarinet solo on Bechet’s lovely Blues in the Air.    Clarinet and cornet collaborated on Memphis Blues, rich voices interweaving in New Orleans polyphony.

The front line played a captivating   Tijuana  with John Kafalas on fierce trombone. Listeners couldn’t sit still, dancing in their seats.

Stans’ soprano sax took the intro to a spirited Save It Pretty Mama.         Paul Monat  surprised us, putting heart and soul in the vocal.  Not bad!

There was solid melody and harmony on Roses of Picardi,  with McDonald back on soprano sax.  His Blue Horizon Jazz Band has complete command of the Trad Jazz language! Stan asked that the next tune be played slow as possible.  Taddeo set the beat, very, very, slow on Lotus Blossom;  different, and very effective.

Paul’s cornet went wild on a tune recorded many times by Wilbur and Sidney DeParis,   Yama Yama Man

Ross Petot introduced the closing tune with a four bar vamp on Dardanella; fine ensemble, closing with Stan’s soprano sax.

Traditional Jazz enjoyed a revival here in the mid-1970’s, but there are very few bands in New England still playing authentic Traditional Jazz; Stan McDonald only hires musicians that are comfortable with the genre.  They’ll be back, as always, on the 3^rd Tuesday of the month at the Sherborn Inn, September 16th.  See you there?