The Jazz Jesters

Jeff Hughes cornet, Craig Ball clarinet and tenor sax, John Clark clarinet/alto and baritone sax, Ross Petot piano, Jimmy Mazzy banjo/vocals, Al Bernard tuba, Steve Taddeo drums

They are busy musicians, Ross plays in several bands and teaches, Craig leads the White Heat Swing Orchestra, John Clark bounces between Massachusetts and Connecticut, and his Wolverine Jazz Band plays at festivals and on many town commons.  Steve leads the Swing Senders and directs the Dick Donovan Big Band.  Al plays tuba and sousaphone in many Classical bands as well as Jazz bands.  Jeff has multiple bands, the most active at the moment are Swing Times Five and the Jazz Jesters.  Jimmy is always Jimmy, and we are most grateful to have him here with us.

Jeff and John dug down deep for some very old material, some of the best and hottest of the 20′s and 30′s, making it relevant to today with their own splendid arrangements.  They came up with tunes we’ve never heard before, inventive and resourceful arrangements by our own Dr. John Clark, hot and sweet music reminiscent of The Jazz Decades.

They soared with their theme This Is My Lucky Day, Craig starting on tenor sax, John Clark on clarinet.  These two dynamic reed-men create magnificent music with two clarinets, alto, tenor, and baritone sax, between them.

Albie had his smallest Conn Tuba that he saved from a demolition pile. He favors it when playing classical music; in Trad Jazz it pushes the chords and with Taddeo’s drums, keeps the beat.  Ross Petot’s piano adds riffs and fills.  The whole polyphonic sound has some folks dancing and others sitting on the edge of their seats.  Fantastic!

They have a following of ‘regulars’ who never fail to appear for Jeff’s Bands.

Elke and Joan

Betty

Paul

Connie

Bob

Geri and Jerry

Stan and Gail

Charlie and Gisela Brunaccini

John and Gisela have been married over 60 years. They knew all the right steps, and danced all night!

John said “We enjoyed hearing the old original arrangements of great memorable tunes by talented musicians.”

There were more: Bix’s Davenport Blues, Sweethearts of Sigma Chi, Alabama Stomp, River Stay Away From My Door and Cabin in the Pines (that Jimmy sang with the Paramount Jazz Band.)  Blame It On The Blues; a classic 1920’s tune played by many bands, Deep, was another John Clark arrangement.

Featured soloists were Clark on bari sax with Deep Down South.  Jeff sang Archie Bleyer’s ‘Leven Thirty Saturday Night.  Jimmy was featured on a ballad It’s Wonderful, (not Gershwin’s S’Wonderful.)  Craig’s clarinet reached for the sky on House of David Blues.  Ross was featured on Avalon, and did the arrangement for Lila.  SteveTaddeo let his Gene Krupa loose on his own theme song, Dinah.

The band continued with a quintessential 1920’s tune, You Don’t Like It (Not Much!) and closed with Fats /Waller’s Zonky, with dueling clarinets and trumpet, exuberant rhythm – it was WILD!

This exciting and exhilarating band will return with more new arrangements of these marvelous old tunes on October 28^th.   Mark your calendars, you won’t want to miss this!