Stan McDonald kicked off this evening with a low-register clarinet intro to Meet Me Tonight in Dreamland,  introducing the music that embodies a joyful, timeless spirit, with marvelous improvised solos and intricate polyphonic jazz.

Jack Soref took the intro to Sugar on acoustic guitar backed by the rhythm section, followed by Kafalas’s fine trombone solo, with sax and trumpet together playing counterpoint.  Jack is the latest member of the band and we welcome him and his Gypsy Jazz guitar.  He has a unique talent.

Mike’s trumpet took the lead on Ole Miss with embellishments by Stan’s soprano sax, counter point support from trombone, backed by rhythm section.  They are all improvising, yet each  horn leaves space for the others; marks of professional musicians.  Gerry’s tuba took the first solo into Jelly Roll Morton’s Tijuana, with drum/guitar back up, and the band following with fine solos and polyphonic jazz.

 

Mike’s trumpet and Stan’s sax took the intro to Irving Berlin’s When I Leave the World Behind.  Stan sang it with Gerry Gagnon softly backing him on tuba.

Gerry can be quite relaxed, or highly flamboyant on that monstrous instrument!  He is a fine trombone player, but his tuba is so explicit, it just flows.

 

We had the pleasure of special guests here tonight, Henry & Jane Fischer from Orleans in Cape Cod.

Jane and Henry feature early jazz and pop music on Dixieland Jazz, etc. every 1st, 3rd and 5th Sunday of the month from 9am to noon on www.womr.org,  Their emphasis is on melody and traditional harmonies, whether played by original artists such as Louis Armstrong and Django Reinhardt or The New Black Eagle Jazz Band or Vince Giordano.  They play older popular hits, boogie-woogie, ragtime and swing; music from the heart and soul of New Orleans to the inventive West Coast masters Gerry Mulligan and Paul Desmond.

They enjoyed meeting and having conversations with the musicians.  Join Henry and Jane on  www.womr.org  for a fun filled three hours’ Jazz Brunch on Sunday mornings — you’ll have a hard time sitting still.

 The Blue Horizon continued with Memphis Blues, Steve using wire brushes on top hat and choke cymbal.  Great front line, backed by guitar, with drum and tuba playing closely in sync.

 

 

Stan took first chorus on soprano sax for Rose of The Rio Grand, with tuba playing every 4/4 beat. Extraordinary!

 

 

 

Jack Soref thrilled the crowd with his mastery on Old Fashioned Love, followed by fantastic trumpet and trombone solos with Gagnon’s tuba carrying dialogue/counterpoint, and Steve tapping upside down on bass drum.
Steve started Lotus Blossom with a four bar rhythm intro, followed by intricate ensemble by the band, and Stan taking the vocal.  He closed it with a sultry cadenza on soprano sax.

 

 

 

Lover Come Back to Me emphasized Kefala’s supple fingers on trombone.  He was backed by Taddeo using splash cymbal for emphasis.

 

 

 

 

Jack was featured on I Can’t Give You Anything But Love  displaying his fantastic energy, chromatic ornamentation.   Finally, in a Trio with only drum and tuba, he let loose in a lush arrangement of Django Rhinehart’s Minor Swing. (Jack lived in Paris for half a year and had the honor of jamming with the old masters like Boulou Ferré and Romanian violin maestro Florin Niculescu.)

 

 

 

Mike Peipman was featured on Dardanella, playing hot trumpet with passionate intensity.  We are so lucky to have him here!  (Thank you, Australia!)  He’s been recruited by many local bands.

 

 

 

Stan McDonald took the first 32 bars with guitar back-up on Bechet’s Si Tu Vois Ma Mere with the band playing mellifluously behind him.

 

 

Taddeo’s drum beats kicked off Swing That Music, pushing the band into their free-wheeling jazz, flourishing and intensifying into a hot barn burner!

Steve exuded energy all evening, while not setting the dynamic level too loud.  He was great!

That should have concluded the evening, but there was still time left.

 

 

They finished softly with What Is This Thing Called Love, dazzling trombone solo, lyrical and seemingly effortless, like the Teagarden gate, with drum cross sticking.  It was a serene ending to another evening of jazz at Primavera Ristorante.

The Blue Horizon Jazz Band will be here with more energetic, timeless Traditional Jazz on May 7th.  Hope to see you here???  Bring some friends!