Review of Wolverine Jazz Band at Ken’s Steak House, May 3, 2015 – by Myron Idelson
On May 3rd, 2015, the venerable restaurant, Ken’s Steak House in Framingham Massachusetts launched a new venue for Traditional Jazz. Hosted by the Wolverine Jazz Band, led by John Clark, the music made by seven formidable talents from 4pm to 7pm blew all credibility by reaching new heights of Jazz brilliance.
The members of the Band: John Clark clarinet and bari saxophone, Jeff Hughes cornet, Jimmy Mazzy banjo and vocals, Ross Petot piano, Tom Boates trombone, Rick MacWilliams tuba and Dave Didriksen drums… were all guilty of playing excessive, appealing, ingratiating, bright, inventive, and intense extraordinary music causing a seismic shaking of Musical Joy, registering a 10 on the Richter Musical Scale.
The music played by the Wolverines was a Blue Ribbon Salute to their talents… and the audience became immensely wealthy. The unusual arrangements, the swinging tempos, the integrity of the Jazz in the slow tempos, the exciting refreshing impressive new insights showed the seven Giants were possessors of fantastic tone and range with never a hint or sound of a pallid solo.
The pleasing Hot choruses, the brilliant arrangements, were infusing and sparking the boys to unmitigated and scintillating new heights. There was never even a minor flaw the entire evening. It was a full and rich shattering experience – we were in the presence of ‘Musical Diety’. The future of Ken’s is predictable – more of the same with a parade of other bands to follow.
The Opening Night of our second new venue takes place on May 19th, 2015 at the Sheraton Inn in Needham, Massachusetts, 7pm to 9:30pm. The Wolverine Jazz Band as our host ensures us, once again, of another arousing night of Great Traditional Jazz.
Ken’s Steakhouse and The Sheraton Inn will offer a “Who’s Who” of Traditional Jazz.
Myron Idelson