The Blue Horizon Jazz Band had a perfect mix of musicians this Thursday at Primavera with Phil Person leading on trumpet and Jack Soref on guitar.  Phil brought along his sense of humor, tossing quips as they played, and everyone had fun.   The whole band played a memorable, hard-driving performance!

The combined talents of the front line sharing ideas enlivened the evening.

 

 

Phil Person is leader of the Phil Person Sextet, Quintet, and Quartet, and teaches all levels of Ear Training at Berklee.  In the summertime, he teaches classes of teens.  He kept this evening light with his good humor, adding jokes for the musicians.  They obviously enjoyed playing together, and it reflected on the audience.

 

 

They kicked it in with ensemble playing I Can’t Believe That You’re in Love With Me.   What Is This Thing Called Love?

 

 

 

All by Myself in The Evening – guitar played front line solo, Stan singing, tune has a nice bounce, with Gerry playing killer muted trombone!

 

 

 

 

Soref’s guitar played rhythm and also became part of the front line.   Jack soloed on It Had To Be You, playing  gypsy flavored ‘jazz manouche’ with swing articulation.

Note the Selmer guitar favored by Django Reinhardt.  The top of the guitar is gently arched or domed—a feature achieved by bending a flat piece of wood rather than by the violin-style carving used in archtop guitars.

Jack brings an added flair to the band.

 

Found A New Baby – Stan plays the verse on soprano sax,  I Would Do Anything For You, Baby Ain’t I Good To You –  great trumpet, clarinet comping, fine string bass behind them.

 

 

 

Rose of the Rio Grande started with energized ensemble with Dave’s great timekeeping skills behind them.   Dave Didriksen plays great Traditional Jazz, playing hi hat softly behind solos, brushes on snare drum.  He lets the soloists shine.  He let loose on one of the tunes showing he can romp with the best of them!

 

 

They played My Gal Sal in in marvelous  fluid rhythm. They recalled that on the Jacky Gleason show, Gleason would be found wiping down the bar, singing the end of “My Gal, Sal” in his wonderful howl.

 

 

Stu’s magical string bass took the intro to W. C. Handy’s Ole Miss.  Stu plays many styles of string bass, listening carefully, playing just the right cords.

Phil took the lead on trumpet with beautifully placed phrases, with Stan comping on soprano sax. Marvelous!  Stan sang the vocal.  Jack played a dazzling Django guitar solo.

 

 

 

Sidney Bechet’s Le Marchand de Poisson started with a 4-bar rhythm Habanera intro, Dave’s foot heavy on bass drum.   Phil wasn’t familiar with it so Stan took the lead and played a fabulous first chorus on sop sax.  Phil picked it up quickly.   They played a fantastic Habanera ending with horns stinger taking it out.

 

 

 

 

Stan’s sax took a wild intro into Wild Man Blues, with two bar breaks on solos, Phil playing wa wa trumpet.  Soref’s guitar began a wild finale, China Boy.

These fine musicians  combined talents to play New Orleans old time jazz with new time energy and the fans took part with foot-tapping and head-nodding.  The Jazz was fabulous, and we all had a good time!