Friday Saturday Afternoon Saturday Evening
First Band on Sunday
The audience never knew what they were going to hear because the Bands didn’t know what they were going to play, until they read the ‘instructions’ on Jeff’s lists for each session of the House Party. This music never gets dull!
Sunday started HOT with Fred Vigorito, Dan Levinson, Jim Fryer, Joel, Brian Nalepka, on Lil Armstrong’s 1923 Strutting With Some Barbecue. Fred and Jeff surprised us singing the parts of Gary Crosby and Louis Armstrong.
Fred is Gary Crosby, Jeff is Louis Armstrong on Louis Armstrong’s Struttin’ With Some Barbecue
Jim Fryer led the band on a stomping Stevedore Stomp.
Dan Levinson in charge, picked Johnny Long’s Shanty In Old Shanty Town, with Joel Schiavone singing, and everyone joining in.
Change of crew – Donn Trenner, Noel, Scotty, Tom, Gen and Kevin on Beale St. Blues, fine trombone with Tom Boates singing the vocal. Gen’s chordal subtleties created an extraordinary exchange with Tom’s sonorous trombone.
Tom Boates
Genieve Rose leader, same group on My Heart, with Jeff at piano. Creative exchange between Tom and Noel, followed by an energetic solo by Genevieve Rose.
Donn Trenner and Jeff Barnhart
Donn Trenner congratulated Jeff and Joel for their incredible accomplishment. He said “I feel inadequate here. This isn’t the music I grew up with; I don’t know the tunes. I started a family late, have a daughter who is 23 years old. She had the advantage of being at Guilford High School with the Music Director, Tom Boates.”
Trenner was marvelous on solo with one of his favorites, Michel Legrand’s If I Live Forever I Will Wait For You. Donn can be seen leading the 18-piece Hartford Jazz Orchestra every Monday at the Arch St. Tavern in Hartford. He inherited this wonderful orchestra from “Chick” Cicchetti, a celebrated trombonist, pianist, and arranger who died in 2000 at age 82. Donn played Chick’s arrangement of More Than You Know.
It was Sunday, and time for a soulful message, provided by our vocalist, Molly Ryan, with Dan Levinson on tenor sax, Scott Philbrick on guitar, Jim Lawlor drums, Brian Nalepka on tuba, Jeff Barnhart on piano. Molly sang a tune originally written by Cannonball Adderly in 1956, and borrowed by many musicians afterwards, Sermonette.
Still in a Sunday mood, Jim Fryer was called up for a Benny Goodman tune, Get Rhythm in Your Feet, and Music in Your Soul.
Molly Ryan backed by Genevieve Rose
Molly Ryan singing with Gen Rose on string bass, eliminated the ‘testosterone’ on stage, with a marvelous version of a song made popular by Dinah Shore, Far Away Places.
Trombone feature, Ory’s Creole Trombone, was wild, with Tom, Jim, Fred, Noel, Jeff, Brian, Kevin.
Trombone Feature with Ory’s Creole Trombone, of course.
They continued with Brian Nalepka on tuba with Lu Watter’s Big Bear Stomp.
Two cornets
Two cornet feature with Fred and Scott on a barn-burning Swing That Music.
Joel came up with the same group singing, Row, Row, Row. He said “they don’t write them like that anymore.”
The Boss sings.
After that, it was time for a mellow tune, featuring Dan Levinson on gut-wrenching tenor sax, with Donn, Gen, Lawlor, the 1947 Gone With The Wind.
Dan fabulous on tenor sax
Dan and Donn make beautiful music together. Molly on guitar, Scotty cornet, Lover Come Back To Me.
Lover Come Back To Me
Molly took over, singing the last four vocals, Ain’t Misbehaving, with Scott, Fred, Gen, Donn, Lawlor. Travellin’ All Night Long. Taking a chance on love, Right Key but the wrong keyhole.
Sharon and Ed Ohr
Half the fun at being at a Festival or House Party is running into old friends. It’s the only time we get to see marvelous folks like Sharon and Ed Orr, and make new friends like Don Trenner.
Donn has recently published a book, Leave it to Me, My Life in Music.
“The weekend ended with a rousing version of ‘Joe Avery’s Piece’ and then the grand finale with all the musicians playing – drum roll please – ‘High Society’ with Noel & Dan doing the famous Alphonse Picou clarinet solo. This was followed with a reprise of ‘We’ll Meet Again’ which Jeff and Dan sang earlier – very nostalgic and, as always, nobody wanted it to be over……………..” Sue Finn
Everyone posed for the Finale of another marvelous Jeff and Joel House Party!!
The 7th JJHP is scheduled for October 7-9, 2016 and trust me, it will SELL OUT! Half the tickets are already sold because Jeff and Joel are bringing us The Paris Washboard that we loved so much at the Connecticut festivals. 3-session tickets are $225, with Paris Washboard Friday night for $25 until July 1st. Get your TICKETS now.
Marce
marce@nejazz.com