Tag Archives: Dixieland Jazz

Jeff Hughes

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PO Box 572, Woods Hole, MA 02543  jhughes@wellesley.edu

Jeff sitting at home in wicker chair on porch, Falmouth MA wearing, hawaiian shirt and straw hat, holding cornet

Jeff Hughes plays cornet, trumpet, and flugelhorn

 

 

Jeff Hughes (dubbed “Mr. Melody” by Ray Smith) has made a name for himself as a Bix-styled cornet player and disciple of Bunny Berigan in the Boston area with the Wolverine Jazz Band, Dave Whitney Orchestra, Dan Gabel and the Abletones, and numerous other groups. By day, he is a mild-mannered marine biologist, but by night he is the leader of many bands:

Bands

  1. Jeff’s Jazz Jesters
  2. Jeff Hughes’ Jazz Jesters Novelty Orchestra
  3. Jeff Hughes’ Swing Times Five
  4. Lost in the Sauce
  5. Mainstay
  6. Brahmin Bellhops
  7. 7th Heaven Seven
  8. Monomoy Seven
  9. Hot Toddies
  10. Jeff’s Jumpin’ Jive
  11. Jeff Hughes JazzNews

Jeff in gray suite and white fedora blowing trumpet

Jeff Hughes with flugelhorn

Links

  1. http://www.wolverinejazzband.com/bio.html
  2. http://nejazz.com/oldsite/Swing5Apr2012.htm
  3. http://www.nejazz.com/oldsite/Williams2012.htm
  4. http://www.nejazz.com/oldsite/Swing5Oct12.htm
  5. http://www.nejazz.com/oldsite/Jesters26Feb13.htm
  6. http://www.nejazz.com/oldsite/Jesters28May13.htm
  7. http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Hot-Steamed-Jazz-Festival/341875888778?ref=ts
  8. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Hughes_(musician)

Videos:

 

 

Jimmy Mazzy and The Trail Blazers at Trail’s End Café, November 22, 2015

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keyboard, clarinet, banjo

The Trail Blazers, Harold Koch, Craig Ball, Jimmy Mazzy

By Nick Ribush and Marce
Videos by Harold McAleer

Jimmy Mazzy debuted at a new venue that hopefully will become a permanent home for The Trail Blazers (new name).   Trail’s End is a fine restaurant at 97 Lowell Road in Concord Massachusetts not far from the monument.  It is the perfect setting for the new Trio of Jimmy Mazzy banjo and vocals, Craig Ball reeds, and Harold Koch keyboard.

We all know Jimmy and Craig (leader of the White Heat Swing Orchestra).  Harold Koch is an old friend of Jimmy’s who played piano with him (and Lee Childs) at The Groton Inn in 1971.  He has a swinging stride left hand, a vehicle for rapid improvisation, and he knows exactly how to support Jimmy and Craig.

“The Trail Blazers are in the Lounge, a bright and cheery room, with fun seating options, in comfy overstuffed, ‘get lost in’ chairs and flexible table set ups. The large bar has many welcoming stools for extra seating in an overflow crowd situation,” said Midge Symmes.

Marce and Nick were fortunate to occupy the overstuffed chairs with direct view of the band – comfy indeed!

Trails End Café

97 Lowell Rd. Concord MA     11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

couple from New Hampshire

Jeanette and Fred Wilkes

 

This first venture at the Trail’s End was sold out with all of Jimmy’s loyal fans.  Fred and Jeanette Wilkie drove all the way from Hudson, New Hampshire to be here.

 

Jim White sat at the keyboard playing Avalon, as the crowd was settling in.

owner played keyboard as folks arrived

Owner Jim White at keyboard with Jimmy Mazzy

Craig Ball arrived, and played beautiful low register clarinet, while Harold Koch’s marvelous stride was featured in Nobody’s Sweetheart Now.   Jimmy’s unique scatting delighted us  in I Can’t Believe That You’re In Love With Me.

Blue Skies was lovely, and appropriate for this day.  DAYLIGHT HOURS 11am – 2pm!

Harold is Jimmy’s secret weapon, playing a lively Broadway Melody.

Harold at keyboard

Harold Koch

Craig on clarinet

Craig Ball

 

 

 

Craig went wild on clarinet with My Heart Stood Still.  He took out the soprano sax and had Bob Cronin and Sandrine dancing up a storm on Deed I Do.  Craig is a monster on tenor sax, too!

 

Carrie Mazzy

Carrie Mazzy

 

 

Carrie joined the Trio sanging Billie Holiday’s When a Woman Loves a Man, And I still Do, and Goody Goody.

 

 

Jimmy on banjo

The inimitable Jimmy Mazzy

 

 

Jimmy took the vocal on Marie, with Harold playing wicked stride piano, left hand bouncing across the keyboard.   It’s a joy to just watch him play.

 

 

 

shows tables and chairs near band

Partial view of Lounge, 14-seat Full Bar is at left

The band continued with Jimmy’s Blues (a 12 bar blues) with Craig on soprano for half, then moving to clarinet.  The Trio is marvelous!

They also played:
Dinah
Darktown Strutters’ Ball
I’m Just Breezin’ Along With the Breeze
Linda
After You’ve Gone
Hard Hearted Hannah
Life Is Like a Bowl of Cherries
Somebody Stole My Gal

At the first break, Jimmy played a lovely ballad (not meant for banjo) that was Jimmy Enright’s favorite song, Sleepy Lagoon.  We lost him 28 years ago November 19th. Thank You Jimmy Mazzy!

Knowing owner Jim White enjoyed the afternoon gives one hopeful thoughts of a future for the Trail Blazers at the Trail’s End Café!  Stay tuned.

 

 

 

 

 

Harold Koch, Pianist

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Harold Koch at Keyboard

Harold Koch at Keyboard

by Nick Ribush
Harold Koch was born in Manchester NH and has always lived in that area.
He started playing piano when he was 5. There was a piano at home (his mother and elder brother played) and he found that he could pick out with one finger any tune he heard. People were quite impressed with his ability and sometimes suggested he should take lessons but at that point he didn’t see the need. He found he was reasonably advanced playing out of the John W. Schaum piano book that he didn’t really need lessons.
Then one of his friends who had taken lessons played “Mary Had A Little Lamb” for Harold with a stride left hand, so he grabbed onto that to go with his one finger right hand melody picking.  Several years later, however, he took some lessons from a teacher who taught him the more advanced chords, from adding sixths, sevenths and ninths to diminished and augmented chords, which really helped his playing.
His brother used to listen to jazz on the radio, in particular the Chamber Music Society of Lower Basin Street on the Blue Network with Henry Levine and his Dixieland Octet and other musicians. So his brother got to like jazz and bought Harold a couple of records, one by Bunk Johnson and the other by the Lower Basin Street band. He grew to love Dixieland, but the thing he really loved was his grandmother’s phonograph. His uncles were in their twenties in the 1920s and had bought a whole bunch of Victor scrolls 78s, and Harold thought that was the living end of music. He copied the arrangements on piano as best he could. He never had any favorite pianists or looked to any pianist in particular, but would simply try to imitate the arrangements on those records.
When Harold was in 8th grade in high school a drummer friend gathered together all the kids who could play music and created a big band. The friend loved Glenn Miller charts and stuff like that, so that was the first band that Harold really played with. He couldn’t read music and didn’t have a chord book; he was just able to hear chord changes by ear for most simple tunes. For songs with more weird changes he’d have to figure the chords out but could still get there by ear.
After school he played with small bands around Manchester. In the 60s he went to work at Sanders Associates, a defense contractor in Nashua, where he became a senior electronics tech. There was a band there and Harold played with them at the Nashua Club in Nashua for ten years.
Lee with clarinet compleely relaxed leanng on gate

Lee Childs on Hi-Line Jazz Boat, Cape Cod

In 1971, a friend at Sanders who played trombone told Harold about a job that he had at the Groton Inn with a wonderful banjo player called Jimmy Mazzy and a wonderful clarinet player called Elliot “Lee” Childs. So he joined the band and played there the whole winter of 1971, which for Harold was the best music job he ever had. And that’s how he met Jimmy. He recorded some of these gigs on reel-to-reel, the tapes of which he still has.
Some time after that he lost interest in playing with the bands around Manchester and found greater satisfaction in simply playing piano at home every day.
Occasionally over the years Harold would go the Colonial Inn to hear Jimmy and sometimes sat in, but mostly he didn’t play with bands, so this gig at Trail’s End on November 22, 2015 is a bit of a departure for him and a welcome one for us who got to hear him. We’re certainly hoping for more.

 

Eli and The Hot Six at Primavera, November 19, 2015

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6 pc Contemporary Classic Jazz Band

Eli and The Hot Six –  Bob Winter, Eli Newberger, Jimmy Mazzy, Jeff Guthery, Ted Casher, Bo Winiker, Herb Gardner                                                                       © Ray Drueke

Photos © Ray Drueke, Austin Lane Studios
Videos by Marce

This was the last Jazz Concert of 2015 at Primavera, and a very worthwhile one.  The Hot Six reached deep down playing their hearts out creating beautiful music.  They just love playing Jazz!

Herb stands in front playing trombone

Herb Gardner                   ©

 

This was Herb Gardner’s evening, bringing old school musicality to vocals and on trombone with Ain’t She Sweet, and The Sheik of Araby – with the band members responding: ‘Without No Pants On’.

He started another vocal on Basin St. Blues, then turned it over to Jimmy with a trombone intro, the band playing in stop time behind him.  Herb ended with a rambunctious trombone flourish.

 

 

 

Eli hugging tuba, eyes closed

Eli Newberger ©

 

 

Eli Newberger, celebrated tuba virtuoso and keyboardist, leads the band, pointing at whoever gets to play next.  This is Jazz, no charts.

He plays tuba with a deep, sonorous tone, maintaining that contemporary classic beat and managing difficult straight four/four notes by circular breathing.

 

 

They paid tribute to the French with Ted’s sweet arrangement of Petite Fleur on clarinet.   Lovely!  This was also the hundredth anniversary of Sidney Bechet.

Jimmy singing and playing banjo

Jimmy Mazzy                    ©

 

Jimmy sings with sensitivity, Someone To Watch Over Me, changing the words from: “Although he may not be the man some girls think of as handsome, to my heart he carries the key.” to  “Although she may not be the Squaw some boys think of as awesome, to my heart she carries the key.”

We’re thrilled  to have Jimmy back with the Hot Six; he’s been travelling.  He changed moods with Our Love is Here to Stay. He is also in The Tuber Trio with Eli and Ted Casher.  We hope he’s here to stay.

 

Bob at keyboard

Bob Winter                         ©

 

 

Bob Winter finesses amazing sounds out of that keyboard, starting with soft melodic single-note piano lines on Some Of These Days, gradually rising to an astounding variety of piano styles.

He is the pianist for the Boston Pops, but also loves this music and plays skillful, soft commentary behind the soloists and vocals.

 

 

In Memoriam: We lost Jimmy Enright  28 years ago today.  The Hot Six played Everybody Loves My Baby, with Jimmy Mazzy’s passionate voice rising to the infamous Jimmy “Holler’.

Bo Winiker on flugelhorn

Bo Winiker on flugelhorn

 

 

 

Jimmy continued with C’Est Si Bon, backed by Ted’s clarinet, with Bo on flugelhorn.  Bo’s rhythmic annotations on trumpet and flugelhorn lift the whole band.

 

 

 

Sizzling 12th Street Rag

Carolyn laughing and playing washboard

Carolyn Newberger            ©

 

 

Carolyn Newberger arrived and dug out the washboard. The band played a tune that her Mother used to play for her growing up, fairly soft and subtle, Tico Tico. 

Bob and Carolyn always connect and inspire each other; their duets are sparkling and exciting!

 

 

 

Ted on tenor sax

Ted Casher                      ©

 

 

 

Ted plays gut-wrenching saxophone on Blue and Sentimental.  There were no lights on the band so my videos were really dark.  Ray Drueke came to the rescue and lightened them somewhat.  Just close your eyes and listen to Ted play a dreamy Coleman Hawkins tenor sax.

 

 

Jeff with a big smile looking to his right

Jeff Guthery, drums        ©

 

 

Eli had everyone clapping in time to a fiery Limehouse Blues. Jeff Guthery let loose on drums. He is the youngest member of the band, and recently had his recital at Berklee College of Music.

This was one of those never ending tunes, with Eli giving each musician a turn on the final verse.

 

 

Sarah at mic, looking towards her right

Sarah Nova                       ©

 

 

 

Herb Gardner’s daughter, Sarah Nova was in the audience – a fine songstress in her own right.  Sarah teaches jazz to young children with her CD, Jazz For Lil’ Jumpers.  She gave us a lively version of Them There Eyes.

 

 

 

Eli and The Hot Six closed this evening of great jazz with Bo on flugel horn and Jimmy singing Louis’s Sleepy Time Down South.  This was the Primavera Finale for the year 2015. Jazz will return to Primavera Ristorante on January 7th, 2016.

Eli and The Hot Six with Rebecca Sullivan will be at Sculler’s Jazz Club on December 17th – celebrating Eli’s 75th birthday!

 

Professional photographer taking pictures

Ray Drueke, Austin Lane Studios

Photos Copyrighted by Ray Drueke,  Austin Lane Studios (401) 635-0163.

30 High-resolution photos available for sale.

Jeff Hughes and The Jazz Jesters

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6 pc Trad Jazz Band and vocalist

Craig Ball, Steve Taddeo, Jeff Hughes, Al Bernard, Hunter Burtamy, John Clark, Herb Gardner

 by Bill Falk
photos: Marce

Jeff Hughes’ Jazz Jesters keep getting better every time I hear them. Their recent gig
at the Primavera on 11/12/15 was superb. The band ripped through a wide variety of tunes, some well remembered from the 20’s and 30’s and some relatively unknown. Their execution was terrific – very melodic and enjoyable.

Unfortunately, the crowd was sparse, but all in attendance loved the music. Two reed
players on the front line worked extremely well. Craig Ball ripped off excellent solos on both clarinet and tenor sax and John Clark did the same on clarinet and alto sax. They
augmented each other soloing and backing up others. Also, John’s arrangements were outstanding.

Craig on clarinet

Craig Ball

John Clark alto sax and clarinet, Herb Gardner keyboard

John Clark and Herb Gardner
trumpet front, drums back

Jeff Hughes, Steve Taddeo (rear)

 

 

 

As usual, Jeff displayed his great ability to lead the group, backing up soloists and still exhibiting his outstanding trumpet prowess. He ‘gets into the tunes so well, plus his sound is marvelous. I can’t get enough of Jeff.

 

 

 

banjo front, tuba rear

Hunter Burtamy banjo, Al Bernard tuba

 

Hunter Burtamy on banjo added even more guts to the rhythm section. He didn’t solo much, but he brought out the band’s depth. Herb Gardner is a joy on keyboard. He drips with experience and innovation. Al Bernard is a wonder on tuba. He controls the
instrument completely. Steve Taddeo sets a steady beat on drums. He doesn’t overpower the rest of the players, but he sets the pace very well.

 

 

Lovely blond vocalist mid-30's

Sarah (Gardner) Nova

 

 

Sarah Nova, who is Herb Gardner’s daughter, was delightful on vocals. She shows her pedigree well on both jump tunes and slower music. Sarah was a terrific addition to the group as she delivered style and sound on “Keeping Out of Mischief”, “Where Are You”,
“Russian Lullaby”, “Keep Your Hands Off It”, to name some of her numbers.

 

 

The band featured “Lucky Day” (theme song), “Diane”, “Not Much,” “Bouncing Around,”
and lots of other songs. Their last number was the theme from “Our Gang”. I liked
“Empty Saddles in The Old Corral” – a perfect ending to a marvelous performance.

Bill Falk

The Ramblers at Primavera Ristorante, October 29th

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The Ramblers play Dixieland and Hot Dance music from the Roaring Twenties, including tunes composed by Tin Pan Alley giants like Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, and Isham Jones.  They will be playing on October 29 at Primavera, 20 Pleasant Street, Millis, MA.  For this performance, the  musicians are Craig Ball, reeds; Bob MacInnis, trumpet and flugelhorn; Scott Philbrick, banjo and trumpet; and Robin Verdier, keyboard.

Craig Ball clarinet, tenor sax

Craig Ball clarinet, tenor sax

Bob on cornet

Bob MacInnis

Robin Verdier, keyboard

Robin Verdier, keyboard

Scott on banjo on banjo/trumpet

Scott Philbrick on banjo/trumpet

Go to  https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B2btM6-mr-udMENvMmFyNzRwbWs to hear their unique sound on Al Jolson’s big hit,California, Here I Come.

Wolverine Jazz Quintet takes a Dixieland Cruise on Boston Harbor

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trumpet,reeds,keyboard,tuba,drum

Wolverine Jazz Quintet

The Wolverine Jazz Band Quintet played brilliantly on the Dixieland Jazz Cruise out of Boston Harbor with Jeff Hughes trumpet, John Clark reeds, Ross Petot keyboard, dynamic duo Rick MacWilliams tuba and Dave Didriksen drums, and vocalist Kellian Pletcher.

 

S. S. Samuel Clemens, decked out like a Mississippi River Boat

S. S. Samuel Clemens, decked out like a Mississippi River Boat

It’s been decades since we were on a Jazz Cruise in Boston Harbor.  On Saturday June 20th, the S.S. Samuel Clemens, the flagship of the Mass Bay Lines, departed from Rowe’s Wharf for a Dixieland Jazz Cruise hosted by the Greater Boston Vintage Society, directed by Jason Volk.  They wore vintage clothing, and had clothes, hats, ties, shoes, and jewelry for sale.  There was even a contest for the ‘Best dressed’.  It was great fun for everyone.

 

 

 

Couple with legs flying

Mari and Edgar demonstrating the Swing

 

 

The afternoon started at 1pm with a Swing Dance Lesson by Boston Lindy Hop teachers Mari Adams and Edgar B. Herwick III.

 
Dance lesson:

After an hour, they were all Swinging like mad!  The ship left Boston behind and The Wolverine Jazz Quintet  played from 2pm to 5pm for the dancers.

motorboats, sailboats, on the harbor with ?? background

Busy Boston Harbor with Bunker Hill Monument in the background

We especially liked the Mooch, video taped by John Carlo.
https://www.facebook.com/carlo.esp/videos/o.184566948381364/863483993722009/?type=2&theater

Dirt Cheap Video caught the excitement of the whole trip (3.5 minutes):

Kellian Pletcher

Kellian Pletcher

 

 

Vocalist Killian Pletcher  isn’t only a fine vocalist, but a great Swing dancer too

 

 

 

We haven’t been on a Jazz Cruise on Boston Harbor since the 1980’s when  different bands were featured on both levels.  The change in the Boston harborside was startling!  Anthony’s Pier 4 is a wreck, waiting to be demolished. The Black Eagles began on a ship docked by that restaurant in the early 70’s.

It was sad to see, but we were encouraged by all the brand new development along the harbor.  Boston will remain a vital, growing metropolis.  We hope to see more Jazz and Dixieland Jazz Cruises in the future!

The Greater Boston Vintage Society is an active group and sponsors vintage happenings all year all over New England and beyond.  Check them out. https://www.facebook.com/groups/GreaterBostonVintageSociety/

Eli and The Hot Six at Marce’s surprise birthday at Primavera

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Eli & 5 piece band (Mazzy not here)

Eli and The Hot Six

Bo Winiker trumpet/flugelhorn, Ted Casher clarinet/tenor and soprano sax, Herb Gardner trombone, Bob Winter piano, Eli Newberger tuba, Carolyn Newberger washboard.  (Jimmy Mazzy was on his way to the Olympia WA Festival.)

This was all about ME ME ME!  Surprise birthday party with my son and daughter-in-law Charles and Carol Sardonini in collusion with Eli Newberger, Briana Musto of Primavera Ristorante, and my drivers Tina and Ralph Cass.  They had this planned for a whole month and I never got wind of it!

Marce coming in the door and surprised to see her whole family there!

It was a complete surprise!!

Many of my children and grandchildren were here.  Youngest son, Dave Sardonini, and his wife Jennifer, and grandson DJ, flew up from Lake Mary Florida to be here.  It was very festive, tables loaded with balloons, with a big 80 in the middle.  It was a blast!   Granddaughter Alison Sardonini took many PICTURES!

Eli and The Hot Six were fired up, having just returned from a very successful  Swingin’ Gershwin at the Barrington Stage Company in Pittsfield.  They led this evening off with Bo Winiker singing Louis Armstrong’s Hello Dolly.  Muscrat Ramble was in a Bossa Nova beat, reinforced by Eli’s tuba and Jeff’s pulsating drums.  Kid Ory retired to Hawaii on the proceeds of that tune!

tuba and trumpet up front

Eli & Bo on Hold Tight

 

In the ensemble sections, clarinet, cornet and trombone played a three-part counterpoint line typical of 1920s New Orleans bands.

Eli and Bo were featured on Hold Tight.

 

Herb singing

Herb is multi-instrumental!

 

 

Ted was up up for more Gershwin with I’ve Got Rhythm on his awesome tenor sax.

Herb took the vocal on Pennies From Heaven.  His voice is his other instrument, besides trombone, piano, and who knows what else!

 

 

 

The band swung into high gear.  When the music gets to you, you gotta move! Eli’s tuba was the Tiger in Tiger Rag:

Son David (of the Sports Den in Orange City, Florida,) was thrilled to join the band with Cab Calloway’s theme song, Minnie The Moocher. Our official photographer, Alison Sardonini took this fine video of the band and our family.
 Dave Sings Minnie The Moocher.
Dave shook hands with each member of the band afterwards, elated to have been able to sing with this band!

Carolyn Newberger is an accomplished artist and usually sketches the musicians while they are playing.  She caught David in the act. (Sorry Herb!)

pencils sketch of all musicians except Herb Gardner, who was erased so she could add David

Carolyn Newberger’s pencil sketch of David Sardonini with Eli and The Hot Six

Bo playing trumpet in front of my table

Bo Winiker comes right up to our table with

 

 

The last set was mine – each of the band members played a song for me!  Eli on a breathtaking tuba solo on Over The Rainbow, Bob Winter getting classicistic on Of Thee I Sing, Bo came right up to the table with The Very Thought of You.

 

Carolyn Newberger played exciting washboard on a Latin tune, Miami Rhumba

Ted on soprano sax

Ted plays Petite Fleur

 

 

 

Ted touched the bottom of my heart on soprano sax with Bechet’s Petite Fleur. This is a special for me, because I was born a “Petite Fleuette”.

 

 

 

Bo dedicated a tune to my whole family with I’ve Grown Accustomed To Your Face on flugelhorn. Herb played and sang You Can Depend on Me.  He’s very dependable; has a famous family of his own – daughters all involved with music.  Ted played clarinet and sang a rousing vocal on Swinging on a Star.
“Carry moonbeams home in a jar – And be better off than you are”.  I sure was!

Bob plays keyboard

Bob Winter

 

 

Eli asked me to pick the last tune, I like Limehouse Blues, and wouldn’t you know, they had never played it together.

Bob Winter played the first chorus – of course they all knew it.  Ted Casher sang the vocal with the actual lyrics written by Douglas Furber in 1922.   This was the finale for this most auspicious evening.

 

Thank you, Eli and The Hot Six, Carolyn, Family: Joe and Ellen Sardonini, DeeDee Towne and Daniel Hulub, Dave and Jen Sardonini and Grandkids, Friends, Primavera, Tina and Ralph, Ali for her photos, and especially Carol and Charlie Sardonini for a birthday that I will never forget!

very large birthday cake!

Eli and The Hot Six will be back here on August 20th, and Sculler’s Jazz Club on December 17th.  Stay tuned – we’ll let you know if anything pops up in between.

Thank you all!   Marce

 

 

Wolverine Jazz Band on FIRE at Primavera Ristorante on June 18, 2015

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7 piece Trad Jazz Band

Wolverine Jazz Band at Primavera Ristorante

Jeff Hughes trumpet, John Clark clarinet/bari sax, Tom Boates trombone, Jimmy Mazzy banjo/vocals, Ross Petot keyboard, Rick MacWilliams tuba, Dave Didriksen drums

The Wolves were on FIRE at Primavera, playing hot freewheeling Traditional  Jazz  to an erudite, attentive audience.    This was Joy of music with a Bang!   John Clark selected tunes from their 13 CDs in preparation for their performance at the end of June at  America’s Dixieland Festival, Olympia, WA  http://www.olyjazz.com/.   We were privileged to participate!!

They meant business, bringing heavy equipment, Jeff on flugelhorn and a 1927 limited edition Vintage Bach Stradivarius trumpet, dating back to the first quarter of the 20th century.   John Clark with his clarinet, alto and bariitone sax.

Tom on trombone with funnel mute

Tom Boates

 

 

Tom Boates usually drives two hours from Connecticut to get here.  But Tom was already in the neighborhood for his son’s wedding, and raring to go, with his whole family here to support him.   His zealous tailgate trombone elevated the whole band to another plane!

It was a beautiful  June Night, and that tune set off this fantastic evening, followed by  a captivating Memphis Blues.  

 

Ross on keyboard

Ross Petot, extraordinary stride pianist

 

Ross Petot is back now that school is out.  He is a teacher, composer and arranger.

He was featured on complex, rhythmic, stride piano on Don’t Be Late.

 

 

 

John Clark’s clarinet on Cushion Foot Stomp from their Street Beat CD was phenomenal.  A  Good ol’ good one, a swinging Let Me Call You Sweetheart.  Jimmy vocal with Dave Didriksen simply tapping on a clutched cymbal.

Jimmy thinking of a tune

Jimmy Mazzy picks one of his umpteen tunes

 

 

They gave Jimmy a choice, which is always dangerous with his familiarity with millions of tunes from 1919 to the 30s; the members never heard some of them.  He chose a relatively late one, If I Didn’t Care, a tune made popular by the Ink Spots in 1939; the band eased in behind him.

 

 

They honored  the late Banjo Bob Sundstrom  with  Elmer Schoebel’s  Prnce of Wails. Tom took a vocal on the 1920’s Here Comes The Hot Tamale Band,

John Clark on baritone sax

John Clark on baritone sax

 

 

 

John Clark’s baritone sax was spellbinding on  Sidney Bechet’s Passport to Paradise.

This was their maiden voyage for this tune.

 

 

 

Dixieland: they challenged the ODJB  with The Original Dixieland One Step that is on their 13th CD – Baker’s Dozen.  It’s their latest and available now.  (Their first CD was The Wolverine Jazz Band Live, recorded by Ed Williams in 1999 at the Sherborn Inn.

Rick MacWilliams hidden behind monstrous tuba

Rick MacWilliams hidden behind monstrous tuba

 

 

Rick played the poignant melody on tuba with his drum colleague keeping time tapping on woodblock.

 

 

 

Jelly Roll Morton was well represented with Original Jelly Roll Blues.  FrankieTrumbauer’s on There’ll Come a Time, from their  Michigander Blues CD, featured Tom’s virtuosic trombone.

John Clark has been singing more tunes (at the insistence of his #1 fan, Betty Weaver).  He  sang all the verses of  Oceana Roll from memory!   Dr. Jazz verse sung by Tom,  with exciting exchange between trombone and banjo, and Tom scatting to the end.

Jeff Hughes on flugelhorn

Jeff Hughes on flugelhorn

 

 

Jeff played a full, rich, smoky flugelhorn for Don Redman’s Save It Pretty Mama.

Ross played the chimes on piano on King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band Chimes Blues, followed by another K.O. with Jimmy scatting on  a lively Shake It and Break It. 

 

Drummer Dave Didriksen sparks the band by providing solid support every note of the way.

Dave on drums

Dave Didriksen keeps the beat

There was never a dull moment; the crowd was feeding off the energy of the band and the band was feeding off the responsive crowd!  (Be prepared, Washington!)

They calmed down with Jimmy singing an Elvis tune, Love Me Tender, with each musician taking a solo between Jimmy’s many smoldering stanzas.  They finally closed with On The Mall, from their CD of the same name – trombone and clarinet connected, trombone going wild!   Fans left elated!

On the following Saturday,, on a warm and sunny June afternoon,  the Greater Boston Vintage Society featured The Wolverine Quintet  on the S. S. Samuel Clemens, a reproduction of a 3-deck riverboat at Rowe’s Wharf; on a 3-hour Boston Harbor Cruise.  It  was their first Dixieland Jazz Boat, and filled with Swing Dancers.  We had a ball!!

We’lll have many chances to hear this top Traditional Jazz Band again, when it returns from Washington, as John noted in his email:

“We will be heading out to the West Coast to do America’s Dixieland Festival in Olympia, WA for the last weekend in June, but we have quite a few concerts when we get back:

Sherborn Town Concert  Weds 7/1 630-8 (weather permitting)
Willows at Westboro  Weds 7/8  7-830
Wayside Inn Tues 7/14  (info and tickets at  http://www.wayside.org/node/286)
Bar Harbor Summer Music Sunday 7/19 8-10pm (info and tickets at http://barharbormusicfestival.org/2010_calendar.html
Weston Town Concert Weds 7/22 7-830 (weather permitting)
St, Matthew’s in Acton Sunday 8/2 6pm
West Boyleston Town Concert  Sunday 8/9  5-7pm (weather permitting)
Natick Senior Center, Thursday 8/20
Stark Park, Manchester, NH  Sunday 8/23 2-4pm (weather permitting)
Walpole Town Concert Tues 8/25  6-8pm (weather permitting)”

You can join John’s once-a-month emails at jazzbnd@aol.com
and purchase many of their 13 albums here.

Williams Reunion Jazz Band at DBMS Opening of the Bay May 22-24, Duxbury MA

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The Williams Reunion Jazz Band was born on New England college campuses in the 1950’s when Dixieland was alive and well and “runnin’ wild”.  They had a busy weekend, starting Friday…a fundraiser for the DBMS with a raw Oyster bar, heavy hors d’oeuvres and cash bar.  The Williams Reunion Jazz Band returns every year Memorial Day weekend for the Duxbury Bay Maritime School’s Annual Opening of The Bay,

picture of the school, bay and some boats

Duxbury Bay Maritime School on Duxbury Bay

On Saturday, they were scheduled for a one-hour deck concert at DBMS – open to all, but it was cancelled because of cold, raw weather.  Saturday night they gave a  free concert at the South Shore Conservatory Ellison Center for the Arts in Duxbury.

Sunday the Williams Reunion Jazz Band started the day with a Jazz Service at First Parish Church, followed by a noon brunch at the fabulous Windsor House Inn, 390 Washington St. in Duxbury, MA.

6 pc Trad Jazz Band, no drums

Williams Reunion Jazz Band with Jimmy Mazzy

The core three here today were Williams College Boys: Bob Kingsbury ’58 on clarinet; Fred Clifford ’58 on Tuba; and John Halsey ’59 on Piano (keyboard) with John Bucher cornet.( Amherst ’52.)  Drummer Tom Hayne ’59 wasn’t here today because he had to leave early.

The band was joined by two permanent guests and members of the Wolverine Jazz Band, the inimitables Jimmy Mazzy Banjo/Vocals, and Tom Boates, trombone.

Jimmy singing and playing banjo

Jimmy Mazzy is ? on many bands.

 

 

They began with Jimmy singing Tishomingo Blues, a famous tune by Spencer Williams first published in 1917.  We knew this was going to be a great afternoon!   There were families with young children who were really enjoying this Jazz – let’s hope they pass it on!

 

 

 

Bucher on muted cornet

John Bucher is fabulous on cornet.

 

 

Deed I Do, Beale St. Blues Tom Boates singing the vocal.  Bye Bye Blues.

Bucher played sweet muted cornet on Buddy Bolden Blues.

 

 

 

Fred posing with tuba

Fred Clifford

 

 

Tuba intro on chorus of I Can’t Give You Anything But Love.  Fred was playing a King tuba he found on Ebay (with the expert help of Eli Newberger).

 

 

Jimmy Mazzy had to leave early for another engagement. He was replaced by Mark Endresen, guitar.

Mark on guitar

Williams Reunion Jazz Band with Mark Endresen

Mark on guitar, head down, chin almost touching guitar

Mark Endresen, guitar

 

Mark is a ‘regular’ here at the Windsor House.   He often joins the Jimmy Mazzy Trio once a month here for a Sunday Brunch.

My Baby’s Loving Arms.  Best Things in Life Are Free, which had been requested some time ago, but they had saved it for Mark to perform.

 

 

 

Tuba took the intro to a stunning Black & Blue.  Running Wild had wild trombone and guitar and the band trading 4’s with the keyboard.   Everybody Loves My Baby.

Trombone and cornet

Tom Boates fantastic trombone feature

 

 

Tom Boates’ trombone was featured with John backing on cornet with Tin Roof Blues.  This was one of my favorites!

Halsey on keyboard

John Halsey

In the absence of a drummer, keyboardist John Halsey took the stage for Avalon.  This was frustrating for Halsey, who had been playing on fine Steinway pianos all weekend, but he came through with flying fingers!

Bob Kingsbury clarinet

Bob Kingsbury clarinet

 

 

Kingsbury played a fine low register clarinet on I’m Confessing That I Love You.

 

 

 

 

There was an especially fine musical exchange with cornet and tuba  trading 4’s on Sweet Georgia Brown.  We were right – it was a great afternoon with The Williams Reunion Jazz Band playing exceptional Traditional Jazz!

Opening of the Bay every spring is a critical financial fund-raiser for the Duxbury Bay Maritime School because it’s a struggling non-profit and needs the extra money.  The school serves 1800 students from age 3 to 83 through educational and recreational programs that stimulate individual growth and an enduring love and appreciation of the sea.

The Williams Reunion Jazz Band will return next labor day for the 18th Opening of the Bay in Duxbury, Massachusetts with more fine Traditional Jazz.  Come join us!

Marce