Williams Reunion Dixieland Jazz Band at Opening of the Bay May 23-25 2014
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”. Band members now include four Williams College boys: Bob Kingsbury ’58 on clarinet; Fred Clifford ’58 on Tuba; Tom Hayne ’59 on Drums and features: John Halsey ’59 on Piano who is a PhD, teacher and a featured pro in NYC having played with all of the greats in Jazz.
Three permanent guests from Amherst, Bates and U. Mass are: John Bucher who for 25 years led the Woody Allen Band at Michael’s Pub in NYC and plays a wonderful Beiderbecke/Hackett style; Jimmy Mazzy on Banjo who is well known to everybody, and Tom Boates on trombone who plays in the style of Jack Teagarden and Miff Mole and is featured with the Wolverine Jazz Band.
The WRJB name goes back to 1983 when, at a formal jazz concert in Williams College Chapin Hall, the seven first played together. Through the years, their reputation in Williamstown has blossomed into a year ’round schedule of performances at private parties, country clubs, weddings, church masses, jazz festivals, jazz cruises, and special events across the USA.
The band returns every Memorial Day weekend to Duxbury MA for the Duxbury Bay Maritime Academy’s “Opening of the Bay”, their 17th this year. Friday night’s GALA was Traditional Jazz, cocktails and heavy hors d’oeuvres and Island Creek Oyster reception under the tent, and Dixieland Jazz.
Duxbury Bay Maritime Academy
Saturday afternoon is family day, with face painting, balloon animals, vendors, food and drinks. It was a New England cold, damp day. We caught the Williams Reunion Dixieland Jazz Band under the tent on the deck by the Bay.
The inimitable Jimmy Mazzy
They opened with a lively Dr. Jazz, Jimmy vocal and banjo – Jimmy Mazzy has a unique hold on the bridge that allows him to make sounds like no one else!
Boates’ powerful trombone opened My Honey’s Loving Arms. Ensemble took the intro to Rose Room, followed by engaging personal solos first by clarinet, then cornet, trombone, banjo, piano.
Bob Kingsbury, leader, clarinet
Kingsbury’s clarinet started with the verse on W. C. Handy’s Hesitation Blues; ensemble parts twining around each other leading to a Jimmy Mazzy hearty shout. They played a final chorus, Hayne closing with a cymbal CRASH!
Tom Boates plays Kid Ory’s Creole Trombone
Tom Boates is always featured on Kid Ory’s Creole Trombone, no matter what band he’s in. We hope he never gets tired of playing it because we never get tired of hearing his magnificent growling trombone!
Memphis Blues was a soft wistful blues, clarinet playing high over the whole ensemble, cornet and piano building long, melodic solos. Jimmy’s scatting was more like a soft moaning,
 John Bucher, Bix-style cornet |
 John Halsey rippled up and down the keyboard. |
Fred Clifford
They revved it up with S’Wonderful, nice low register clarinet start, Jimmy singing ballad, marvelous Bucher cornet, tuba holding long notes. Clifford is the band’s rhythmic engine. Banjo solo was backed by drum softly tapping cymbal and snare drum.
Let Me Call You Sweetheart, clarinet, cornet, piano played melody, with trombone counterpoint accents. Kingsbury moved over to Boates for a wonderful trombone/clarinet duet.
Tom Hayne drives the band with his Dixieland Beat
At The Jazz Band Ball was explosive, with great New Orleans polyphony, then they let Tom Hayne go wild on drums.
Their music has a joyful, timeless spirit. It all ended too soon, but there was a cold wind blowing in from the Bay and they were glad to pack up and move on.
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WRJB did a week in Florida again this year, what they call “Spring Training”, with five appearances, one in Ponte Vedra, three in Vero Beach and finished at the Bath and Tennis Club in Palm Beach. And they just finished their annual Boston/Duxbury weekend with six appearances ranging from the Somerset Club in Boston to the South Shore Conservatory, First Parish Church and Winsor House in Duxbury. Then a full Reunion weekend in Williamstown from June 13-15 capped by a private party in Bretton Woods, NH.
The Williams Reunion Jazz Band plays some excellent, authentic Traditional Jazz.
Try some of their many CDs.
