Tag Archives: John Kafalas

Blue Horizon Jazz Band opens Primavera’s 2016 Thursday Jazz

Posted on by
5-pc Trad Jazz Band, no drum

Blue Horizon Jazz Band at Primavera Ristorante, January 7, 2016

Stan McDonald leader/soprano sax, Phil Person trumpet, John Kefalas trombone, Jack Soref guitar, and Gerry Gagnon tuba.

Stan sitting back, relaxed, playing soprano sax

Stan McDonald anxious to play!

 

 

 

Stan McDonald was raring to go after a two-month hiatus from Jazz, and immediately led the band into a dynamic Rosetta.  What Is This Thing Called Love, It Had To Be You.  He sang My Gal Sal with passion.

 

 

A vital sparkplug, Gerry Gagnon’s booming tuba keeps the band in time, reinforced by Jack Soref’s guitar.

Wild Man Blues was a hot tune!  Trumpet leading, sax taking the breaks, guitarist Jack Soref in a dazzling gypsy-flavored solo with tuba backup.  Phil Person’s muted trumpet played from the heart, followed by Stan’s formidable sax.  Embellishing the tune was Gerry’s roaring tuba solo.

Gerry with huge tuba

Gerry Gagnon on monster tuba

 

 

 

Gerry Gagnon doesn’t get the recognition he deserves.  With constant motion, he keeps the band in time, and softly backs solos.

They followed with a soft, sublime melody, Roaming, nice soprano sax.

 

 

John with soaring trombone

John Kafalas

 

 

 

John Kafalas’ mellow trombone tugs at your heart strings, playing warm melodic lines.

 

 

 

 

An unusual guitar/tuba intro to Running Wild really energized the audience, followed by an equally captivating Tijuana.  Moving to inspiring ensemble, Stan was pleased with Soref’s guitar on Blues My Naughty Sweety Gives To Me.

Stan turns towards Soref, playing soprano sax

Stan McDonald joins Jack Soref on Sweet Sue

Jack plays the same gently arched Selmer guitar as Django Rheinhardt.

Jack plays the same gently arched Selmer guitar as Django Rheinhardt.

 

Jack  was featured with a roaring takeoff solo on Sweet Sue backed by tuba.

He will present a Gypsy Jazz Trio for the first time at Primavera on February 25 and March 17.  For anyone who hasn’t heard this yet, it will be an initiation to Django Rheinhardt!

Phil on trumpet

Phil Person, marvelous musician

 

 

 

Phil Person’s trumpet, so beautiful and moving, resonated on Rose Of The Rio Grande, inducing tuba and guitar into a fiery rhythms.

 

 

 

Irving Berlin’s Blues In The Night – a twelve bar blues, announced the approaching end of the evening.  The Band closed with Bechet’s Marchand de Poisson, beginning and ending with a feisty Habanera.

The Blue Horizon Jazz Band will return to Primavera on February 4th with another presentation of early 20’s and 30’s Hot Jazz.  Hope to see you here!

(My apologies for the poor quality of the photos.  
My main Nikon camera has been sent back to the
company for three weeks for repairs. Marce)

Tunes played tonight:
Rosetta
What Is This Thing Called Love
It Had To Be You
My Gal Sal
Tijuana
Wild Man Blues
Roamin’
Running Wild
Blues My Naughty Sweety Gives To Me
My Gal Rocks Me (With one Steady Roll)
Sweet Sue
Rose of The Rio Grande
Black and Blue
When I Leave The World Behind
Blues In The Night
Marchand de Poisson

Blue Horizon Jazz Band at the Sherborn Inn August 19, 2014

Posted on by

6-piece Trad Jazz Band, with tuba, no banjoJohn Kafalas trombone, Paul Monat cornet, Stan McDonald clarinet and soprano sax,  Ross Petot piano, Gerry Gagnon tuba, Steve Taddeo drums

Stan McDonald’s Blue Horizon Jazz Band presented another fine evening of Traditional Jazz at the Sherborn Inn on August 19th, with some changes in personnel. Gerry Gagnon moved to tuba, John Kafalas filled in for him on trombone. Paul Monat was back.  He’ll be playing all around New England until September.

They kicked it off with congenial ensemble on All By Myself and Sugar, Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives To Me. Gagnon plays a swinging tuba, 1955 Conn 20J recording bell-front, with a deep sonorous sound boosting the rhythm section.  Monat said “It felt like playing on a magic carpet”. Gerry was tubist with the Boilermaker Jazz Band of Pittsburgh until 1994, when he moved to New England and joined The Blue Horizon Jazz Band.  Seven or eight years later, Stan moved the band to string bass, and Gerry changed to trombone. tuba and pianoStan took the vocal on Darktown Strutters Ball,  backed by this rock solid rhythm section with Ross Petot on piano, and Steve Taddeo drums. drummer Steve Taddeo The evening was dedicated to John and Elizabeth, who chose to celebrate their 67th wedding anniversary at the Sherborn Inn with the Blue Horizon Jazz Band.  Congratulations!! McDonald bent over. head down, playing clarinet

 

 

Stan played elegant clarinet solo on Bechet’s lovely Blues in the Air.    Clarinet and cornet collaborated on Memphis Blues, rich voices interweaving in New Orleans polyphony.

 

 

Kafalas on trombone

 

 

The front line played a captivating   Tijuana  with John Kafalas on fierce trombone. Listeners couldn’t sit still, dancing in their seats.

Paul Monat vocal

 

 

 

 

Stans’ soprano sax took the intro to a spirited Save It Pretty Mama.         Paul Monat  surprised us, putting heart and soul in the vocal.  Not bad!

 

 

 

 

There was solid melody and harmony on Roses of Picardi,  with McDonald back on soprano sax.  His Blue Horizon Jazz Band has complete command of the Trad Jazz language! Stan asked that the next tune be played slow as possible.  Taddeo set the beat, very, very, slow on Lotus Blossom;  different, and very effective.
Monat cornet high in the air

 

 

 

Paul’s cornet went wild on a tune recorded many times by Wilbur and Sidney DeParis,   Yama Yama Man

 

 

Ross Petot introduced the closing tune with a four bar vamp on Dardanella; fine ensemble, closing with Stan’s soprano sax.

Stan standing, concluding with fine soprano sax

Traditional Jazz enjoyed a revival here in the mid-1970’s, but there are very few bands in New England still playing authentic Traditional Jazz; Stan McDonald only hires musicians that are comfortable with the genre.  They’ll be back, as always, on the 3rd Tuesday of the month at the Sherborn Inn, September 16th.  See you there?