The Ramblers at Primavera Ristorante October 29, 2015

Posted on October 31, 2015 by admin

4-pc Trad Band, banjo, keyboard keeping beat, clarinet, cornet/flugelhorn front line

The Ramblers – Bob MacInnis, Craig Ball, Scott Philbrick, Robin Verdier, leader.

The Ramblers made their first appearance at Primavera Ristorante, and we’re hoping they will return in 2016. This rambunctious quartet doesn’t play slow tunes – they played the music that had the Tin Pan Alley kids dancing in the 20’s and 30’s. (The Charleston started a new dance craze in 1923.) This quartet played a plethora of early Jazz from 1917 to 1929; their Traditional and Dixieland Jazz connected and inspired the audience.

Craig Ball, clarinet

Craig ball was able to shine with his expertise on clarinet, standing front and center. He usually keeps to the right or left of the band, backing the soloists.

Limehouse (1922)

When My Baby Smiles at Me was played by Benny Goodman at his 1938 Carnegie Hall Concert, a tribute to the Original Dixieland Jazz Band.

Robin Verdier, leader

Leader/Arranger Robin Verdier, a Jelly Roll Morton devotee, is our own erudite Rag Time pianist, well versed in this music. He is better known for his Monte Carlo Jazz Ensemble that was here in August. He played some wild stride piano on Tiger Rag! Let Me Call You Sweetheart was definitely not a waltz!

Robin’s piano and Scott’s banjo were in sync, keeping the beat for the front line of clarinet and cornet/flugelhorn.

Scott Philbrick usually plays cornet.

This is the first time we’ve ever heard cornetist Scott Philbrick play banjo all evening, and he was fabulous singing the 1920 Broadway Rose. Who knew he could sing??
Scott will be on cornet with Jane Campedelli’s Jubilee Jazz Band at the 25^th Anniversary of the Suncoast Jazz Jubilee coming up November 20 to 22 in Clearwater.

Running Wild (Miserable video – just shut your eyes and listen!)

Bob MacInnis ensures we hear the melody!

Bob MacInnis always maintains the melody on cornet. He’s been playing with bands all over New England all summer, and we’re lucky to have him for another couple of weeks before he heads to Florida for the winter.

He took out the flugelhorn for several numbers, Al Jolson’s 1921 California Here I Come, Con Conrad’s Moonlight.

San Francisco Bay Blues (first recorded in 1954) was really modern for this band!

Their music touches the heart and spirit; the audience loved every minute of it! We’re all hoping to hear more from The Ramblers next year!

(Any resemblance to a band that plays all summer at a New Hampshire amusement park is purely coincidental.)

Tunes:
Set 1
When My Baby Smiles At Me, Munro, Sterling & Lewis, 1920
The Curse Of An Aching Heart, Piantadosi & Fink, 1913
My Honey’s Lovin’ Arms, Meyer, 1922
Down Where The Sun Goes Down, I. Jones & Buck, 1928
Let Me Call You Sweetheart, Whitson, 1910
Limehouse Blues, Braham, 1922
Broadway Rose, Fried, Otis, & West, 1920
California, Here I Come, Meyer & DeSylva, 1921
Moonlight, Conrad, 1921

Set 2
Charleston, Johnson, 1923
Smiles, Roberts & Callahan, 1917
Varsity Drag, Brown, DeSylva, & Henderson, 1927
San Francisco Bay Blues, Jesse Fuller 1954
Sweet Sue, Young & Harris, 1928
My Gal Sal, Dresser, 1905
Some Of These Days, Brooks, 1910
You Brought A New Kind Of Love To Me, Fain, Kahal, & Norman, 1930
Runnin’ Wild, (Bb) Gibbs, Gray, & Wood, 1922

Set 3
Tiger Rag, 19th century quadrille
When You’re Smiling, Goodwin, Fisher & Shay, 1928

The Ramblers at Primavera Ristorante, October 29th

Posted on August 23, 2015 by admin

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

Bob MacInnis

Robin Verdier, keyboard

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.

A Fabulous Fall Frolic with the Monte Carlo Jazz Ensemble at the Sherborn Inn

Posted on November 15, 2014 by admin

6-pc Band plays written arrangements of dance music of the 20''s and 30's

Monte Carlo Jazz Ensemble

November 11, 2014 with Robin Verdier leader/piano, Bob MacInnis cornet, John Clark alto sax, Craig Ball clarinet, Al Bernard tuba, Bill Reynolds drums

Robin Verdier’s Monte Carlo Jazz Ensemble brought us back to the fast paced, energetic music and dances of the optimistic 1920’s. New styles of music and dances evolved. They were an escape from the horror of war, and an opportunity to release pent up emotions created by the restricted lifestyles forced on the public by the war effort. Ragtime which had been popular during and after the war was suited to the new music tempos and so it flourished.

Robin Verdier, our own erudite Rag Time pianist, is well versed in this music. The musicians perform his arrangements in sensitive, sophisticated Ensemble.

They Called It Dixieland began this momentous evening. Mine All Mine, a tune composed by Fats Waller that was not associated with Fats because Fletcher Henderson recorded it first in 1927. Excellent solos.

Bob MacInnis on cornet

1925 Hotsy Totsy Now with Bob’s fine cornet enriched by piano’s soft notes, tuba in the background.

Then we were privileged to hear the World’s first performance of Robin’s arrangement of Irving Berlin’s 1927 Shaking the Blues. Marvelous!

Moving ahead (for them) to 1938 with Fats Waller’s I’ll Dance At Your Wedding with fabulous cornet, smooth alto sax, piano trickling between solos.

Robin sitting at piano with his reflection in piano top

Robin Verdier (file photo)

Rags were popular back in 1902, when Scott Joplin wrote Elite Syncopation. At that time Rags were played on the streets of New Orleans. Our own Scott Joplin, Robin Verdier, handles the difficult syncopated melodic line with ease. He played to a large, appreciative crowd!

A rarity, a collaboration between Cook’s Blame It On The Blues with Sidney Bechet’s Quincy Street Stomp, showed more fabulous ensemble, and clarinet skillfully trading 4’s with alto sax.

Bill Reynolds

1924 Alabamy Bound, adept in this art of drumming, Bill Reynolds was tapping on the wood block. Bill’s father, recently deceased Ed Reynolds, had a big influence on Robin Verdier and was responsible for at least five of the tunes this evening.

Al Bernard

Bill Reynolds’ drums and Al Bernard’s tuba kept the rhythm burning. Albie’s tuba sometimes becomes an extension of the Ensemble.

Dave’s drum introduced a 50’s jazz tune, Nullabor, probably named after a desert in Australia – maybe an aborigine song, with heavy drum accents. Nice clarinet by Craig, then outstanding ensemble, closing with more thunderous drums.

1927 Anabelle Lee was one of Ed Reynolds’ tunes. Ensemble played in stop time in Sonny Clay’s 1931 Cho-King, featuring Bill’s choke cymbals.

My Baby Just Cares For Me 1930, That’s Where You’re Wrong 1929. Everybody’s Doing The Charleston 1925. Tiny Parham’s Now That I Found You 1930. Con Conrad’s 1921 Moonlight included a nice tuba solo with piano backing.

I Wish’t I Was In Peoria, Walter Donaldson’s I’ve Had My Moments. In Our Cottage of Love, Down Where The Sun Goes Down.

Mule Face Blues, nimble fingers flew across piano, Reynolds applying fine choke cymbal and drumming, the Front Line in distinguished ensemble that sets this group apart.

Monte Carlo Front Line: Bob MacInnis, Craig Ball, John Clark

They closed with When Lindy Comes Marching Home, written by George M. Cohan for pilot Charles Lindburgh’s successful solo flight across the ocean. The ensemble interpolated other Cohen tunes – we recognized Yankee Doodle Dandy.

This was a momentous moment for many reasons: John Clark had just returned from his Wolverine Jazz Band’s great reception at the Arizona Classic Jazz Festival. This was Bob MacInnis’s last performance for this year in New England – he left for Florida the next day. We’ll miss him until Spring. And the future of Jazz at the Sherborn Inn is uncertain, as it is under new ownership in January 2015. Just in case, we are searching for new venues.

We certainly hope to hear the Monte Carlo Jazz Ensemble again, either here at the Sherborn Inn or at a new venue. Stay tuned.

Monte Carlo Jazz Ensemble at the Sherborn Inn, May 13, 2014

Posted on May 23, 2014 by admin

Bob MacInnis, Bill Reynolds (in back), Craig Ball, Al Bernard, Robin Verdier, John Clark

We were transported back to the the early 20s with the Monte Carlo Jazz Ensemble playing the captivating dances of that Golden Age of Music. Leader Robin Verdier creates masterpieces by picking tunes from the early 1900’s and writing his own special arrangements. He blends together new ideas, constantly refreshing the material, providing charts for the musicians. Emphasis is on ensemble. He has his favorite composers, Irving Berlin, Isham Jones, Clarence Williams, Walter Donaldson, Tiny Parham.

His whole Ensemble was back, a powerhouse of accomplished musicians. On the front line were John Clark of the Wolverine Jazz Band on alto sax, Craig Ball, leader of the White Heat Swing Orchestra on clarinet, and Bob MacInnis, of the New Liberty Jazz Band, on cornet. Bob had just returned from Florida for the season, where he plays almost every night. He makes a big difference in the Monte Carlo sound. Bill Reynolds, drummer for the New Black Eagle Jazz Band, knows all the old tunes – he was raised with them by his Jazz Historian Father, Ed Reynolds. Last but not least, Al Bernard on various brass bass, tuba or sousaphone, is known all over New England. Generally they don’t have time to complete Robin’s full schedule, but they did very well this evening.

Bill Reynolds, Bob MacInnis, Al Bernard

They began with one of the earliest tunes 1927, marvelous ensemble on Miss Anabelle Lee. Irving Berlin wrote one even earlier, 1920, I’ll See You In C-U-B-A, MacInnis doing the intro in a Latin beat, Albie on oom-pah brass bass.
Leader of the White Heat Swing Orchestra, Craig Ball had several clarinet solos – he’s a true artist in all that he does. 1927 Alabamy Bound was a brand new one for the band, by Henderson, DeSylva, and Green who were well known back then. King Oliver had one of the best early Trad Jazz bands, even before Louis. The ensemble played his Mule Face Blues, with Robin in stride and solid right hand.

Albie got away from the oom-pah and played a masterful tuba solo on Isham Jones’ Down When The sun Goes Down, followed by a fast Morrocco Blues. They did well – Robin was all smiles.

Around 1938 Lu Watters was tired of playing the same sound over and over, so he recreated King Oliver’s 20’s tunes and started what we now call West Coast Jazz. Some said it was insane to build a bridge over San Francisco Bay – Watters used that as a theme for his Emperor Norton’s Hunch.

Robin Verdier

Fats Waller’s Crazy ‘Bout My Baby started Set 2. Robin always wanted to do Clarence Williams; he picked Candy Lips, slipping in a little bit of Alice Blue Gown.

A tune he’s played at weddings for over 50 years, Lena Queen of Palesteena. Lena played concertina with all her might – never got it right. They do. Robin opens it tapping on a tambourine.
Another composer who isn’t featured much, except by Monte Carlo, Tiny Parham. My Dreams.

Bob MacInnis, back from Floriday!!

Shake It And Break It, fine alto solo by MacInnis.

Sweet Man, Bill Reynolds rim tapping, occasionally tapping cymbal.

The melody, harmony and rhythm played by the Ensemble was exhilarating!

Who Wouldn’t Love You had Dave and Helene up dancing.

Happy Feet was featured in Paul Whitman’s movie, King of Jazz. And at the other emotional extreme, Fate, cornet, clarinet and sax all had solos.

Blame It On The Blues, How Am I To Know, Walter Donaldson’s Okay, Toots. He wrote many great tunes. Most of these you’ll never hear anywhere else. I think Variety Stomp was the only tune that didn’t make it. Con Conrad’s Moonlight ended an evening of fine, danceable tunes from the early 20’s. Tune list is at the bottom.

Marce

We caught some of the folks afterwards:

Roland Paquette between Dan and Bob MacInnis	Albie talking with fans
Robin and Toni Verdier

Set 1
Miss Annabelle Lee	1927	Sidney Clare & Le Pollack
Mule Face Blues	1928	Joe Oliver
C-U-B-A	1920	Irving Berlin
*Alabamy Bound	1924	Henderson, DeSylva, Green
Down Where The Sun Goes Down	1928	Isham Jones & Verne Buck
Morocco Blues	1926	J. Jordan & Clarence Williams
Lost	1936	Ohman, Mercer, Teetor
Emperor Norton’s Hunch	~1940	Lu Watters

Set 2
I’m Crazy About My Baby	1931	Hill & Waller
Candy Lips	1926	Clarence Williams
Come On and Stomp, Stomp, Stomp	1927	F. Waller, I. Smith, I Mills
Lena, Queen Of Palesteena	1920	J. R. Robinson & C. Conrad
My Dreams	1930	Tiny Parham
Shake It And Break It	1920	Frisco Lou Chiha & H. Qualli Clark
Sweet Man	r1925	R. Turk & M. Pinkard
Who Wouldn’t Love You?	1925	Benny Davis & Joe Burke

Set 3
Happy Feet	1929	Yellen & Ager, King of Jazz
Fate	1922	Byron Gay
Blame It On The Blues	1946	Chas. Cook & Sidney Bechet
Variety Stomp ?	1927	Waller & Trent
How Am I To Know	1929	D. Parker & J. King
Okay, Toots	1934	Walter Donaldson
Moonlight	1921	Con Conrad

*New arrangement

Monte Carlo Jazz Quintet at the Sherborn Inn, March 4, 2014

Posted on March 18, 2014 by admin

This was not our usual Monte Carlo Jazz Ensemble, founded in 1998, playing classic jazz and hot dance music from the 20’s and 30’s specially arranged by the leader and music director, pianist Robin Verdier.

Robin Verdier leader/arranger/piano, Craig Ball and Billy Novick reeds, Al Bernard tuba, Ed Reynolds drums

With John Clark off to a Mardi Gras Party and Bob MacInnis still in Florida, Craig Ball was left alone on the Front Line; enter Billy Novick. Robin provided arrangements for two reeds, and they complied. Most of the time.

Arrangements are important to the sound of a song. Every song changes when played in a different arrangement. Robin takes the original arrangements of the pop dance tunes of that time, and adapts them to create technically sophisticated melodies. That is the Monte Carlo Jazz Ensemble. But whenever there’s a sub in a band, there are subtle changes; but Billy Novick is definitely not subtle.

They kicked it off hot and heavy with ‘Deed I Do, a 1926 jazz standard composed by Fred Rose with lyrics by Walter Hirsch. Then they moved to a relatively modern 1940 composer, Django Reinhardt, the two virtuoso reed players intertwining clarinets with Nuages.

Craig Ball and Bill Novick

Pretty 90 yr. old lady in white coat jacket with black flower

Lynn Sickle

Robin paid tribute to the late Lynn Sickles; we lost our beautiful Rockette in December. At almost every performance at the Inn, you would find Lynn in her special chair next to the piano, with hubby Bob. All musicians at the Sherborn Inn played All of Me for Lynn. She is sorely missed!

Robin always has a prepared list of what the band will play, but tonight he threw in a “Lucky Strike Extra”, Ray Henderson’s Alabamy Bound; not the same as the 1920’s tune Alabama Bound Rag. Craig was fabulous on clarinet with Billy’s alto sax playing riffs, rhythm section providing quick underlying pulse.

Robin featured more great composers – Walter Donaldson’s Love Me Or Leave Me, with fluid sweet melody on piano. A 1926 tune by Anthony Lessof, How Can I Be Blue, with Craig on soprano sax and Billy on clarinet.

From a two-reed band on Chicago’s South Side, they played Vincent Youmans’ I Know That You Know. I Remember When from another important composer and reed player, Sidney Bechet in 1958 – that’s very late for Monte Carlo. Playing ragtime and stride from the heart, Robin finished the set with Lady Be Good.

Robin Verdier, with Al Bernard in background

Three years ago a tune kept running through Robin’s head and he couldn’t figure out where it came from. It was from the New Black Eagle Jazz Band repertoire, a tune written by Billy Novick in 1989 – Remembering You. He writes in this early style to preserve this kind of music, including the score for the Washington Ballet’s “The Great Gatsby”.

Irving Berlin’s 1950 – The Best Thing For You Would Be Me is Robin Verdier’s 2^nd most modern tune. Britain’s Ray Noble wrote both lyrics and music during the British dance band era known as the “Golden Age of British music”. Noble imported musicians from the U.S. and wrote Native American Tunes. In 1938, he wrote Cherokee (Indian Love Call).

By now the two reed players didn’t need any arrangements– Craig let loose with clarinet heading for high heaven, Novick right behind him. Robin’s marvelous piano raced to keep up. Bill Reynolds went wild on drums, slipping in his infamous piano roll.

Bill Reynolds

Robin eased them back to the Monte Carlo era. In 1928 Isham Jones wrote Down Where The Sun Goes Down. Reliable Albie on tuba was mellow, not pushing. Same era, Sammy Fain’s You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me. 1922 China Boy, Craig went wild on soprano sax. They tried to get many in 1930, I Got Rhythm, Billy Novick pushing Craig on with saxophone; Craig likes aiming for high register clarinet.

Craig and Billy go wild.

After some discussion, they continued with a sweet and lyrical 1917 Smiles. Craig played fiery clarinet on the1922 My Honey’s Loving Arms. The 1928 Victor Young ‘s Sweet Sue had Robin’s fine fingering on piano, drum tapping lightly, Albie softening chords on tuba.

1939 the world moved to Swing, that’s when Lu Watters started the Yerba Buena Jazz Band; what we call two-beat, West Coast Jazz. The Yerba Buena worked at Big Bear Lake, so Lu wrote a tune called Big Bear Stomp. The Monte Carlo Quintet were aiming for a big finale. They closed with Running Wild, tuba and drums pushing the soprano sax, clarinet and piano.

It was one very special evening of classic jazz and hot dance music! The Monte Carlo Jazz Ensemble will return May 13th, with or without substitutes. Hope to see you there!

not mentioned

Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives To Me.
Al Jolson California Here I Come got in some stride.

Paramount Jazz Band

Posted on November 13, 2013 by admin

Ray Smith at his studio

For info: Band Manager Chuck Stewart cstewart42@cox.net or 623-535-4781.

Paramount Jazz Band Videos from Paramount’s performance at Memphis in 1993 on Steve Wright’s “channel” page at:
http://www.youtube.com/user/swr2408018?feature=mhum#g/u .

Ray Smith’s Jazz Decades streaming on WGBH

Paramount with Ray in front of Freight Car

Paramount Jazz Band

Jimmy Mazzy, Jeff Hughes, Steve Wright, Ray Smith,
Robin Verdier Gary Rodberg, Churck Stewart

…….at Amazing Things Arts Center

Paramount Jazz Band Six

Robin Verdier, Jimmy Mazzy, Chuck Stewart, mgr.
Jeff Hughes, Steve Wright, Gary Rodberg

For info: Band Manager Chuck Stewart cstewart42@cox.net or 623-535-4781.

Monte Carlo Jazz Ensemble presents a Swell September Songfest

Posted on September 3, 2013 by admin

The Monte Carlo Jazz Ensemble

Monte Carlo Jazz Ensemble at the Sherborn Inn, Tuesday, September 3, 2013 with Bob MacInnis cornet/flugelhorn, Craig Ball clarinet/soprano sax, John Clark alto sax/clarinet, Robin Verdier piano/leader, Al Bernard tuba, Bill Reynolds drums

Bob MacInnis was sitting at the piano when we arrived, playing soft melodies, inviting people to come in and hear how Robin Verdier would once again transport us back to the captivating dances of a fascinating era, the 20s and 30s.

Bob MacInnis, versatile musician, plays every instrument fluently.

Arrangements – hardly anyone ever talks about arrangements, yet they are so important to the sound of a song. Every song changes when played in a different arrangement. This is Robin Verdier’s forte. He takes the original arrangements of the pop dance tunes of 20’s and 30’s, and adapts them to create complex harmonic structures and technically sophisticated melodies. If some sound vaguely familiar that’s no accident – he was also arranger for the Paramount Jazz Band.

Robin has picked a talented crew, with the front line of Craig Ball, leader of the White Heat Swing Orchestra, John Clark, leader of the Wolverine Jazz Band, and Bob MacInnis, who is in a league all his own. We only have him for another month – he heads back to Florida October 8^th where he’ll be playing someplace almost every night.

Bill Reynolds

The Rhythm section consists only of Bill Reynolds drums and Albie Bernard tuba, working together, providing a cushion with just the right chords. Then there’s Robin, who does it all – assisting both front line and rhythm and ensuring that everything is authentic.

The Ensemble opened with the 1926 Clarence Williams’ Candy Lips, Tiny Parham’s 1930 Now That I’ve Found You.

Robin Verdier, leader of The Monte Carlo Jazz Ensemble

Robin is particularly fond of Nullabor – written Dave Dallwitz, a musician from Australia. (They have great Traditional Jazz Bands of their own.)

Nullabor was possibly taken from an Australian aborigine song, with heavy drum accents, the rhythm section driving the front line. Bill Reynolds gave it a heavy drum intro, there were few solos, great ensemble ending in rolling drum.

They did some reminiscing of the fine band directed by Ed Reynolds, The Back Bay Ramblers. Now 95, he was sitting up front, taking pleasure in the music. (Ed is Bill’s Father.) If Dreams Come True, ensemble played in a syncopated pyramid, very refreshing. They also took the 1927 Anabelle Lee from the Back Bay Ramblers.

Front line plays Bechet’s Southern Sunset

Craig unpacked his soprano sax just for Sidney Bechet’s Southern Sunset.

One of the sweetest writers in the Great American Songbook was Walter Donaldson. Albie played the melody on tuba for his I’ve Had My Moments, with front line again in a lovely pyramid.

Al Bernard hidden somewhere behind that tuba

Albie doesn’t just play bass notes – he went WILD on Running Wild.

The Gershwin’s were represented with the 1929 My One And Only. Irving Berlin with Puttin’ On The Ritz, Con Conrad with Moonlight. Robin presented many other composers you’ve never heard of before – check his list at the bottom of this page!
They wrapped up with Ferde Grofe’s Daybreak (Mississippi Suite), their finale theme.

The Monte Carlo Jazz Ensemble brings in a different crowd. Many are musicians who appreciate the quality of the music; Lorrie Carmichael of the former Squirrel Hill Jazz Band, Bob Crane singer, (former Massachusetts Treasurer). Carol Mueller plays piano with Jimmy Mazzy at the Colonial Inn, Bob’s brother Dan MacInnis. It was a reunion of many fans too, some we hadn’t seen in years.

Hear the marvelous sound of the Monte Carlo Jazz Ensemble at https://sites.google.com/site/verdiersite/mcje

Bob MacInnis heads back to Florida soon. You can hear him at the Island Pub and Erin’s Isle in Naples, Florida. He’ll also be doing some Florida cruises this year.

* * * *

Set 1
Candy Lips                           1926 Clarence Williams
Now That I’ve Found You     1930 Tiny Parham
Nullabor                        1951 Dave Dallwitz
Dream Child                          1929 Hank Palmer
If Dreams Come True         ~1938 Edgar Sampson
* Miss Annabelle Lee            1927 Sidney Clare & Lew Pollack
Southern Sunset                   1932~ Sidney Bechet
Variety Stomp                        1927 Waller & Trent

Set 2
Fate                                       1922 Byron Gay
I’m Crazy About My Baby      1931 Hill & Waller
Moonlight                               1921 Con Conrad
I’ve Had My Moments        1934 Walter Donaldson
My One And Only               1927 George & Ira Gershwin
Puttin’ On The Ritz               1928 Irving Berlin
Shake It And Break It           1920 Frisco Lou Chiha & H. Qualli Clark
Big Bear Stomp                1944 Lu Watters

Set 3
I’ll Dance At Your Wedding   1938 Joe Davis [Fats Waller?]
How Am I To Know               1929 D. Parker & J. King
Mine, All Mine                   1927 Stept, Ruby, & Cowan
What-Cha-Call-‘Em Blues     1925 Steve Roberts
Okay, Toots                            1934 Walter Donaldson
Happy Feet                        1929 Yellen & Ager, King of Jazz
Running Wild                         1922 Gibbs, Gray, & Wood
Daybreak (Mississippi Suite, 1926 Ferde Grofe
(final theme)

* New arrangement

The Monte Carlo Jazz Ensemble Modulates March Madness at the Sherborn Inn

Posted on March 5, 2013 by admin

at the Sherborn Inn, March 5, 2013

videos by Eric Devine (Cinedevine)

Dave Whitney trumpet, John Clark alto sax, Craig Ball clarinet/soprano sax,
Al Bernard tuba, Bill Reynolds drums, Robin Verdier ringleader/piano

It was the ending of a relentless, maddening New England winter, (with March throwing in an extra 2-4 feet of snow, just for the fun of it.)

But we were warm and cozy by the Sherborn Inn’s fireplace, transported back to the the early 20s with the Monte Carlo Jazz Ensemble playing the captivating dances of that fascinating era.

They opened with a 1925 tune by Gus Kahn & Ted Fiorito, Alone At Last, and Down Where The Sun Goes Down,1928, by great American composers, Isham Jones and Verne Buck. Dave Whitney substituted for Bob MaInnis, Monte Carlo’s regular cornetist.

Dave Whitney –

Well known in New England for his work with the Yankee Rhythm Kings, White Heat Swing Orchestra, and Chris Powers Orchestra, Dave was influenced by Louis Armstrong, Bix Beiderbecke, Bobby Hackett and many other great trumpeters of the pre-bop era.

Dave has been called “Premiere early style trumpeter” of this area and “Dean of swing trumpet”.

They played several high spirited Lu Watters tunes, including Shake It and Break It that he recorded just before Petrillo called a strike and shut all the bands down in the 40’s.

A new version of an old tune, How Am I to Know, was a nice fox trot by Jack King and NY Socialite Dorothy Parker. Stan Kenton used the chords for his Eager Beaver.

An All-Star front line, each is a leader in his own right, skilled at navigating the intricacies of these arrangements. Dave Whitney heads the Dave Whitney Big Band as well as several small groups; John Clark leads The Wolverine Jazz Band, a popular traditional jazz band; Craig Ball leads the famous White Heat Swing Orchestra. Together they play glorious ensemble that rarely leaves the 1920’s.

Albie Bernard controls this monstrous tuba — a 1960 Conn 24J Tuba that was a favorite of dance bands of 20’s and 30’s – with an American sound, and heavy brass.

The tuba was the sound of the train engine intro to My Cutie’s Due at Two to Two

Johnny Dodds, a premiere New Orleans clarinetist recorded this fun tune.
When Erastus Plays His Old Kazoo

Leader, arranger, pianist, Robin Verdier reigns. We can always count on Robin to present superior, intricately arranged, memorable jazz. He spends hours preparing, and there is usually a rehearsal so the musicians will be familiar with the arrangement.

Robin:

” I add a few arrangements to our book every year, and in making a setlist, I first pick some of the newest. Then I add requests from fans and musicians, and then tunes that we haven’t done for more than a year, and I mix them together so that the tempo and key change for each tune. The most important thing about our book is that I really like every tune– so picking some is always disappointing because we have to leave out the rest!”

He has a complete setlist of tunes, but there wasn’t time to get to all of them!

He explained how Lu Watters named his band Yerba Buena and started what we call ‘West Coast Jazz”. Lu Watters tired of the music he was playing and looked back at the 1920’s, when the music had bite and structure. He started a band with two cornets, like King Oliver. He named his band after Yerba Buena – an island in San Francisco Bay between Oakland and San Francisco. It means “nice peppermint” (mint plants were grown there at one time).

Watters wrote tunes associated with San Francisco, such as Big Bear Lake, where the Yerba Buena Band sometimes played. Big Bear Stomp – West coast folks of a certain age will get up and stomp!

Master time-keeper, Bill Reynolds uses rim-taps, choke cymbal.

His technique uses less-is-more, judicious dependable drumming.

My Honey’s Loving Arms

Lost

Yerba Buena Stomp

Sidney Bechet, a Creole from New Orleans, was the undisputed king of the soprano saxophone. He moved to France where he was accepted. He wrote many tunes, including Southern Sunset.

Craig Ball handled the Bechet tune effortlessly, playing elegant soprano sax.

That’s a tweed flat cap popular in the 20’s

In 1938 Joe Davis was Fats Waller’s manager. He has the credit for writing I’ll Dance at Your Wedding. but it is questionable. It has a very cynical beginning. Next was Happy Feet, a 1929 pop tune that was done by Bing Crosby with the King of Jazz, Paul Whitman.

They closed with a 1940 tune by Lu Watters, Emperor Norton’s Hunch. Norton was ridiculed because he had a hunch that someday there would be a bridge between San Francisco and Oakland. He died in San Francisco of apoplexy January 8, 1886.

His wish was fulfilled when the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge opened on November 12, 1936.

Our only wish is for an end to this New England March Madness!

web site: https://sites.google.com/site/verdiersite/mcje

New England Traditional Jazz Plus

Swing, Traditional Jazz, Dixieland Jazz, Big Bands

Tag Archives: Robin Verdier

The Ramblers at Primavera Ristorante October 29, 2015

The Ramblers at Primavera Ristorante, October 29th

A Fabulous Fall Frolic with the Monte Carlo Jazz Ensemble at the Sherborn Inn

Monte Carlo Jazz Ensemble at the Sherborn Inn, May 13, 2014

Monte Carlo Jazz Quintet at the Sherborn Inn, March 4, 2014

Paramount Jazz Band

For info: Band Manager Chuck Stewart cstewart42@cox.net or 623-535-4781.

For info: Band Manager Chuck Stewart cstewart42@cox.net or 623-535-4781.

Monte Carlo Jazz Ensemble presents a Swell September Songfest

The Monte Carlo Jazz Ensemble Modulates March Madness at the Sherborn Inn

at the Sherborn Inn, March 5, 2013