Dixie Diehards
Ron L’Herault – MC – Vocals & Trombone
Carl Gerhard – Trumpet, Vocals – Music Director
Paul Peterson – Saxophone ( Soprano & Tenor )
Bill Kiesewetter – Keyboard
Chris Wadsworth – Tenor Banjo
Steve Shaw – Tuba
Lorrie Inglis – Drums
(absent) Bill Dube – Clarinet & Tenor Sax
The Dixie Diehards made their first appearence at Primavery Ristorante, delivering a heady dose of New Orleans traditional jazz, second line street parade music and early jazz classics. They played many New Orleans Chestnuts, Royal Garden Blues, Avalon, Bill Bailey, Basin St. Blues, San, Struttin’ With Some Barbecue, Curse of An Aching Heart, The Sheik.
Carl and Ron took first vocal
Carl and Ron kicked it off with a duet on Bourbon Street Parade.
Ron plays trombone into metal bowler hat mute
Ron L’Herault first played with Jack Phelan’s Scollay Square Stompers in the 80s, Now he leads the Dixie All Stars and subs with the Canobie Lake Park Dixieland bands, the Bay State Stompers, and the New New Orleans Jazz Band.
He sneaked in a snippet of When You’re In Love on trombone when The Diehards played an old favorite, Bill Bailey. It’s based on “Over The Waves;” He heard a recording of a New Orleans trombonist do it.
Ron sang many vocals; an especially nice one on Spencer Williams’ Basin St. Blues. Carl’s trumpet was resonant with feeling and warmth, with only Chris Wadsworth backing him on banjo.
Carl Gerhard has an extensive musical background
Carl Gerhard is an amazing trumpet player. He recently retired from the U.S. Navy after 30 years of service. He was the Director and Bandmaster of bands in Norfolk, VA, Yokosuka Japan, and Commander of the Navy Band – Northeast Region. His true love, however is playing traditional jazz in the New Orleans style.
Carl did a fine vocal on a ballad from 1928, originally sung by Adelade Hall in “Blackbirds of 1928, Ain’t She Sweet. He took the intro on I Can’t Give You Anything But Love, with Paul on tenor sax; (Ron sang this one using a megaphone!)
Dixie Diehards Front Line
Paul Peterson has been teaching music in the Bridgewater–Raynham School District for the last 34 years. He has been a member of many bands (too many to list), and plays regularly with the Downtown Players, a blues band from Bridgewater.
Bill Kiesewetter
Bill KIesewetter plays excellent stride piano; he was influenced by Fats Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis, Floyd Cramer and the Dukes of Dixieland.
Bill is retired from many years in the computer industry and spends winters in Florida where he leads the Flamingo All-Stars Jazz Band based in the Naples area.
A silent movie era film starring Rudolph Valentino inspired the next tune. They have the original lyrics and some updated ones as well, The Sheik.
The indispensable Rhythm Section……
Rhythm Section, Chris Wadsworth, Steve Shaw, Lorri Inglis
Chris Wadsworth, banjo, was one of Jeanne Kelly’s friends who played at the Colonial Inn in Concord on Tuesday night’s traditional jazz (before Jimmy Mazzy’s time.) Before that he played in New York with Buffalo Banjo Band the Scajaquada Creek Stompers. He’s part of the Stone Street Stummers. Chris gets the spotlight on a tune from 1913 written by “Al” Piantadosi, The Curse of an Aching Heart.
Steve Shaw tuba, was featured on Midnight in Moscow. He’s been their Tuba / String Bass player since 2008. He has been a member of the South Shore Circus Band since 1966, and the United Brass Band (South shore area) since 1978. Since 1995 he’s been a member of the Marion Town Concert Band during the summers, and free lances on the string bass and tuba with many musical theatre productions throughout New England. Steve is also a member of the Peasante Brass, a tuba quartet.
Lorri Inglis has been playing professionally since 1982. She owns her own drum store and recording studio. Her energy and enthusiasm help keep the band going; it’s obvious she’s having the time of her life playing with the Dixie Diehards. In her words, “This music is fantastic!”. She attacked the drums on a tune made famous by Marian Harris in 1918, After You’ve Gone, but used discreet cross sticking on snare drum for Louis’s Strutting With Some Barbecue.
They went back a few years to 1922 for the next piece, Way Down Yonder in New Orleans. Ron conjured up Al Jolson again for this next tune, also from 1922 and first performed in a stage musical by William Frawley, Carolina in the Morning.
Lorrie was featured on their last tune which started its life in a Yiddish Musical comedy production, “I Would If I Could.” In English it’s called “To Me You Are Beautiful,” but we all know it by its Yiddish title, Bei Mir Bistu Schoen.
The Diehards have a full schedule planned for this summer, most of them private. The next public appearance is Sweetberry Farm, Middletown, RI, July 19, at 6:00 PM.
Check out their web site: http://dixiediehards./com
Videos:
Dixie Diehards play Strutting With Some Barbecue at the Blackstone River Theatre https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6axfHxdKjSE
San at the Roarin’ 20’s show at the Marion Art Center https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7F1RzjNE_g