Tag Archives: Something to do

Eli & The Hot Six at Primavera Ristorante, March 15, 2018

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7 pc trad jazz - swing band

Eli and The Hot Six

Bo Winiker & Phil Person (trumpet), Ted Casher (clarinet/tenor & soprano sax), Herb Gardner (trombone), Bob Winter (piano), Jimmy Mazzy (banjo/vocals),  Eli Newberger (leader/tuba), Bob Tamagni (drums) & Elaine Woo (vocals)  .

After enduring three Nor’easters in three weeks, with loss of electricity, cancelled gigs, these musicians were raring to go!!  They hit it hot and fiery with That’s a Plenty that brought everyone to attention and sitting up on the edge of their seats.

Ted playing tenor sax

Ted Casher on smokin’tenor sax

 

 

 

Then Ted took out his tenor sax for a moody, smoldering Blue and Sentimental that turned our insides to jelly!

 

 

 

 

smiling and singing

Elaine Woo

Eli called on Elaine Woo, who had prepared a list of songs for spring, including the verses – many of were melancholy:  Spring is Here (why doesn’t my heart go dancing?)  Michel LeGrand’s You Must Believe In Spring.
She moved to something more cheerful – a Broadway tune that persuades flowers to bloom.  It begins as a shy prayer and ends up a classic Broadway Belt: Hurry! It’s Lovely Up Here.

 

clarinet, two trumpets, trombone

Front line: Ted Casher, Bo Winiker, Phil Person, Herb Gardner

Musicians were soaring!  But there’s no doubt who is in charge here, with Eli pointing to each one, each picked up spontaneously, improvising straight from the heart!

Winter at keyboard

Bob Winter

 

 

 

Bob Winter swung with expressive joy on Carioca, from a 1933 film Flying Down to Rio.

 

 

 

 

 

Phil with hair in long white pony tail, plays trumpet

Phil Person

 

 

 

Phil Person was featured with Duke’s soulful, sensitive Satin Doll.

 

 

 

 

 

smiling, holding trumpet and handkerchief

No one does Louis better than Bo!

 

 

 

Bo Winicker instinctively plays Louis’s Hello Dolly;

 

 

 

 

playing trombone up front

Herb Gardner

 

 

 

Herb Gardner played mellow trombone and sang Richard Whiting’s She’s Funny That Way.

 

 

 

 

hitting snare with one stick and top hat stand with the other

Bob Tamagni

 

 

 

Bob Tamagni’s sound generates dynamism and perfect propulsive thrust, driving the band.

 

 

 

 

Eli introduced a young student of Bob Winter’s, Rui (pronounced Ray) Zhong who plays both piano and Euphonium. With Jimmy, Rui and Eli took a turbo charged duet on Summertime.

euphonium, banjo, tuba

Rui , Jimmy Mazzy, Eli Newberger

Until a couple of years ago, Elaine was an Internal Medicine Specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital, and she only knew two songs. She reprised them for us, with all lyrics memorized:  I Got Rhythm, and Embraceable You.  Now retired and singing full-time, Elaine has become a seasoned professional vocalist, and belts them out with fervor.

Elaine singing with the whole band

Elaine Woo belts out a song!

Eli and The Hot Six closed with a march around the room on a flaming Tiger Rag.

That left us in a much better mood than when we arrived!

Eli and The Hot Six are here at Primavera on the 3rd Thursday of every month – next one is April 19th.  Come join in the fun!!

Wolverine Jazz Band at Primavera Ristorante February 22, 2018

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7 pc. trad Jazz Band

Wolverine Jazz
Band

Jeff Hughes cornet, John Clark, Leader, clarinet/bass sax, Tom Boates trombone, Jimmy Mazzy banjo/vocals, Ross Petot piano, Rick MacWilliams tuba, Dave Didriksen drums

An energetic, rambunctious Wolverine Jazz Band raised the temperature on this very cold February evening with uplifting, toe-tapping Traditional Jazz at Primavera Ristorante.   Just a week+ after Mardi Gras, this was an evening of tunes from the essential spirit of early New Orleans up to the 1950s in preparation for their umpteenth CD – and all of us were pleased to be a part of it!

Jimmy Mazzy kicked it off with banjo intro on Maybe, a song written in 1926 by George and Ira Gershwin, then Brown Bottom Bess, by Johnny Dodds.

Jimmy took banjo intro and vocal on Take Your Tomorrows and Give Me Today.

This front line lights up the room!  Trombone, cornet and clarinet against a four-piece rhythm section.

trombone, cornet, clarinet with

Tom Boates, Jeff Hughes, John Clark in Front Line

Clark playing bass sax set on seat of chair

John Clark on bass saxophone

The rhythm section had “strength up the middle.”  They laid back on ballads, but on a hot tune…look out!

Jelly Roll Morton’s Frog-I-More Rag was a killer with John Clark’s powerful bass saxophone! He reaches deep down and creates beautiful music.

John sang The Preacher, with the band in close harmony, and the 1934 Baby Brown, by Alex Hill with livewire ensemble band opening – marvelous.  Ross Petot was in full stride.

 

 

 

Ross looking up and smiling (this is rare - he never smiles when he's playing.)

Ross Petot, teacher and stride pianist

 

We were all happy to see Ross Petot back with the band.  He’s usually unavailable – teaching on Thursday nights.  Fortunately for us, school was out this week. His stride piano is inimitable!!

Check it out on the video of Honky Tonk Towne!

 

 

 

 

tom on open bell trombone

Tom Boates

 

Tom Boates requested I’m Gonna Charleston back to Charleston  –  love that growling trombone! He was featured on Stars Fell on Alabama.  (It refers to a spectacular occurrence of the Leonid meteor shower observed in Alabama in November 1833.)

Tom drove 125 miles from Connecticut to get here, putting heart and soul in a New Orleans tune recorded in 1940 by Sidney Bechet and Louis Armstrong
– Down in Honky Tonk Town.

video by Marce (sorry about shrinkage!  Listen to the music.)

Tell Me Why – sweet intro to Jimmy vocal with Jeff backup.  John actually played melody on that monstrous bass sax, with Tom on  trombone doing harmony.  Lovely!
Jimmy’s banjo opened on a sweet ballad, How Deep is The Ocean, with Jeff backing him on cornet.  (Jeff has been playing harmony for Jimmy ever since they were together in Ray Smith’s Paramount Jazz Band.)

Jimmy singing, Jeff playing cornet

Jimmy Mazzy and Jeff Hughes

Jeff and John  remembered playing In Our Cottage of Love with the Paramount Jazz Band.

Jeff Hughes is the Bix Beiderbecke in this Wolverine Jazz Band. His technique  encompasses a fabulous variety of moods and timbres, especially in a 1928 song Bix did with the Paul Whitman orchestra, Lonely Melody.

Let’s Have Another Cup of Coffee is a song by Irving Berlin in the musical comedy Face the Music, which opened in 1932. The song is sung by a group of once-wealthy citizens who were awaiting better times, as mirrored in the song’s opening lyrics: Just around the corner, there’s a rainbow in the sky.

Banjo played verse on a sweet ballad recorded by Mildred Bailey and Her Orchestra in 1937 If You Ever Should Leave / Heaven Help This Heart of Mine.  Harold Arlen’s Kicking The Gong Around had Jimmy scat-singing, with the band alternating fast and slow tempos..

Dave Didriksen

 

Hot toe-tapping Dixieland tune,   Sensation Rag, is also on another  one of their CDs, with drummer Dave Didriksen tapping on woodblock.

The buoyant rhythm section sparked by drums provided solid support.

Dip Your Brush In The Sunshine 1931 by Ted Lewis –  Jimmy singing backed by clarinet.

 

Rick looking up, playing tiba

Rick MacWilliams

 

 

 

Band in ensemble took the intro to I Ain’t Gonna Tell Nobody with nice tuba solo. Rick’s tuba gives the music support and richness and pushes the beat without racing the time.

 

 

 

These musicians get absolute rapture in making music and delectable hot jazz!!

The Wolverine Jazz Band has been invited to several festivals. They won’t be back here at Primavera until April 26th!   Mark your calendars! Don’t miss this amazing Jazz band!

You can purchase any of their fine CD’s at www.wolverinejazzband.com.

Scott Hamilton and Gray Sargent Trio at Chan’s Jazz & Blues Club, Woonsocket RI  26 November 2017

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Scott Hamilton returned to celebrate Thanksgiving weekend at Chan’s Jazz & Blues Club with the Gray Sargent Trio featuring 2 members of Tony Bennett’s band: the amazing Gray Sargent on guitar, the incredible Marshall Wood on bass and Boston Pop’s Jim Gwinn on drums.Scott on tenor sax, all others as noted

                        Scott Hamilton with Gray Sargent, Marshall Wood and Jim Gwynn                                           With Guest Vocalist Donna Byrne
                                  November 26, 2017 at Chan’s in Woonsocket, RI

By Bill Falk
pictures by Eric Falk

This was a match made in heaven! The incomparable Scott Hamilton on tenor sax, Gray Sargent on guitar, Marshall Wood on bass and Jim Gwynn on drums.

This is one of the finest groups I’ve ever seen or heard. They blended perfectly to produce marvelous swinging jazz that kept the sellout crowd enthralled all night. Everything they played was a hit from the time they opened with Chinatown My Chinatown.

Scott on tenor sax

Scott Hamilton

 

 Scott was at his best – which means he was phenomenal. My late wife Grace always said that he was the only one who could produce such an unbelievable sound. He smiled all night – meaning he enjoyed working with the trio behind him. I believe he is the greatest jazz tenor sax man ever whether he is soloing, blending in with the group or backing up a singer.

 

 

 

Gray Sargent on guitar soloed excellently. Plus, he coordinated with Marshall Wood on bass beautifully. I like it when Gray blasts away on his guitar. Marshall Wood

is a treat on bass. His facial expressions are priceless. He makes the bass sing. Jim Gwynn on drums set a terrific beat for the group. He took some breaks and soloed great later in the program.

All the players were smiling and enjoying themselves all night. Their happiness made the music sound even better. The crowed clapped and clapped as the group ripped through song after song.

If this group ever gets together again, and if you can get to see them, I guarantee you’ll love their music and upbeat mood.

Scott called Donna Byrne up from the audience for several entertaining song renditions. She, too, was a hit. Donna captured the spirit of the evening and performed very well.

Some of the songs played were Laura, Russian Lullaby, East of the Sun and West of the Moon, The Best Things in Life Are Free and Emily. There were many others, but I was unable to remember them.

Bill Falk

 

Dave Whitney Big Band at Bemis Hall, October 1, 2017

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17-pc band (missing one trumpet)

Dave Whitney Big Band

videos by Harold McAleer

An extension of Dave’s small bands, his fourteen piece orchestra was formed in 1989.  The focus of this band was playing and preserving the classic sounds of the big band era.

Now an 18-piece band, members here were:
Saxophones
Dave Jost
Art Bakopolus
Diane Heffner
Bob Drukman
Kathleen Howland

Trumpets
Dave Whitney, leader
Joe Musumeci
Jeff Hughes
Brittany Betts, vocals

Trombones
Scott Hill
Mike Strauss
Hikaru Sato

Guitar: Karen Quatromoni, vocals
Piano Steve Dale,
Bass Dave LeBleu,
Drums Reid Jorgensen

This orchestra is comfortable playing for the listener and is equally at ease playing for dancers.  Besides saluting the big name bands such as Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Tommy Dorsey, Glenn Miller, and Harry James, the Whitney Orchestra also plays the music of other fine bands such as Tony Pastor, Vaughn Monroe, Frankie Carle, Scat Davis and Red Nichols.

They greeted the full house with Dave’s theme song, When Somebody Thinks You’re Wonderful, and continued for an exhilarating afternoon of  fine swing and Jazz.

blowing trumpet

Dave Whitney

Well known in New England for his work with the Yankee Rhythm Kings, White Heat Swing Orchestra, and Chris Powers Orchestra, Dave Whitney was influenced by Louis Armstrong, Bix Beiderbecke, Bobby Hackett and many other great trumpeters of the pre-bop era.  Dave has been called “Premier early style trumpeter” of this area” and “Dean of swing trumpet”.   He was featured on Boy Meets Horn, and sang several tune including Marie and Sam, You Made The Pants Too Long.

 

on Steinway

Steve Dale

Pianist Steve Dale was featured on Sunrise Serenade.  Steve does many arrangements, and transcribed Louis Armstrong’s Back ‘o Town Blues.

 

 

 

An original member of the band, Reid Jorgensen’s drums pulsated on Louis Prima’s Sing, Sing, Sing.

singing

Brittany Betts

 

 

Trumpeter Brittany Bett’s sang several songs, including And The Angels Sing,

 

 

Guitarist Karen Quatromoni sang Peggy Lee’s Let’s Do It and I’m Beginning To See The Light.

Jeff Hughes was featured on flugelhorn with Billy Strayhorn’s Lush Life.

flugelhorn and piano

Jeff Hughes and Steve Dale

on baritone sax

Kathleen Howland

 

Jeff and Kathleen Howland blew the roof off on Count Basie’s 920 Special.

 

 

 

on alto sax

Art Bakopolus

 

 

Art Bakopolus, another one of the band’s originals, was featured on alto sax with All of Me.

 

 

 

 

on clarinet

Diane Heffner

 

Diane Heffner, clarinet, played in a medley of The Things I Love, Peaceful In The Country, and Something New.

 

 

 

There was even a touch of Dixieland, with a six-piece Band within a Band: Jeff Hughes & Dave Whitney trumpets, Dave Jost trombone, and Mike Strauss clarinet, Steve Dale piano, Dave LeBleu bass, playing Battle Hymn of the Republic.

6 pc Dixie Band, no banjo

Band within a Band playing Dixieland

Dave closed with everyone taking a fabulous solo on Mary Lou Williams’ Roll ’em.

The Dave Whitney Orchestra has entertained for numerous swing dance parties and has performed at Ryles, the Sherborn Inn, Rockingham Ballroom, Bridgwaye Inn, and bi-monthly at Angelica’s in Middleton, MA.  The Band now has a compact disc titled “Swingin’ at the Wunderbar”.  To get the CD email Dave davjazzer64@yahoo.com or write to Dave Whitney 33 Wyman rd.Bilerica,Ma. 01821.  $15, add $2 for shipping.

Tunes:
Intro: When Somebody Thinks Your Wonderful
Big John Special
Don’t Get Around Much Anymore
Tenderly
920 Special
Marie
I’m Beginning To See The Light
Back o’ Town Blues
All of Me
Pedido
Lush Life
Let’s Do It
And The Angels Sing
Battle Him of the Republic
Dixie Band
Sing Sing Sing
Are You Having Any Fun?
I Can’t Believe That You’re in Love With Me
Too Little Time
Sam, You Made The Pants Too Long
Sunrise Serenade
Harlem Butterfly
Boogie Blues
The Music Makers
Back Home Again in Indiana
Medley:
The Things I Love
Peaceful In The Country
Something Now
Boy Meets Horn
Imagination
Roll ‘em

Wolverine Jazz Band at Primavera September 28, 2017

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6 piece Trad Jazz Band no trombone

Wolverine Jazz Band

Jeff Hughes trumpet/flugelhorn, John Clark leader, clarinet/alto sax, Herb Gardner piano, Jimmy Mazzy banjo/vocals, Rick MacWilliams tuba, Dave Didriksen drums

By Bill Falk

Listening to this group reminded me of traditional jazz of yesteryear – those days of King Oliver and ballrooms full of followers.

Despite missing their trombonist, band members meshed together beautifully – mixing brilliant solos with great backup.

behind music stand on alto sax

John Clark

 

 

John Clark led the band plus did an excellent job on clarinet and alto sax. He also vocalized on The Preacher, Stairway to Paradise and Egyptian Ella.

 

 

 

 

 

on banjo, singing into mic

Jimmy Mazzy

 

 

Jimmy Mazzy was brilliant on banjo – when isn’t he terrific? His vocal on Take Your Tomorrow was very impressive, and his solos on Chasing the Blues Away, Monday Date and How Deep is the Ocean were outstanding.

 

 

 

Jeff n muted trumpets (wearing brown wing-tip shoes)

Jeff Hughes

 

 

Jeff Hughes trumpet and flugelhorn never disappoints. I was particularly excited by the full sound he produced on the flugelhorn on
I Surrender Dear. He delivered great solos on a variety of tunes throughout the program.

 

 

 

 

at keyboard, singing

Herb Gardner

 

Herb Gardner on keyboard contributed vocals on Staten Island and The Preacher. He is a vital ingredient to the group’s sound because of his ability to backup others and hold things together.

 

 

 

Sitting, with tuba braced on chair between his legs

Rick MacWilliams

 

 

 

Rick MacWilliams on tuba soloed occasionally while helping the rhythm section keep a steady pace. He works the instrument like a saxophone.

 

 

 

tapping on snare drum

Dave Didriksen

 

 

Dave Didrikson was the drummer – not flashy but terrific at keeping the beat. He did take an occasional brief solo, but he played much like the drummers from way back – unsung but important.

 

 

 

The band also played What’s the Use, A Foggy Day in London Town, Froggy More, There Ain’t No Sweet Band Worth the Salt of My Tears, Lonely Melody, Oh Miss Hannah, Struttin’ With Some Barbecue, I Ain’t Gonna Tell Nobody, Sleepy Lagoon, The Work Song, Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans and ended a wonderful evening with their signature Wolverine Blues.

Make it a priority to see this group in person! They get into the roots of jazz as invented in New Orleans very successfully.

 

By Bill Falk
Marce Photos

 

 

Eli & The Hot Four at Primavera September 21, 2017

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keyboard, tuba, drum, trumpet, trombone

Eli & The Hot Four

Phil Person trumpet, Herb Gardner trombone, Bob Winter keyboard, Eli Newberger tuba, Bob Tamagni drums, Elaine Woo and Watson Reid vocals.

These fine musicians had  a chance to stretch out and strut their stuff, with Ted Casher, Jimmy Mazzy and Bo Winiker absent.

blowing muted trumpet

Phil Person

 

 

Phil Person knows a countless number of tunes; he played a sweet, flawless,  Stardust.  Beautiful!

 

 

 

 

on trombone,, with drums in background

Herb Gardner

 

 

Herb Gardner  sang and played a tune of his choice,  I Cried For You.  He’s been on call with either trombone or piano with bands from here to New Jersey.

 

 

 

Bob playing keyboard with a big smile on his face

Bob Winter

 

 

 

Bob Winter took a solo on After You’ve Gone and Begin The Beguine.  He starts off light and airy and continues like a veritable classic  concerto!

 

 

 

Elaine belting out a vocal

Elaine Woo

 

 

Powerhouse vocalist Elaine Woo belted out  Route 66, leading the band with Route 66 and a WILD Give Me Some Flim Flam Sauce.  She’s our new Red Hot Mama!

She’s thoroughly enjoying retirement from the Medical Community and popping up anywhere there’s Jazz to be sung!

 

 

And that was just the beginning!  They threatened us with all 17 verses of South Rampart St. Parade, began with a drum roll-off, 32 bars – it was a barn burner!

Trumpet  and tuba took a duet followed by piano and clarinet duo on a complicated Apex Blues. 

Watson smiling and singing into mic

Watson Reid

 

 

 

Watson Reed got the nonsense songs, starting with Flat Foot Floogie

 

 

 

Eli pulled off an amazing  tuba solo with a Latin tinge on Tico Tico.

Eli up front on tuba, with Bob Winter on keys in back

Eli Newberger

They closed with a Dixie War Horse, At The Jazz Band Ball.  With three Berklee Professors, it was a delightful  evening of tunes that we generally do not hear at Primavera.

They will be back at Primavera Ristorante on October 19th.  We hope everyone will join us to hear this World Class Band!

TUNES:
Blue Skies
I Cried For You
Blue Monk
After You’ve Gone
Route 66
Stardust
Flat Foot Floogie
Frim Fram Sauce
South Rampart St. Parade
Apex Blues
Every Time We Say Goodbye (Elaine)
Begin The Beguine
This Joint is Jumpin’ (Reid)