White Heat Swing Quintet
at the Sherborn Inn, October 11, 2011
| Craig Ball's
White Heat Swing Quintet cut loose at the Sherborn Inn, with a fine
aggregation of New England musicians playing Hot Swing - and more. Richie
Giordano (aka Fats Oregano) on
piano, Craig Ball reeds, Dave Whitney trumpet non pareil, Bronek
Suchanek from the Artie Shaw Band Orchestra on string bass, Dave Bragdon
drums. This high-energy group played the great swing and jazz of the
1930s and 1940s, and there were few slow ones. A few.
Fueled by the forceful clarinetist/leader Craig Ball (our own Artie
Shaw), they had a ball! |
 |
We arrived early, but 'Fats' Giordano was already
seated at the piano, playing one beautiful melody after another:
At Last,
Perfidia,
Fools Rush In,
All of Me,
Georgia,
I'm Coming Virginia,
Sunny Side Up,
Tiperary,
The Gypsy,
My Shadow.
And we didn't get them
all!! He added some exhilarating Boogie-Woogie.
I never get
enough of it! |
| I Guess I'll
Have to Change My Plans - by now the rest of the band has
arrived and set up. A sizzling beginning with
Darktown Strutter's Ball.
Whitney took the lead on trumpet, with Craig comping on clarinet. It became a free-for-all with
Some of These Days. Piano intro to A Kiss to Build a Dream On, featured trumpet,
Dave Bragdon using soft brushes on the drum, Bronek bowing string
bass, producing a wonderful, full tone. Dave used sticks for an
authentic press roll on Washington & Lee Swing, Craig hitting high
notes like Artie Shaw.
 |
A fine drummer, largely unrecognized outside this
area, Dave Bragdon is especially revered for his great drum roll,
exhibited in a wild Nobody's Sweetheart Now, Bronek in sync.
He's
been with the White Heat since 1845. Craig says "Dave's rhythm
makes the sun come up." |
The piano took an easy tempo intro on a lovely Stardust with
Whitney's trumpet featured.
Ensemble rev'd it up hot and heavy on San,
superb rapport between clarinet and piano. Richie's piano solo backed by trumpet
and clarinet in stop-time. Nice!
 |
Vocalist Mollie Malone was in the audience, and took
the stage for East
of the Sun,
surrounded by "five of her favorite men", and a song she and Richie did umpteen years
ago, He's Funny That Way. |
They found a fan in the audience actually named Rosetta, and
performed a very
swinging Rosetta, Richie vigorously prodding sound out of that baby grand.
Intermission - The band heads for the bar, but Richie never leaves the piano: If I Could Be With
You, Hong Kong Blues, As Time Goes By, I Don't Know Why, Barkley
Square, Time After Time, My Day Will Come, San Francisco, and more.
The band returns, Richie gives them a bump & grind burlesque intro into some
Blues, Dave picks up on wa wa trumpet, superb conversation between trumpet and
piano.
 |
Guest cornetist,
Jeff Hughes, joined the group. All of Me. trumpet
and cornet lead, clarinet counterpoint, backed up by drum and string
bass.
Exceptional, warm duet with Jeff's cornet and Bronek's string
bass. |
'Till There Was You started with trumpet and cornet, Jeff adding
inflections of Bunny Berigan, supported by Richie on piano.
The band went WILD with Nagasaki! Then softly with Sweet Sue,
Craig conveying some Benny Goodman.
| Bronek used the bow, producing a
sweet, mellifluous tone. We are so fortunate to
have him here in New England!
Originally from Poland, Suchanek received
his Masters at the State College of Music in Katowice, Poland, then
attended the National College of Music in Stockholm,
Sweden, learning how to be a Jazz Instructor.
Emigrating to Boston, he plays with
both the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra, Artie Shaw
Orchestra, and White Heat Swing Orchestra, and teaches at the University
of Southern Maine.
He has become one of the most
sought-after bassists for bands and vocalists in New England. And
we had him here!! |
 |
Richie asked for a Boogie - and boogie he did. He just
boogies - no name, we recognized some inference of Swanee
River, before he segued into a nice ballad, back to hot Boogie-Woogie. (Thank You! Never get enough of this!)
| Jeff brought in Harry James'
I Surrender Dear, with Dave
comping on muted trumpet, excellent backing by rhythm section.
That was the end of the sweet stuff.
King Oliver's Strutting With Some Barbecue, was
incredible, Whitney slipping in some Gypsy.
Cornet took the intro to After You've Gone, then trumpet
took the lead, clarinet reached high and wild, cornet and trumpet
traded fours, fantastic piano and rhythm, it was ferocious!
They finished with only the string bass and drum trading fours -
WOW! This is JAZZ!!
|
 |
And suddenly it was over! Much too soon! More, More!
But there are no after-hours here.
With everybody's blood still flowing wild, the White Heat Swing
Quintet had to pack it up, at least until next year.
They'll be back. And so will we.
Marce |
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| By Marce,
Updated Nov. 19, 2011
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