On Sunday, February 7th, Bill Logozzo's Heartbeat Jazz Band brought Mardi Gras to the Middletown High School Performance Center in Middletown, Connecticut. 

Although there had just been a tragic explosion in the area and many were injured and killed, the auditorium was full of enthusiastic listeners.  Fred Vigorito (cornet) offered up the afternoon performance to those unfortunate people caught in the explosion and their families.  

Bill Logozzo's Heartbeat Jazz Band introduced a new vocalist (Dianne Mower) who will be a regular with the band.  Dianne teaches music in the Hartford area and has made many recordings and appearances in eminent jazz venues and has worked with the legend Dave Brubeck.

The band opened with a familiar number.......Bourbon Street Parade followed by Basin Street and South Rampart St....three streets running straight through New Orleans.  Dianne and Skip Hughes really rocked the auditorium with their rendition of Basin St. 

Following these introductions, Skip and Dianne blew the audience away with their "made up" blues number which Freddy entitled "Middletown High School Performance Art Center."  Unbelievable and without rehearsal.

Russ Whitman and Sherman Kahn played off each other to the wonderful....China Boy.  To just say these are two great musicians is an understatement.  What a performance!

Prior to the band playing Tiger Rag at the break, Skip and Dianne sang a beautiful duet "Just A Closer Walk With Thee." 

Of course, who hasn't watched Art Hovey,  on tuba, eyebrows and body jumping up and down while playing Tiger Rag.   Art, the audience loves you.

When everyone returned to their seats, Freddy rummaged around in his Derby hat and found Jelly Roll Morton's Milenburg Joys - l925.  Followed by the popular number...All of Me by Marks & Simons -1931.  Skip and Dianne scatting their hearts out.  Together, they are fantastic!

A Cole Porter selection...Begin the Beguine -1935 was played to perfection by Sherman on clarinet.  Freddy's solo introduction of Battle Hymn of the Republic, a Civil War song by Julia Howe in l861, was a beautiful entrée for Diane and Skip.  The quiet sounds of Bill Logozzo on drums really set the mood for this selection.  And what would a concert be without Louis Armstrong's What A Wonderful World written in 1967 by Thiele, Weiss and Douglas.

Although the program began with the fans thinking of the people caught up in the day's tragedy, Fred finished with his usual closing number -The Saints by Purvis and Black, 1896.....leaving people with a lighter heart.

Jean Hadley