Seacoast Stompers appeared at the Acton Jazz Café
as usual on the 1st Saturday of the month, but without their
stalwart string bass player, Bob McHenry, who is in rehab. Frank Stadler picked up a neighbor of his in Gloucester, tuba player Albie
Bernard. Albie is no stranger to our ‘family’ of musicians.
According to Gwenn Vivian (AJC owner), Dec 1 is the first time a
tuba has played at the AJC in its 16-year existence. She liked it.
Al Bernard is also booked for the next gig on Jan 5. He has worked
with Scott, Craig, and Jimmy for many years, so they have many
routines ready on most songs.
Along with Frank and Albie were the regulars,
Craig Ball clarinet and soprano sax, Lee Prager trombone, Jimmy Mazzy
banjo and vocals, Bobby Reardon drums, and Scotty Philbrick cornet,
just returned from the Suncoast Jazz Festival in Clearwater, Florida.
The first light snow of the season was falling, and
it was a cold, dreary day, but this did not deter this
enthusiastic
crowd, eager for some great hot jazz! Full house.
Members of the Amoskeag
Strummers from the North Shore and New Hampshire were here. Great to
see Joan Cornett's smiling face again! It’s been a while.
The Stompers always begin with an upbeat At The
Jazz Band Ball – and never come down. World-wide fans of Jimmy
Mazzy would be content here – he is let loose on most of the songs,
starting with Buddy Bolden’s Blues .
We've been listening to
SweetSubstitute for years, but the words suddenly took on a
whole new, especially warm, tender meaning, with Jimmy's vocal
and single-string
picking on banjo.
Albie played every single note, non-stop on
Chinatown that introduced him to the few that may not have heard him
before, and reassured them that this was going to be a special
afternoon.
Lee Prager took his trombone over to the tuba, as he
usually does with Bob McHenry's string bass, for an exceptional duet.
Jimmy's heartfelt vocal on I Want a Little Girl,
was backed by Lee's versatile trombone. He is a boldly creative
musician, but you can’t hear Lee anywhere else
that we know of, unless he plays it at Bose.
Carrie Mazzy was called for a nice duet with Jimmy, You’re The One I
Care For.
and also Write Myself a Letter. They’ll be celebrating their 27th
wedding anniversary on December 21st. Seems like
yesterday!
Drummer Bobby
Reardon completes the rhythm section, driving the band.
Bye, Bye Blues, Running Wild – the tunes are
smokin', a real test for any tuba. Front Line racing on
Nagasaki. Albie was on fire on Bei
Mir Bis Du Schoen.
Clarinet, trombone and tuba set sparks flying among
the three on
Smile, and gave the fans just what they came here for!
Craig, just back from his White Heat Orchestra
playing at Boston Swing Central, definitely doesn’t have the Blues. His clarinet
aims for the clouds on Blues in B Flat. Albie & Lee have fun with it.
Tiger Rag had a roaring trombone-tiger. Scotty was featured on
How Come You Do Me Like You Do?Strutting With Some Barbecue
another great trombone/tuba duet.
Leader Frank Stadler revs things up introducing many
of the tunes on piano, playing nice ballad on Take Your Tomorrows
and Give me Today.
Kansas City Kitty, had Jim scatting, Craig
playing vibrato on clarinet.
Beale St. Blues was a nice, easy finale, soft, with muted cornet and trombone,
tuba doing what Albie rarely does – just keeping the oompah beat.
Then Lee
and Craig took off on Swing That Music, and sent the crowd swinging back out into the
New England frost.
