Frank Stadler - piano and
leader, Jimmy Mazzy - banjo, Blair Bettencourt - reeds, Scott Philbrick -
cornet, Dave Whitney - trumpet, Lee Prager - trombone, Al Bernard - sousaphone,
Bobby Reardon – drums.
Leader Frank Stadler
announced that there would be an exception to the usual tune selection; this
time they would play only old favorites and most requested tunes. They generally avoid repeating tunes!
He left the choice of tunes to the guys, varying the
tempos.
An obvious change was Blair Bettencourt on clarinet and tenor sax. It’s
been a while!
In the
late 70s, Marce and Jimmy Enright were dancing at the
back of New England Life Hall to the
two-beat jazz of The Yankee Rhythm Kings with Jimmy Mazzy and Blair
Bettencourt,
The Seacoast Stompers
first tested the sound system with a snippet of At The Jazz Band Ball.
Sound-check was done by none other than
Fran D’Agostino, who runs the Jazz Jam every Tuesday here at the AJC.
He got it right!
The Seacoast Stompers have
built up a significant following of devoted fans that fill the Café on the first
Saturday of the month. Alice and
Cathy Riley came in from Seekonk, Jack Phelan, pianist for the New Liberty Jazz
Band from Swampscott, Dave and Nancy First from Carlisle, Eve Welts, Sally Meyer
and friends from Lincoln, Al Ehrenfried, Alice Brunton of Acton, dancers Evelyn
and Charlie have been here from day one. The Amoskeag
Strummers were well represented.
There's not much space for dancing; but dancers will make
room:
Charlie & Evelyn
Alice & Al
It was great to see Bob McHenry, former Seacoast bassist sitting up front and center, enjoying the music.
Blair
Bettencourt’s tenor sax turned Sweet Georgia Brown into a real rabble
rouser!
Fabulous tenor sax on a dazzling Stealing Apples
Bob & Marjorie McHenry enjoy Blair's playing
Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams.
Jimmy vocal. He couldn’t resist “Dedicated to Luca Brazzi, swimming with the
fishes.” (from Boardwalk Empire).
Time to take it down a bit with
Mama’s Gone, Goodbye, Jimmy vocal, Whitney playing marvelous wa wa trumpet.
Cornet, trumpet, trombone, with
gut-wrenching tenor sax were fabulous on another old favorite, and most
often requested, Do You Know What it Means to Miss New Orleans. Dave with
poignant
vocal; if you ever visit New Orleans, you can't leave it
behind - it becomes a part of you.
T’ Ain’t No Sin To Take Off Your Skin and Dance Around in Your
Bones (Walter Donaldson). Scotty
knew many more verses..
I Would Do Most Anything For You, Claude Hopkins'
theme song. Claude was a world famous Boston pianist, and has returned to play
in the area with many of our local musicians.
Classy, polished piano performance by Frank.
He requested a 'down tune' (as opposed to an upbeat tune). Everybody
looked at Jimmy. I’ll Be a Friend With Pleasure.
Dave Whitney, jazz historian, gave interesting backgrounds to all these
tunes. “Louis would say Margie is a good ol’ good one.”
Scotty and Lee, both on muted instruments challenging each other -
incredible! We love it!
Make Love to Me, a 1954 pop song by Jo Stafford,
became a No. 1 hit, using the New Orleans Rhythm King's music from the 1923 jazz standard Tin
Roof Blues..
Sweet intro into
Tin Roof Blues,
fantastic clarinet, wa
wa cornet and trombone. We love it!
Jimmy' unique single
string banjo was backed by Al Bernard, wrapped in sousaphone.
Bobby Hackett and Jack Teagarden made hits out of a
lively Oh Baby
from the 1920’s.
Carrie Mazzy came up for fine vocal on A Good Man
Is Hard To Find.
Jim & Carrie were packed
and ready to go to the Keswick Festival in England.
Hubby Jimmy followed with One Meat Ball,
hinting about a restaurant (not the AJC!)
Frank said it was time for a barn burner. This is
one of the most requested Classic tunes.
Goodman had a hit with both his big
band and quartet.
Strutting With Some
Barbecue was played in indescribable tempo!
Tough on a trombone - Lee breezed through it.
Time for a Swing tune. Jimmy with Duke Ellington’s I’m Beginning To see The Light, a Harry James hit in
1944. Please Don’t Talk About Me When I’m Gone, had friendly,
competitive duet with cornet/trumpet.
Sunny Side of The Street, Dave Whitney scatting
vocal, with Blair's tenor sax, tuba, and piano playing harmony.
Frank asked Dave to pick a tune - he likes Back o’ Town
Blues. He and Jimmy have done this before, with Jimmy responding with his
own Mazzy quips. Scotty's multiple notes hit the top of the register,
almost squeaking.
Dave was on low, growling trumpet; he never disappoints his
public.
Finally Frank asked Bobby Reardon for a tune.
From
the seedy side of London, he picked a real war horse, Limehouse Blues. The Seacoast Stompers
terminated as fiery as they had begun.
They’ll be back, Frank hopes with the full crew (they are
all independent minds!) on the first Saturday of every month for the rest of the
year.
With their fans in tow, they'll be here on June 1.
