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They kicked in this year's first session as always with At The Jazz Band Ball,
except that Dave Whitney played trumpet, while Scott played banjo. Scott swapped between
banjo and guitar all afternoon. Craig Ball, leader of the White Heat Swing Orchestra, picked
Since My Best Gal Turned Me Down.
Craig's bold alto sax was backed by Whitney and Prager playing vigorous vibrato in background. It was prophetic of the high-spirited, hot jazz we could expect for the next three hours! Jive at Five was a relatively new tune for the band, they only played it once a couple of years ago. It was a hot one! Japanese Sandman was also a scorcher. Eva Balazs, sitting front and center, enjoyed every minute. She is the pianist with Bill Flaherty’s New New Orleans Jazz band. (Larry Zuk is now in Colorado and still plays occasionally.)
Drummer Bobby Reardon is a vital time-keeper, a craftsman; he listens to what the other musicians are doing, and responds spontaneously. They let him loose on Shine.
Dave picked a Beiderbecke tune, giving it a trumpet intro, and a fine vocal, Take Your Tomorrow and Give Me Today. Then a new tune to us, Baby Brown, (not Georgia Brown or Brown Baby): “She's sure some jolly prancer, Dave Whitney played impressive 'Armstrong' on Louis' theme, Sleepy Time Down South, with trombone comping behind him. Marvelous! Dave excels on Louis vocals – not imitating him, as so many try to do, but using his own voice and style. He never disappoints. When Frank called for a 'burner', Scott took out his cornet. The Sheik of Araby. Things were getting too serious, so these playful artists fixed that! Trumpet and cornet make Mandy really special, nice cornet/trombone duet! Frank introduced Jelly Roll Morton’s I Ain’t Gonna Give Nobody None of my Jelly Roll, playing all the right chords behind the soloists. Al was formidable on sousaphone with a solo on Buddy DeSylva's Oh Baby. Clarinet feature on a sweet rendition of Ray Hubbell's 1916 Poor Butterfly, ended in a virtuosic coda. Scott's affinity for the guitar is obvious, he plays with so much passion. Marvelous! Lee put all his drive and momentum on a trombone feature, How Come You Do Me Like You Do, with Al playing lowest notes, going about as low as a sousaphone can go.
Four piece front line - fantastic Ensemble! Nobody’s Sweetheart Now, gripping clarinet and trombone, Dave vocal. Scotty back on banjo, fingers flashing across the board!Roses of Piccardi, started out more softly and sweetly than we ever heard before, with a tinge of Spanish beat. They became very 'creative' with this one, playing around, having fun testing each other. Haydn Wood probably turned over in his grave! Bix Beiderbecke’s Fidgety Feet was WILD. Dave snuck in a lick of I Could Write A Book. He’s good at that, he knows a million of 'em. It was time for a Blues. Whitney picked one that Louis wrote and played with the All Stars, Back o’ Town Blues. Scotty on slow, Bluesy- Blues guitar, Craig on alto sax, Lee's muted trombone vibrating and growling in the background. The collective spirit of guitar/trumpet/trombone lifts this performance. How do you follow something like that? Scott took out his cornet, with Dave trumpet, with all that brass playing Please Don’t Talk About Me When I’m Gone. Finale - Scott called for a Dr. Jazz - lots more brass!! Trumpet/cornet intro, clarinet and trombone playing harmony. Great solo by Dave on muted trumpet, and fine duet between trombone and tuba.
We always hate to see this afternoon end! It is such a wonderful, healthy reprieve from this crazy world we're living in! We'll be back again next month, when Billy Novick will be filling in for Craig Ball. Join us!
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