Traditional/Dixieland Jazz back at the Acton Jazz Café!
1st
Saturday/month AFTERNOON 2-5pm (1:30 seating) $10
452 Great Rd. Acton, MA
(978) 263-6161
December 6th, 2008
SEACOAST STOMPERS
All photos by Wil Davis
December Flyer
Videos
| Seacoast
Stompers at the Acton Jazz Café, on a beautiful, bright,
Saturday
afternoon. Craig Ball instantly ignited the band with a rich, hot clarinet on
Jazz Band Ball, exchanging rapid-fire solos with the only other
member of the front line, Scott Philbrick, playing on a golden
vintage 1931 Conn cornet (a gift from Peter Popko.) The overflow
crowd sensed straight away this was going to be one special
afternoon. One more precious moment in time,
the 1930's, and an afternoon of sensational Dixieland jazz. Frank Stadler piano/leader, Jimmy Mazzy banjo/vocals,
Bob McHenry acoustic bass, Steve Taddeo drums, are all experienced traditional jazz players who are "at the top of their game” and enjoy what they do.
It's contagious.
They soared to Please Don't Talk
About Me When I'm Gone. And paused. Only then did
Frank take the mic to address the eager fans. He introduced
Jimmy Mazzy, our own National Treasure. Creating a bit of
suspense (even for the musicians,) he asked Jimmy to begin the next
tune without announcing it. Any musician who has played with
Jimmy is accustomed to this. He's in his own world; just
plays. Eventually each one gets it and jumps in. With a
bit of reflection, he started picking on the banjo. But this time he
really dug deep into his immense collection of classic traditional
tunes, because the guys weren't
joining in, but looking at each other. It took them a while.
They listened to the tune, the keys, chord sequence. They had never
heard it before, but one by one, they jumped in, and soon they were all in sinc
for Papa Celestin's Almanzoer. That's jazz!
Deed I Do had Stadler and Jimmy blending, trading fours,
followed by Bob McHenry in flawless command of the string bass; Taddeo discreetly keeping time.
He can be discreet..
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Honoring the holiday season, they threw in a
Christmas tune which easily shifted into irrepressible, toe-tapping Dixieland,
Santa
Clause is Coming To Town.
There was a request for
the plaintive Do You Know How It Feels To Miss New Orleans;
the discreet Taddeo shifted into Gene Krupa mode, with lots of press rolls choke cymbal as well as ride and hi-hat.
He attempted Gene's infamous drumming walk-around, but was
restricted from moving very far by the capacity crowd.
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Steve drums on table.
Never missing a beat. |
| Scott took the intro
to Basin Street on cornet, a crystal clear toned simulation of what is
usually a trombone, then let Taddeo's constrained energy loose! There was no stopping him now.
Wikipedia describes the early 1940's tune, Big Noise from Winetka:
Written
by composer and bass player
Bob Haggart. It was first recorded in 1938 and featured Bob
Haggart and drummer
Ray Bauduc, both members of the swing/dixieland orchestra
Bob Crosby and the Bobcats. Remarkable for their unusual duet
feature: Haggart whistles the melody and plays the bass, while only
Bauduc accompanies him on the drums. Halfway through the solo, Ray Bauduc starts drumming on the strings of the double bass, while
Haggart continues to play with his left hand, creating a very
percussive bass solo. |
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Well, we have our
own Ray Bauduc and Bob Haggart remarkable duet.
Bob McHenry playing the string bass, while Steve Taddeo
drums on the strings, creating fascinating rhythms, while Scotty
whistles the Haggart melody. You really have to see and hear
this in the flesh to appreciate it! |
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| .What an act to
follow. But Frank is up to it. Piano feature,
Jada, had Stadler enticing eloquent, expressive melodies from
the ebony and ivory. Very nice! |
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All photos (except one) were taken by Wil Davis, of
William H Davis & Associates Inc.
www.k1wd.com. He caught Al Enrenfreid dancing with
Alice. (Al appreciates a fine string bass, he is usually
playing one, Friday nights at Walden Books.)
And Wil caught Marce standing by the bar, also
taking pictures. |
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Scotty put down the cornet and took out his
guitar, sat down next to Jimmy for
Rose Room, evoking Django Rheinhardt's
Gypsy Swing.
Jimmy is brilliant and takes great pleasure in
political satire, fitting his own words into the next tune,
a "Corporate
song" to the melody of Brother, Can You Spare a Dime. Leave
it to him! |
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"Once I stole the White House,
A. I. G.,
Goldman Sachs and the prime.
Bailed out your retirement,
Hear my pleas -
Brother Can You Spare a Dime".
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photo by Marce |
A barn-burning Dr. Jazz included
more rapid fire interchanges between Craig and Scotty, and another of Jimmy's
inimitable vocals.
Then Craig let loose with a Tour de Force of The World is Waiting For The Sunrise,
with
octaves that would have raised Benny Goodman! |
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Jim & Carrie
Mazzy, recently celebrating their 22nd Anniversary, presented a
tender duet on Rose of Washington Square. |
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Gwen Vivian, AJC Proprietor, and a fine vocalist in
her own right, took the mic for All The Things You Are, subbing her
own lyrics on the second verse.
Gwen's band, Starchild, a jazz quartet with a modern approach to standards, performs
some early evening sets at the Café. |
| The afternoon
seemed over in an instant! "It can't be over already??" But with your support, we could
have many more beautiful, bright afternoons of toe-tapping, hard driving and swinging Dixieland style traditional jazz at the
Acton Jazz Café. Venues that offer traditional jazz and swing on a regular basis in this locale are relatively few and far between!
The Café is small, intimate, like being in
your own living room, and serves fine food. Please join us on the first Saturday of
every month? Advance reservations STRONGLY RECOMMENDED.
Cover charge $10 pays the band - they're worth it!
Check out the
Seacost Stompers November
1st at the AJC.
And if
you haven’t already, check out the Seacoast Stompers on the first
Saturday of the month at the AJC! |
All photos by Wil Davis
BACK TO TOP |
| By Marce,
Updated January 1, 2009
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