[Dixielandjazz] Horn Tooting

[Bill Horton]

I've noted a little band promotion by some DJMLers (sort of like preaching
to the choir!), so let me do a little bragging about "my" jazz club, even
though it's now 1,700 miles away.

The Basin Street Regulars in little old Pismo Beach, CA, claims to be the
"Finest Trad Jazz Club In The Universe."  (We have NASA checking this.)
Ringwald and Gunter will argue about this claim, but hell, they argue about
everything.

Just to illustrate our claim, let me cite a few items from the current issue
of OffBeat, our club magazine (editor Jim Borland is a DJML member).  At the
March session, our guest band was Cell Block 7, who featured their trio of
double-bell euphonia.  (For the mathematically challenged, that's six
bells!)  Some guy named Bill Gunter MC'd their sets. There was also a set by
the Creole Syncopators, one of our TWO house bands, and a jam set featuring
the new president of the American Federation of Jazz Societies, Randy "Dr.
Jazz" Siple, his son Tanner on sop sax, a 6th grade alto sax prize winner,
and his sister on flute and piano.

At that session, 22 new members signed up.  Our membership hovers around
1000.  (Sally and I are members for life or in perpetuity, whichever comes
first.)  This year the club will award ten youth scholarships to jazz camps.

As you probably all know, Pismo Beach has TWO great jazz festivals every
year.  Our club sponsors the Jubilee By The Sea (Oct. 24-26) and a local
business association sponsors (with our help) the Pismo Jazz Mardi Gras.

If you haven't yet checked out our website, www.PismoJazz.com, you have
missed the undoubtedly greatest jazz treat you'll ever find on the internet.
K.O. Eckland is the webmaster, which should tip you off as to what a wild
and wonderful delight it is.

Our next session, on April 27, will feature the Fulton Street Jazz Band at
our annual Peaknic.  Roger Krum, head of the Sacramento Jazz Festival, will
be on string bass and some kid named Bob Ringwald will be on the keys,
whenever they can get them out of the chow line.  If you show up for the
Peaknic, tell them I sent you and yoou'll get in free!  (They might charge
you a few bucks for the barbecue, though.)

BTW, if you'd like to move and join this great club, I have a house for sale
and will throw in a couple years membership if you buy!  Damn, I miss the
Basin Street Regulars!

Bill Horton