[Dixielandjazz] SacJazz Vignettes (Part Two)

[Dan Augustine]

SacJazz Vignettes (Part Two: the Bands)

a) International bands
     I always like to see bands from other countries if i can, and
this trip i managed to catch several i hadn't heard before: Climax JB
(Toronto, Canada), Hot Jazz Band (Budapest, Hungary), Greentown JB
(Ljubljana, Slovenia), Jazzin' Jacks (Helsingbord, Sweden), and
Zenith Hot Stompers (Oxfordshire, England).  Bands from outside the
U. S. frequently seem to aim in a slightly different direction from
our bands, in that some of them concentrate more on the sounds and
styles of early jazz than we do, and they also just bring a different
tinge to their playing, in both ensemble and solos (one theory is
that both melody and speech arise from the same roots, and so
different sounds and cadences in speech influence some aspects of
melody and improvisation).
     While i thought that both Greentown and Jazzin' Jacks were good,
i especially like the Hot Jazz Band, Climax, and the Zenith Hot
Stompers.  The Hot Jazz Band received an enthusiastic response from
the audience, and i found myself buying their CD called "Best of the
Hot Jazz Band"; it includes not only familiar tunes such as "Sweet
Emmaline", "Crazy Rhythm", and "Avalon", but some nice Hungarian (i
presume) tunes such as "Mézga Gésa" and "Ön tetszik nékem" (my
Hungarian is a bit shaky, so you'll have to fall back on yours, i'm
afraid).
     On Monday i caught the Climax Jazz Band at 10:00 am, and Rae Ann
said they were her favorite band, which i can now understand, as they
put on a fine show, aided by some matutinal beers and by their (i
presume) guest clarinet-player Steve Mellor, who played great solos
and was a ball of good-time energy.
     On Sunday i heard the Zenith Hot Stompers, with listmate Tony
Davis and Judy Eames (whom i had met at the F2F), and was very glad i
did.  Their clarinet player Roy Hubbard played with fine tone and
ideas, but had his problems with a feisty audience front row of jazz
'experts', who apparently jabbered at him and tried to correct his
song-introductions (but Mr. Hubbard acquitted himself well and in
fact i think won the exchange).  Judy Eames sang very nicely and did
a wonderful rendition of a song in which she pointed out to a young
male in the audience that she liked her men the way she liked her
whiskey--aged and mellow; the crowd loved it.

b) The Boondockers
     I must confess a weakness for this group, which is much more than
just a comedy band.  How could it not also feature fine music with
the likes of Bob Ringwald, Bill Gunter, Jim Maihack, Gary Church, and
guest Joe Hopkins (Rae Ann's brother) from Arizona?  I'm still seeing
and hearing their version of "The Whiffenpoof Song", especially the
part that goes "with their glasses raised on high", which snuck back
into subsequent songs (upon singing this, they would all pause and
take a drink of their beers).  Art Terry tore it up, as always,
convulsing not only the audience but the band with his comments on
various (sometimes slightly 'blue') subjects, such as how to tell if
you're 'trailer trash'.


c) Burt Wilson and the Silver Dollar JB
     I met listmate Burt Wilson at the F2F, but also caught his band
on Saturday night.  Not only does he still have it on trombone, but
his little book _Shakey and Me_ (which i bought) reminded me of many
happy (albeit foggy) evenings over at Shakey's Pizza Parlor in Reno
in the 1960's "with our glasses raised on high". One of our group
there (the bassoon-player in the concert band) was a rather large
(6'6", 350 pounds) fellow who was able to 'open' his throat and pour
down an entire pitcher of beer at once (and then walk out with the
empty pitcher unseen underneath his jacket).  One of his greatest
lines was when he was the marching-band's equipment-manager (we had
no uniforms big enough for him) and was asked what size spat to wear:
"Measure your tibia and divide by two" (of course, there was only one
size).
     The Silver Dollar's tuba-player Jim Snoke was unwary enough to
venture into the audience with his horn after their set, and i asked
him what kind of tuba it was.  He replied that Arnold Jacobs had had
it built from parts of two different sousaphones (a story on which i
would like some corroboration). But also listening was Howard Miyata,
the trombone-player from the next band, High Sierra, who is also a
fine tuba player.  He asked if he could play a couple of notes on the
tuba, and then proceeded to play a rapid double-tongued solo above
middle C from (i think) one of someone's Hungarian Dances!  Hoisting
my lower jaw off the ground, I slunk away, muttering vile
imprecations about the presence of so many talented
multi-instrumentalists.

d) High Sierra and Youth
     Although the temperature on Friday in Sacramento hit 97 degrees
(F), Saturday was much cooler, and in fact to this Texan turned out
to be right cold.  By 10 pm it seemed to be in the 50's, but the High
Sierra Jazz Band was determined to put on a high-energy show and
raise the virtual temperature, and they in fact did.  About half an
hour into the set Simon Stribling joined them on trumpet, and then
three young players from Canada (apparently) did also.  (Two of them
may have been Bria Skonbert on trumpet and Evan Arntzen on tenor sax,
from The 51st Eight band from Chilliwack BC, but the third was a girl
playing clarinet whose name i didn't catch.) And the kids played up a
storm, first on two numbers they already knew, and then (on the
instructions by Pieter Meijers) on a song they didn't, "Big Bear
Stomp".  However, they all soon figured it out and took about 10
minutes' worth of solos, to the delight of the audience.  This set
was probably my favorite one of the whole festival.

e) Reynolds Brothers' Rhythm Rascals
     Except possibly for this one.  Not only does this band have Westy
Westenhofer on (Conn 20K) sousaphone playing the best tuba-solos of
the festival (and best i've heard in recent years), but it has Dan
Levinson on reeds (wonderfully inventive solos) and guest soloist
George Probert on soprano sax (still playin' great).  Most
impressively, though, it has Anita Thomas on clarinet and alto sax,
and she not only held her own in this high level, she brought an
endearing sense of humor to the festivities.  Introduced as being
from Australia, she didn't blush, curtsy, or bow, but instead started
hopping up and down about the stage like a demented kangaroo with her
arms like paws in front of her.  The whole show was great, both as
jazz and as entertainment.

f) These obviously are just a few scenes from about 40 hours of music
on Friday through Sunday afternoon, but i can't end without saying
how satisfying it was to get to meet and talk a little with Bill
Gunter (after Cell Block Seven's set at Embassy Suites) and with Paul
Edgerton (after his set with Fulton Street and during the set with
his wife's Polly's Hot Paupers).  It was also good to put faces with
names, such as Will Connolly and Don Robertson (thanks again for the
Pete Daily CD), and i regret i didn't have time to talk more with
other attendees.
     I guess maybe i'll have to go again next year.  But be
forewarned: i'll bring a tuba or two along, so start investing in
those earplug-futures now.

     Dan
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** Dan Augustine  Austin, Texas  ds.augustine at mail.utexas.edu  **
**     "What is strange is this."  --  Gertrude Stein          **
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