[Dixielandjazz] Sacramento

[Artwoo at aol.com]

After playing a polka festival for the last 10 yrs on Memorial weekend, I am 
finally free and spent most of yesterday having a great time in Sacramento.

I spend most of my time in Old town at the Firehouse Courtyard and heard 
several great groups... Alan Vache and Mark Shane were terrific and the Rhythm 
Rascals blew me away. By the way, the setting in the Firehouse Courtyard is 
reminiscent of New Orleans, complete with blossoming trees.

The Rhythm Rascals is a crowd pleasing group with an underlying sense of 
humor with well crafted musicianship. I enjoyed Westy Westenhofer's sousaphone and 
baritone playing. They had a young lady alto and clarinet player from Sydney, 
Au and Dan Levinson on clarinet & C melody sax.  All were outstanding.  Also, 
their cornet player was great.

The R R's featured a young tuba virtuoso ("Prissilla"? ) from the youth group 
the Barkin' Dawgs who played the clarinet obligato from High Society on her 
tuba...very impressive. Westy said a few words about the benefits of the youth 
and adult jazz camps sponsored by the festival and that Prissilla is a 
graduate.

I wish I could have heard all the groups...what a festival!