[Dixielandjazz] Sax and Clarinet in A Dixieland Setting

[Michael Woitowicz]

DJML'rs

I attended part of the Buddy Berrigan festival last weekend in Fox Lake,
Wisconsin. Dave McGreggor put together a group he calls the Vagabond Reeds.
It consisted of McGreggor on Soprano Sax (and occasionally Bass Clarinet),
Harold Smith on Clarinet, guest artist Bob Schulz on Coronet, Jack Mahieu
(Sp?) on rhythm guitar and banjo, a great Chicago bassist and a drummer,
who's names I did not get.

McGreggor played the heck out of the Soprano, and it complemented Harold
Smith's clarinet. When McGreggor played the bass clarinet, the sound of the
two clarinets was terrific also. Most of the tunes were without Schulz, who
was the guest artist for the weekend. Regardless of whether Schulz was
playing or not, the band swung like crazy.

Perhaps Harold Smith would like to comment on his feelings about the
session. I personally enjoyed the unique sound of the reeds in this jazz
setting, especially since the group did not play the standard Dixieland
war-horses, but stuck to lesser known tunes with more of a swing feeling.


Mike Woitowicz
The Banjo Barons Ragtime Band
www.banjobarons.com

The Dixie Barons Dixieland Band
www.banjobarons.com/dixiebarons.html