[Dixielandjazz] Sorry If You Had to Miss It

[Gluetje1 at aol.com]

Visited an establishment in suburban St. Louis last night that will do  well. 
The owner/s are totally unknown to me.  Don't know exactly when it  opened 
under this banner.  But do know I love the concept, the ambiance,  that I had 
good food from a highly varied menu, that the service on Sat. 10/28  while the 
Cardinals were becoming 2006 World Series Champs was excellent and  friendly, 
that I went there to hear outstanding hot classic jazz and that is  what I 
heard.
 
First the place: Highway 61 Roadhouse and Kitchen.  Excellent web site  where 
you can scroll to see some of the music theme murals on the wall, their  
events, menu, etc.  Music events in October included blues, Zydeco,  Dixieland, 
jams, open mike nights.  Their web site.
>_http://hwy61roadhouse.admitonevip.com/_ 
(http://hwy61roadhouse.admitonevip.com/) <
 
Now what drew me there: St. Louis Stompers, AKA newer name: St. Louis  
Classic Stompers.  As the game ended, seven jazzmen on the stage to  keep a cheering 
crowd hopping with Happy Days Are Here Again, followed  by 4 beat Take Me Out 
to the Ball Game for crowd to sing along, followed by "one  for the (Detroit) 
Tigers" ---"Hold 'em Tigers" as cornetist-leader Steve  Little introduced 
Tiger Rag.  Followed by Sweet Georgia Brown and Play That  Thing.  Then came "St. 
Louis Blues" played bluesey, hot, and sexy.   First extended solo lines came 
with that one.
 
Hwy 61 Roadhouse is an easy walk from Webster University.  Young crowd  
there.  Extended applause after every one of those numbers.  Probably  less than a 
dozen in attendance were over age 60.  Because of it's  location, it will 
continue to draw the young.  Wonder how many of us will  decide we can leave our 
rocking chairs to support live jazz and blues?  It  won't be long before I'm 
back there.
Ginny