[Dixielandjazz] Monterey Dixieland

[Steve Barbone]

They may call it Jazz Bash by the Bay, but there is still "Dixieland
Monterey" in the title (see http:www.dixieland-monterey.com.) And in the
below write-up in the Salinas Californian.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone

Dixieland Monterey is almost here

Mardi Gras may be over, but there's still time to kick up your heels and
enjoy New Orleans-style music.

The 27th annual Dixieland Monterey is set for next weekend with 20 bands
playing some of the best Dixieland jazz, ragtime and swing music this side
of Elkhorn Slough. The place is the Monterey Conference Center and Portola
Plaza Hotel as well as nearby venues like the Golden State Theatre.

 
I've only missed one of these festivals. That was 11 years ago when my dad
turned 80 and I dashed up to the Seattle area to help him celebrate.

I've loved this style of music since the first time I picked up a horn in
the mid-1950s. And having spent nine years behind, under and around tubas,
it finds a place in your DNA and stays there.

>From the first time a caveman or cavewoman banged two rocks together, people
have been making music of sorts. Dixieland is a true American art form. It
had its birth in the South among black musicians and evolved into the cool
jazz you hear at the Monterey Jazz festival.

I like them both, but there's something about a wailing clarinet and a
plunking banjo that embraces my soul. And hearing the great groups play at
Dixieland Monterey makes me want to pull all those trumpets I bought on eBay
out of the closet.

Among the groups scheduled to perform this year are:

*    Blue Street, aka The Bad Boys of Dixieland, from Fresno.
*    Igor's Jazz Cowboys
*    Jazz Birds, an all-female quartet
*    Mighty Aphrodite, a smart and sassy all-woman jazz band.
*    Titan Hot 7, one of the best groups ever, featuring honored musician,
     clarinetist Bob Draga.
*    Your Father's Mustache
*    Titanic Jazz Band, a traditional group from Southern California.

There will be youthful musicians there, too. Four bands of young people will
perform: Barkin' Dawg Jazz Band, Muskrat Ramblers, Santa Clara Swing and
Raisin Babies.

If you're into swing dancing, there's not a better place to practice it next
weekend. The ballrooms at the Portola Plaza Hotel make space available
during the performances, with plenty of room for aerials and high kicks.

Event badges are $90 for the entire festival, $40 for Friday and Sunday and
$55 for Saturday. Call 633-5053 for information. In Salinas you can buy them
in advance at The Works and Gadsby's.

If you're a young musician and want to learn more about Dixieland music, the
festival offers a free clinic at 10 a.m. March 3 in the Bonsai Room of the
conference center. It's free to students through grade 12, and you can get
into all of the shows free with a valid I.D. card.

And don't forget the Sunday morning gospel sets, starting at 9 a.m. This
year's featured groups are Blue Street, In the De Anza Room, and Igor's Jazz
Cowboys at the Golden State Theatre, followed by Big Mama Sue at 10:30 a.m.

You can pull down a schedule of the entire festival and learn more at
www.dixieland-monterey.com.

If you're feeling a little gloomy, this music will bring you pure joy, put a
smile on your face and get your toes tappin'