[Dixielandjazz] Hello again

[Robert Ringwald]

Mike Vax wrote in part:



Hello everyone.

It has been a long time since I was on this list, but thanks to Bob Ringwald and

Bob Romans for convincing me to come back.  





Welcome back Mike.  





I have never lost my feelings for good

traditional jazz, even though I have not been active on the trad jazz circuit.  (Not

my choice by the way - maybe more on that later.)

Lots of changes in my life since I left this list.  Peggy and I now live in Prescott,

Arizona - up in the mountains at 5000 feet.  We LOVE it here!  She retired 2 1/2

years ago after being a middle school band director for 32 years and is one of the

"happiest retirees" I have ever seen.  She is at the gym six days a week and is actually

teaching spin classes.







What is spin classes?





I am still on the road about five months a year, doing clinics and leading the Stan

Kenton Alumni Band.

I am also director of a very successful small festival here in Prescott, called the

Prescott Jazz Summit.  We are in our twelfth year and in 2012 we produced 30 music

events besides the festival weekend which happens the last week in August before

Labor Day Weekend.

One of our successful events is a once a month New Orleans Jazz Brunch at the Prescott

Steak House - a GREAT restaurant.  They actually do a full New Orleans menu for the

brunch and my Great American Jazz Band plays.

Our festival has been pretty much "mainstream" jazz, with such luninaries as:  Terry

Gibbs, Buddy DeFranco, Dave Pell, Lennie Niehaus, Marvin Stamm, Carl Saunders, Bob

Florence, Toni Tennille, 





“Toni Tennille?”



--Bob Ringwald

DJML Moderator