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24th Great Connecticut
Traditional Jazz Festival
July 30-August 1 2010Next one
will be a one-day
Trad Jazz and Blues Festival
July 30, 2011 at this same hotel. See you there!!
http://www.greatctjazz.org/ |
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The Sheraton Four Points Hotel, 275
Research Drive, Meriden Connecticut was a gracious host for the
24th Great Connecticut Traditional Jazz Festival, with
great Traditional Jazz bands from all over the country and England. Jim Fryer and Jeff Barnhart brought their
International All Stars. There was Cornet Chop Suey, The Midiri
Brothers, Blue Street, Louis Ford’s New Orleans Jazz Flairs,
Galvanized Jazz Band with Jane Campedelli and Bob Price; Sarah
Spencer’s Transatlantic Band had Jimmy Mazzy, banjo.
Dan Levinson’s Swing Wing represented the Swing
Era. Scott Philbrick and the Connecticut Festival Band were
back, with Scott receiving a well deserved
salute in the
Festival Brochure. Many of Art Hovey’s Sugarfoot Jazz Band
played four sets and
sat-in professionally with other bands too. String of Pearls
were reminiscent of many the earliest Sister groups. Bill
Logozzo had both his Trad and Rock bands, Heartbeat Jazz Band
and Triple Play. Rev. Dave Ruffner led the Sunday Service with
Blue Street.
But the biggest surprise of the weekend was
22-year-old Stephanie Trick, “The next rising star in the stride
world..” with an impressive knowledge of both early and current
Stride, Ragtime and Boogie pianists, she demonstrated their different styles. Our
music has a future! Laissez les bons
temps roulez!! The hotel became a mini-New Orleans, with a Food Tent serving
New Orleans Faire, including tasty craw fish, po’ boys and
jambalaya. There were mini-bars in the hallways and free
coffee in the library, It was a veritable Mardi Gras!
Charlie & Doris Bitterli were here
celebrating their 66th Anniversary!!
This was a first for the hotel. Neighbors watched
curiously as the grounds were prepared - and then came to hear jazz.
(New fans!) There were parking lots scattered all over the
business area, with shuttle busses available. Those wise enough to have made early reservations were
able to park on the premises.
Central Connecticut's Record-Journal sponsored the Festival
and featured it in the paper. Photographers were 'spotting'
jazz fans and posting their pictures on the site. If you were
spotted, here’s where you can
buy your pictures.
Videographer Eric Devine worked diligently, at the request of the festival
directors, taping all the great talent under one roof (and two tents)
for future promotions on YouTube at
CineDevine. Some are listed below.
Cornet Chop Suey
from St. Louis has a routine playing Somewhere Over The Rainbow, where the front line scatters to the
far ends of the room while the rhythm section, Paul Reid, piano, John Gillick
drums, and Jay Hungerford, string bass, stay put. Brian Casserly started playing trumpet from the back of the hall,
and caught Tom Tucker by surprise. He quickly stepped outside, but the door locked behind him and locked him out. Brian just kept playing.
Jerry Epperson strolled slowly down the middle aisle playing his bari sax,
while Tom shook hands and chatted with the fans. They always regroup for
an exciting finale!
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Jeff Barnhart was everywhere!
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Many of our favorite bands were back, as well as some new ones.
Knowledgeable 22-year-old Stephanie Trick,
an accomplished pianist, floored us playing obscure Jelly Roll tunes, then moving into
Scott Joplin ragtime, then James P. Johnson stride.
She explained who each one was and how their styles differed, and later included some of today's players,
Dick Hyman, Neville Dickie. Our music has a future!
Eric caught her on a 4-handed piano with Jeff Barnhart playing Rosetta
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Louis Ford and his New Orleans Jazz Flairs,
all born and raised in New Orleans. Like his father, Clarence Ford,
Louis is an integral part of the Second New Orleans revival.
Midiri Brothers
Paul Midiri vibes, trombone, drums; Joe Midiri clarinet, soprano alto
and bari saxophones and vocals; Dan Tobias cornet & vocals; Ed Wise
bass, Jim Lawler drums. Pat Mercuri, guitar, was home fighting a
flu bug; as a result, he was at the butt-end of The Pat Mercuri Guitar
Blues (219 Blues) lyrics by Joe in his best 'Louis Armstrong' voice.
Jeff Barnhart on piano. Pat arrived Saturday to get even!
Sugarfoot
Jazz Band
Art Hovey’s Sugarfoot Jazz
Band consists of fine young traditional jazz musicians from
several local Connecticut 8th grade and High Schools
(they just released their 4th CD.). They played four sets. This
was practice for their opener for the
Preservation Hall Jazz Band the
following Wednesday at Harkness Park
in Waterford, CT.
Galvanized Jazz Band
with Jane Campedelli and Bob Price up from Florida, Roy Rubinstein
on trombone, Charlie Freeman piano, and regulars Freddy Vigorito cornet,
Sherman Kahn reeds, and the dynamic duo, Art Hovey tuba and string bass
and Bob Bequillard drums. We look forward to Janie's return every
year!!
Bill Logozzo's Heartbeat Jazz band -
1911 Shine - Fantastic segment with Noel on alto sax and Sherman Kahn on
tenor, that words could not express - thank you, Eric! He also
caught young
Sam Rocha
heartily swinging on sousaphone. (See Blue Street.) Fred
Vigorito cornet, Skip Hughes trombone, Charlie Freeman piano, Gim Burton
banjo, Bill Logozzo drums.
String of Pearls
This is one of the most skilled and entertaining
vocal jazz groups on the scene, fresh from playing
the Cape Cod Jazz Festival at the exquisite Wequasset Resort in
Hyannis, Cape Cod, presenting all the great sister groups of the 30's
and 40's.
Dan levinson's Swing Wing
with Molly Ryan.
Dan Levinson brought a change of tempo with Swing Wing, Mark Shane piano, Harvey Tibbs trombone, Randy Reinhart trumpet, Brian Nalepka bass,
and our favorite New York Drummer, Kevin Dorn. At The Jazz Band Ball.
Sarah Spencer's Transatlantic Band with
Jimmy Mazzy scatting, Jim Fryer's dynamic trombone, Bobo Lavorgna propelling the
band on string bass. POWERFUL describes both Sarah and her band.
Fryer Barnhart International All Stars
Was I
To Blame? Led by Jeff Barnharts'
great stride piano and Jim Fryer's fierce trombone, they formed this
band in Europe in the late 90's and finally brought it home for us to hear. Gordon
Whitworth trumpet, vocals; George Husley reeds, Brian Mellor banjo,
guitar vocals, Nick Ward drums, all from England and Annie Hawkins,
string bass from Australia,
Sugarfoot Jazz Band
Connecticut Festival All Stars Speaking of favorite bands,
variations of this band have been getting together
from all over the country - once a year - to play great jazz. Scott Philbrick
was saluted by the Board of Directors for leading the Fest Band since the first
TGCTJF at the Essex Railroad in 1986. We were there, too!
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The
Blue Street
Jazz Band of Fresco, California, is always a favorite of this
crowd. They have been a major
force on the Dixieland jazz circuit for 27 years. Known as the Bad Boys of Dixieland, they were well behaved
when they performed at the Sunday service. Rev.
Dave Ruffner (trombone) came up with a fine spur-of-the-moment sermon in the absence of Rev.
Josh Cromwell.
Other Blue Street members were founder Forrest Helmick,
trumpet, Nathan Ketner reeds, Rick Canfield
drums, Matt Bottel banjo, and Sherri Colby on vocals. Sherri has been
with the band since she was 13-14? and is now an anthropologist.
She has her own band in New Orleans, with hubby Matt. Jeff Barnhart was on piano; Jeff Barnhart was everywhere.
Sam Rocha, sousaphone, is a baker by trade and a student at Fresno City College.
He was fine substitute for Jason Jercek. He was swinging, both on string bass and on sousaphone,
borrowed from the Sugarfoot Jazz Band.
Art Hovey and and Stu
Ingersoll provided many of the instruments for visiting musicians. |
The Record Journal did a fine wrap-up of the festival.
Thoughts on the festival from Lyrica
We're looking forward to a quarter century - WOW, 25 years - of
Great Connecticut Traditional Jazz in 2012. Tickets available NOW at a reduced
price! Get your tickets early for another fantastic lineup of trad jazz
and swing, and bring the family.
There were many young talented musicians at this festival - now all we need are
more young fans!
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| By Marce,
Updated September 12, 2010
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