2014 Hot Steamed Jazz Festival is
June 20, 21, 22

The Hot Steamed Jazz Festival June 21-23 at the Valley Railroad in Essex Connecticut was a complete SUCCESS – and Shirley Bombaci is now looking for an appropriate date in 2014 for a repeat performance!  The spirits were with us this year with perfect sunshine, a slight breeze, and to top it all off, a Super Full Moon.

 

Shirley and the Committee worked tirelessly all year to pull the Festival together.   President/Chair Shirley Bombaci, Vice President Bob Brummett, Treasurer Nina Sulinski, Secretary Beth Fitzsimmons; Members: Sue Brummett, Marge Olmstead, Nancy Loader (publicity) and Joanne Sousa who assembled the many volunteers.  (They could have used more volunteers – Leo Martin was setting up the chairs on Thursday by himself.)

Music was top priority, they skipped frills like badges, expensive programs.  The Friday night crowd was light, but Saturday and Sunday made up for it.

Eric Devine Videos

 

Gospel Sunday
Rev. Crowell couldn’t make it this year, so Jeff Barnhart was appointed temporary minister for  He searched the internet for appropriate passages, and God answered him with Amazing Grace!

 

 

Jeff  and Bob Seeley managed to get together for a short 4-handed Boogie-Woogie.

 

 

 

Joel Silvestro was spotted on the dance floor, still demonstrating his marvelous dancing style.

 

 

 

THE BANDS at the 2013 Hot Steamed Jazz Festival included:

Festival All Stars, led by Jeff Barnhart.  They started out Friday night with four people, including indefatigable Noel Kaletsky, who never stopped playing until the last note on Sunday!   By Sunday, the Fest Band had a full stage.

Noel plays Sleep

Dan Levinson was here for the 16th year, bringing in a new generation of talented musicians, Dan Levinson’s Millenium All Stars from New York.  We hope they will  introduce Traditional Jazz to their peers at various venues there.

Bob Seeley will be 85 in September, that that hasn’t slowed this boogie-meister down at all!

The Midiri Brothers are entertainers as well as accomplished musicians.  They are always crowd pleasers.

Ben Mauger   is a Hot Steamed favorite, with a new clarinet player this year in Ben Mauger’s Speakeasy Six.

Route 17 Stompers  were Art Hovey’s Sugarfoot Youth Band.  All but a few of his Sugarfoot alumni have moved on to higher education, hopefully as professional musicians.  Art is starting fresh with a whole new crew, mostly from Durham CT,  who are already showing great promise, even a new Louis Armstrong and King Oliver.  Some of his alumni were here to support the new group.

Heartbeat Dixieland Jazz Band was augmented by Skip Hughes, Jane Campedelli, and Ben Griffin.  With a new manager  in charge of publicity,  Karen Senn – Watch Out! This band is going places.

The Wolverine Jazz Band has been practicing their performance on us at the Sherborn Inn for the last few months, and did not disappoint.  This is a New England favorite, and has been invited to festivals all over the country.  Dr. John Clark and this band have a great future!

Galvanized Jazz Band was also joined by Jane Campedelli.  We missed Bob Price golden voice and banjo.  Steve Keeler, Jazz Guitar subbed for Bob.  You’ll be hearing more from him!  Our own Sophie Tucker, Jane Campedelli was back from Florida, belting out tunes with the Galvanized and many other bands.

The Jazz Jesters from Cape Cod led by Jeff Hughes.  Jeff has many bands playing music from the 20’s through the 50’s.  The Jazz Jesters delve into the Jazz Decades of the 20’s and 30’s, (much as Ray Smith does every Sunday on www.wgbh.org 8-9pm.)

Funky Butt Jazz Band is led by Pierce Campbell, known for his finger-style guitar work and singing. He was appointed Connecticut State Troubadour for 2007-2008.

Proceeds from this festival benefited Paul Newman’s Hole In The Wall Gang Camp, celebrating its 25^th Anniversary this year. www.holeinthewallgang.org

In 1988, Paul Newman opened The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp in Connecticut so that children coping with serious illnesses could have a special hideout where they could simply be kids.  Music fans contributed in special cups placed at each tent, and there was a raffle of baskets full of items from the Camp.

The Committee may have skipped many of the frills, but there were Hot Steamed Festival Tee Shirts and Polo Shirts available at a very reasonable price.  There will be more great bands next year.  We hope more volunteers will step up.  How about it??

Thank you Shirley Bombaci and Crew for persevering and giving us another weekend of great Traditional and Dixieland Jazz.  See you all next year!

Marce