Wolverine Jazz Band will be celebrating 19 years together in December
Jeff Hughes trumpet, John Clark reeds, Tom Boates trombone, Jim Mazzy banjo/vocals, Ross Petot piano, Rick MacWilliams tuba, Dave Didriksen drums
All stellar Jazzmen who invoke the spirit of New Orleans Jazz, The Wolverines returned to their monthly gig at the Sherborn Inn. We are fortunate that they rehearse their CDs with us! Bored with playing their nearly 20 years of material, they searched for new things. (Jimmy has a million of ’em.)
They began this first Jazz evening of September at the Inn with a salute to Fall, Jimmy singing a sweet Shine on Harvest Moon.
They shuffled around the early part of the 20th century with Walter Donaldson’s Love Me or Leave Me, King Oliver Creole Jazz Band’s Mable’s Dream, it’s on their new CD.
They have many King Oliver tunes in their book. King Oliver had one of the best and most important bands in early Jazz, but he didn’t have many vocals. Jimmy came up with I’m Lonesome Sweetheart.
Tom Boates, one of the top trombonist in New England
Tom Boates was featured on New Orleans Stomp; Kid Ory would have approved!
Dave Didriksen’s drumming pushed the front line into lovely polyphonic sound, with Rick adding a fine tuba solo.
 Dave Didriksen |
 Rick MacWilliams |
Ross Petot, stride pianist
Ross was featured on I Hate Myself for Being So Mean To You! with a raucous interchange between trombone and clarinet.
I’m in Seventh Heaven will also be on the CD. (Where did they find all of these that we never heard of before???)
John Clark has become proficient at baritone sax.
A new tune for them was one J. C. Johnson wrote for the Paul Whiteman Band, played by Bix Beiderbecke, When. Jimmy vocal, with fabulous baritone sax by Clark.
A tune written by a trombone player, Santo Pecora, She’s Crying For Me, John on bari sax, had Tom on nice muted trombone, backed by drum & tuba.
Jimmy has a unique hold on the neck of the banjo that no one can replicate.
Another Classic tune on their new CD, Jimmy sings the verse on a sweet September in the Rain.
Roll on Mississippi, Clark running the gamut up and down the scale on clarinet, Jimmy played his usual fantastic single string banjo.
Jabbo Smith’s Michigander Blues was dedicated to both Sue Lewis & Bob Sickle’s birthdays (actually last Tuesday.) Happy Birthdays, Kids!
There’ll Come a Day, San Antonia Shout, King Oliver’s 1930 Olga. John Clark took a rare vocal on Oceana Roll. He sounds fine! Who Wouldn’t Love You, a fast tune Jimmy did with the Paramount Jazz Band.
John & Gisela Bruneccini danced the night away celebrating their 66th Anniversary.
John & Gisela Bruneccini danced away celebrating their 66th Anniversary.
Jeff has a varried collection of antique trumpets and cornets.
Django’s Nuage is on the new CD. Jeff was amazing on his 1953 Selmer “Balanced Action” finely ornamented trumpet.
The finale, a good ol’ good one, Panama; Boates squeezed in a snippet of ‘It’s a Small World.” on trombone. (He had to be quick!)
This was a marvelous evening spent with our favorite musicians. This was not a rehearsal, it was more of a demonstration – the CD is ready and will be available in November. The Wolverine Jazz Band will bring their magical Traditional/Dixieland Jazz back to the Sherborn Inn on Tuesday, October 7th. Don’t miss it!