Joe Midiri clarinet, soprano & alto sax, Paul Midiri vibes, Jeff Barnhart piano, Steve Taddeo drums, Caroline Griep vocals videos by Harold McAleer
Jeff Barnhart
Jeff Barnhart was excited to appear with The Midiri Brothers at Bemis Hall.
They were brought together by Steve Taddeo, with Caroline Griep vocals.
The Big 5 started early, practicing Ding Dong Daddy even before the crowd arrived. They were prepared!
Joe Midiri
Joe Midiri was fantastic on clarinet (Nagasaki), soprano sax (Nuages) and alto sax.
Nagasaki
Paul Midiri Photo by Tina Cass
His identical twin brother Paul stayed with Vibraphone this evening, keeping a miraculously fast pace.
Don’t Be That Way
Caroline Griep
Caroline Griep was a match for them with her natural warmth and easy swing. She kept up with Barnhart’s jesting between songs; and when he called on her on the spur-of-the-moment, she was prepared.
Taddeo kept up the beat, playing brushes behind many of them. He let go in the finale, his theme song – Dinah.
Note: The Midiri Brothers and Jeff Barnhart may return sometime next June – stay tuned to our calendars.
The Big 5 at Bemis Halll Photo by Tina Cass
Excellent videos by Harold McAleer, who also had a birthday this week. Thank you, Harold – Happy Birthday!
Pat Stout trumpet, Craig Ball clarinet, Herb Gardner piano, John Turner string bass, Steve Taddeo drums, Billl Doyle rhythm guitar, Debbie Nordyke vocals, featuring Eric Baldwin guitar.
Taddeo kicked it off with an upbeat Don’t Be That Way with two guitars, trumpet and clarinet – great start to a fine afternoon of propulsive Rhythm and Swing!
Debbie Nordyke
Steve wasted no time Introducing former Broadway actress and vocalist Debbie Nordyke, singing Blue Skies, and from Brigadoon – It’s Almost Like Being In Love.
Bill Doyle on rhythm guitar
Bill Doyle’s guitar adds perfect rhythm to the band’s beat!
Craig Ball and Eric Baldwin teamed up for Count Basie’s Air Mail Special.
Eric Baldwin was featured on Seven Come Eleven, with help from bassist John Turner:
Debbie returned with Duke’s 1943 Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me, and How About You.
Craig Ball
Craig Ball played a Memorial for a dear friend and drummer, Bobby Reardon, who passed recently, I Would Do Anything For You. Taddeo emphasizing drums.
Pat Stout
Debbie Nordyk actually worked on stage with Lorna Luft, Judy Garland’s daughter, bringing back memories with the ’39 Harold Arlen ballad, Somewhere Over The Rainbow. Pat Stout’s open bell trumpet soared!
Debbie continued with S’Wonderful and the Gerschwin’s tune from Funny Face, Our Love Is Here To Stay. It was the last musical composition George Gershwin completed before his death on July 11, 1937. His brother Ira published it later.
Herb Gardner
With a mood of creativity, Herb Gardner approaches tunes with a spirit essential to this kind of music.
A hot sextet tells us The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise
Sextet
Found a New Baby was WILD, with Taddeo’s famous ten-minute drum solo and walk-around.
Debbie calmed everyone down with a tune from Gerschwin’s Porgy & Bess, reminding us it was finally Summertime! and Just in Time.
Craig Ball and Pat Stout
Honeysuckle Rose, with the Craig and Pat duet, was a barn-burner.
They closed with a WILD instrumental, Sweet Sue, with improvised solos pushed by the drum & bass.
Another version of the Swing Senders will be appearing at Primavera Ristorante at 7pm on Thursday, June 28th. 20 Pleasant St. Millis MA. Come join us for a fantastic evening of Rhythm and Swing!
Stan McDonald soprano sax, Andy Moore clarinet, Phil Person trumpet, Jack Soref guitar, Stu Gunn string bass, Richard Malcolm drums
Stan McDonald is a staunch supporter of Traditional Jazz. The Blue Horizon Jazz Band is one of the few bands left who will satisfy us Trad Jazz fans! Gerry Gagnon (tuba/trombone) couldn’t be here tonight, but his chair was filled with a fine clarinet player, Andy Moore, a friend and cohort of Jack Soref.
They began June with the welcome June Night, then sang a Happy Birthday to Stan’s son, Andy, who was sitting in the audience – he was 51 the day before.
Lilting energy on Four or Five Times,
All of Me. I’ll Never Be The Same – Andy and Stan playing spontaneous counterpoint to Phil Person’s sweet trumpet.
Andy Moore and Stan McDonald play counterpoint.
Rosetta, one of our favorites, closed the first set. Stan McDonald stepped out.
Phil Person
Phil Person took over lead of the band – his sweet trumpet taking on a more powerful tone.
Jack Soref
Jack Soref Manouch guitar was featured with Django’s Nuage. Never get tired of hearing this!
Ron L’Herault, trombone from the Dixie Diehards, joined them for the rest of the evening.
Richard Malcolm
Basin Street Blues was a request from drummer Rich Malcolm. Andy Moore playing low register clarinet. They were in sync, fantastic solos backed by superb rhythm section.
After some conversation on the chords (this is a democratic band), I Can’t Believe That You’re In Love With Me began with celestial ensemble.
Jelly Roll Morton’s Honeysuckle Rose
Andy Moore
We learned that Andy is also a fine singer, lending his voice to I Can’t Believe That You’re in Love With Me, You Took Advantage of Me, and I’ve Got a Feeling I’m Falling.
Guitar took the intro on I’ve Got a Right To Sing The Blues, with the front line each taking a full chorus.
Ron L’Herault took the vocal on Sweethearts on Parade.
Whispering
Ron L’Herault
They closed with Ron playing New Orleans tailgate trombone and singing Big Butter and Egg Man.
It was a fine evening, hearing Trad Jazz and getting re-acquainted with Andy Moore’s clarinet. He and Jack Soref are both in the Sinti Rhythm Band, playing mostly private gigs all over New England.
The Blue Horizon Jazz Band plays here at Primavera Ristorante on the first Thursday of every month. Join us for some fine Jazz!!
Ron L’Herault – MC – Vocals & Trombone
Carl Gerhard – Trumpet, Vocals – Music Director
Paul Peterson – Soprano Saxophone
Bill Kiesewetter – Keyboard
Jimmy Mazzy – Banjo/vocals
Bill Kass – Tuba
Dale Ellenberg – Drums
The Diehards opened with a rip-roaring South Bourbon St. Parade, moving to another hot one, the ODJB Royal Garden Blues. Trumpeter Carl Gerhard effortlessly holding a long note. Set everyone at the edge of their seats.
Carl Gerhard
Carl Gerhard’s trumpet is resonant with feeling and warmth. He was the Director and Bandmaster of Navy bands, retiring after 30 years of service. His true love is playing traditional jazz in the New Orleans style. He took a fine vocal on the Ain’t She Sweet, the 1927 song that sold a million copies of sheet music!.
Paul Peterson
Paul Peterson played soft soprano sax on the Andy Raszof Eubie Blake tune, Memories of you. Paul has been teaching music in the Bridgewater–Raynham School District, and executes dramatic and remarkable solos on the soprano sax.
Ron L’Herault
Ron L’Herault MC’d, played tail-gait trombone, and sang many vocals; Five Foot Two, Sweet Sue, South Basin Street Blues. He sang a tune which started its life in a Yiddish Musical comedy production, “I Would If I Could.” In English it’s called “To Me You Are Beautiful,” but we all know it by its Yiddish title, Bei Mir Bis Tu Schoen.
Avalon
Jimmy Mazzy
Jimmy Mazzy was featured on Up a Lazy River – you could have heard a pin drop. They give him a lot of room to play and sing, Darktown Strutter’s Ball, Give Me Your Telephone Number, Up a Lazy River, Struttin’ With Some Barbecue
Bill Keiswetter
Bill KIesewetter plays excellent stride piano; he was influenced by Fats Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis, Floyd Cramer and the Dukes of Dixieland. Bill is retired from many years in the computer industry, and happy to be playing full time.
The rhythm section had “strength up the middle.” They laid back on ballads but on a hot tune…look out!
Bill Kass
Bill Kass’s tuba provided chords and a strong, steady, beat. Check out his solo again on Struttin’ With Some Barbecue!
Dale Ellenberg
Dale Ellenberg maintained that important Dixieland beat. He introduced Spencer Williams’ Everybody Loves My Baby, with Jimmy taking the vocal.
They closed this fantastic evening with the ubiquitous Closer Walk and The Saints:
The Diehards have a full schedule planned for this summer, most of them private. The next public appearance is July 18, 7-9pm at The Old Stone Church 1st. Congregational Church, 785 South Main St, Raynham MA. 02767
508-822-6177
Jimmy Mazzy banjo/vocals, Bates ‘62; Tom Boates trombone, U. Mass ‘73; John Bucher cornet, Amherst ‘52 …and Williams classmates: John Halsey ‘59, piano (pro in NYC); Bob Kingsbury ‘58, clarinet and Fred Clifford tuba ‘58.
The Williams Reunion Jazz Band played another fantastic Jazz Brunch at The Winsor House Inn, 390 Washington St. Duxbury MA on Sunday, May 27th 2018. They were here this weekend for the Duxbury Bay Maritime School’s Opening of the Bay. http://dbms.org/
The Williams Reunion Jazz Band was born on New England College campuses in 1954 when Dixieland was alive and well and “runnin’ wild”. Three of them from Williams College were here, with John Bucher Amherst ’52, and two of their permanent guest stars, playing the music they have cherished – the music of Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton, Fats Waller, Bix Beiderbecke and Hoagie Carmichael. The music of Classical Jazz.
John Bucher
The Band started with a wild Just a While to Stay Here, Jazz Me Blues (Bix tune from 20’s). It’s so good to hear John Bucher’s Bix type stylings again.
Keeping in the Bucher family, a tune he played with the Woody Allen Band at Michael’s Pub, Keeping Out ofMischief Now, Jimmy vocal. These two are the heart and soul of the band, Bucher the heart, Jimmy the soul. They played a duet, cornet and banjo, on As Long As I Live.
John Halsey and Tom Boates
Tom Boates, Director of Music at Guilford High School in Guilford, CT, kept the band jumping. with John Halsey behind him on keyboard. There was an on again off again problem with the keyboard, so it was difficult to hear John’s fingers flying across the keyboard! He’s still playing creatively at Arthur’s Tavern in NY.
At The Jazz Band Ball, is an ODJB original. They closed the first set with a medley of two hot ones: China Boy and China Town. WOW!
Bob Kingsbury
They returned with the 1902 Bill Baily. Rose Room – mellow, rich clarinet by Kingsbury. Then a grand ol’ tune they never played before, C.C.Ryder, Jim vocal, fabulous muted trombone by Boates.
Fred Clifford
Fred Clifford’s tuba makes up for the lack of drum, with his turbo-charged oompah beat. Next came one of Fred’s favorites, Running Wild, with Jim on vocal, backed by Fred’s tuba. He also backed his banjo on the 1926 Deed I Do. Amazing duo!
Carrie Mazzy, their ‘Den Mother’, came up for a duet with Jimmy, with a nice tune by Jabbo Smith, Love.
Jimmy Mazzy
Jimmy Mazzy is featured playing banjo and singing many of the tunes. He played the intro to a tune from the Rhythm Kings, From Monday On. Banjo and Trombone teamed up again for I’m Confessing That I Love You.
Ice Cream:
The crowd was feeding off the band, and the band was feeding off the crowds energy!! Bob Kingsbury thanked the attentive audience – a full house – saying “You brought out the best in these guys!”
The Williams Reunion Jazz Band ended as wild as they started, with their theme song, Swing That Music.
Jim Mazzy and Fred Clifford join The Dukes of Winsor’s who play a monthly Sunday jazz brunch at The Winsor House Inn from September thru June that includes Jeff Hughes on cornet, Stan Vincent on trombone, Pete Collins on clarinet, Herb Gardner on piano and Mark Endresen on guitar.
We’ll see the Williams Reunion Jazz Band again next year; they are here annually for the Duxbury Opening of the Bay on Memorial Day Weekend. If you can’t wait, get their CDs – check out http://www.siterrific.com/WRJB/
Bo Winiker and Phil Person trumpet, Ted Casher clarinet and tenor sax, Herb Gardner trombone, Bob Winter piano, Jimmy Mazzy banjo/vocals, Eli Newberger tuba, Bob Tamagni drums, Elaine Wu vocals
Eli Newberger
This band is never dull! On this cold and rainy day, Jimmy opened on his renowned one-string banjo singing April Showers. But it soon got HOT in here with two trumpets and clarinet, Eli strolling up front playing tuba.
Eli says “I can’t get over the excitement that Phil and Bo create, individually and together, and the band’s new energy. Add Elaine and our vocal themes and solos, including Bob Winter’s, and we’ve got a joyful evening, full of honest emotion and unexpected brilliance, every single performance.”
They continued with optimistic tunes for better weather.
Bob Winter Sings!
Hope For Better Days– Surprise – Bob Winter Singing!! Wonderful! Followed by band ensemble on Look For The Silver Lining.
Bo Winiker playing flugelhorn
Speaking of Silver Linings, Elaine Wu was back with tunes that help people relate to each other – Carol King’s Music, Ellington’s In a Mellow Tone, and off to Rio for One Note Samba, with Bo on flugelhorn.
Phil Person
Phil Person’s sweet trumpet was featured with Honeysuckle Rose, with Jimmy scatting.
Bob Winter continued in propulsive rhythm and fluid style on keyboard with Without You.
Carolyn Newberger
Carolyn Newberger joined Jimmy singing Coney Island Washboard Rondelay.
Carolyn is usually sitting in the audience drawing pictures of the musicians. She had a successful showing of her art this month at Galatea Fine Arts in Boston.
Elaine Woo rules!
Elaine returned singing Too Marvelous For Words, then introduced a couple of friends to sing a song. This whole evening was about friendships. Belinda sang All The Things You Are, and Nat tried some Jimmy Durante on You Do Something To Me, and with a Jazz Waltz from the movie The Yearling, and I’m All Smiles.
Herb Gardner
Herb Gardner was featured on trombone and vocals with ‘Till We Meet Again.
Jimmy Mazzy
Jimmy dove through his plethora of songs for a 1927 tune played by the Jean Goldkette Orchestra, Slow River.
Ted Casher
Ted was featured on tenor sax with Squattee Roo.
Eli and Jimmy have been a team for many years. Eli backed him on a very slow If You Knew How Much I Love You. The band ramped up with a real barn-burner, South Rampart St. Parade.
Bob Tomagni
Behind the band, always listening, adding emphasizing beats, keeping them in time, Bob Tomagni on drums.
This fine evening closed with Bo back on flugelhorn and Jimmy singing New Orleans.
The large, enthusiastic crowd clapped all night long! This was an exhilarating evening – we didn’t want it to end – but time was up. But…Eli and The Hot Six, with Bo and Phil on trumpet and Elaine and Carolyn will return on May 17th – Join us for an evening full of surprises!
Stan McDonald soprano sax, Phil Person trumpet, John Kafalas trombone, Jack Soref guitar, Gerry Gagnon tuba. The band’s drummer, Rich Malcolm, director of Audio/Visual at Berklee, was absent because he had to cover the class for a fellow employee who underwent surgery.
The Blue Horizon Jazz Bands plays every 1st Thursday of the month at Primavera, a fine Italian Restaurant family owned since 1989. Great Traditional Jazz in addition to fine Italian Cuisine at a fair price!
Stan McDonald
Stan McDonald played for the first set, opening on soprano sax with fine renditions of Swing That Music, Memphis Blues and Dardanella. That was followed by Canal St. Blues. Feet were tapping as they continued with Everybody Loves My Baby. That closed the first set.
Gerry Gagnon
Gerry Gagnon took over leadership of the band, but he gave everyone a say on what they would play and how they would play it.
The important job of keeping that Trad Beat was accomplished by Jack Soref on guitar, with help from Gerry playing 4/4 on a monstrous Conn 20J recording tuba with a deep, sonorous tone.
The band started the second set with a barn-burning version of Limehouse Blues, and I Would Do Most Anything For You (dedicated to the audience). And they did!!
John Kafalas
John Kafalas fills in on trombone whenever Gerry moves to tuba. John has been a part of this band for many years, improvising fine counterpoint harmony lines to the lead parts of the trumpet player.
On the 85th Anniversary of Louis Armstrong’s playing with King Oliver, they gave us Sugar Blues.
Phil Person
They moved upbeat with Found a New Baby. Phil Person took the lead on trumpet on Margie. Phil plays a sweet, ‘pretty’ trumpet. He is an Assistant Professor of Ear Training at Berklee who helps students learn arranging, harmony, conducting, tonal harmony and counterpoint.
The band kept the tradition of New Orleans music of the 20’s to 50’s alive and vibrant. That’s a Plenty.
Jack Soref
They continued with a tune requested by “regular” Connie T. It Had To Be you. Jack Soref took the last 8, demonstrating what a guitar solo should sound like!
China Boy, was a rouser! They continued with The Mill’s Brothers’ When I Grow too Old to Dream, I’ll See You In My Dreams.
This Blue Horizon Jazz Band is a light-hearted, versatile band. They closed with Just a Closer Walk With Thee. a traditional gospel song that has been covered by many artists.
The Blue Horizon Jazz Band plays the 1st Thursday of every month here at Primavera Ristorante, 7pm. They will be back May 3rd. Consider joining us??
Bo Winiker & Phil Person (trumpet), Ted Casher (clarinet/tenor & soprano sax), Herb Gardner (trombone), Bob Winter (piano), Jimmy Mazzy (banjo/vocals), Eli Newberger (leader/tuba), Bob Tamagni (drums) & Elaine Woo (vocals) .
After enduring three Nor’easters in three weeks, with loss of electricity, cancelled gigs, these musicians were raring to go!! They hit it hot and fiery with That’s a Plenty that brought everyone to attention and sitting up on the edge of their seats.
Ted Casher on smokin’tenor sax
Then Ted took out his tenor sax for a moody, smoldering Blue and Sentimental that turned our insides to jelly!
Elaine Woo
Eli called on Elaine Woo, who had prepared a list of songs for spring, including the verses – many of were melancholy: Spring is Here(why doesn’t my heart go dancing?) Michel LeGrand’s You Must Believe In Spring.
She moved to something more cheerful – a Broadway tune that persuades flowers to bloom. It begins as a shy prayer and ends up a classic Broadway Belt: Hurry! It’s Lovely Up Here.
Front line: Ted Casher, Bo Winiker, Phil Person, Herb Gardner
Musicians were soaring! But there’s no doubt who is in charge here, with Eli pointing to each one, each picked up spontaneously, improvising straight from the heart!
Bob Winter
Bob Winter swung with expressive joy on Carioca, from a 1933 film Flying Down to Rio.
Phil Person
Phil Person was featured with Duke’s soulful, sensitive Satin Doll.
No one does Louis better than Bo!
Bo Winicker instinctively plays Louis’s HelloDolly;
Herb Gardner
Herb Gardner played mellow trombone and sang Richard Whiting’s She’s Funny That Way.
Bob Tamagni
Bob Tamagni’s sound generates dynamism and perfect propulsive thrust, driving the band.
Eli introduced a young student of Bob Winter’s, Rui (pronounced Ray) Zhong who plays both piano and Euphonium. With Jimmy, Rui and Eli took a turbo charged duet on Summertime.
Rui , Jimmy Mazzy, Eli Newberger
Until a couple of years ago, Elaine was an Internal Medicine Specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital, and she only knew two songs. She reprised them for us, with all lyrics memorized: I Got Rhythm, and Embraceable You. Now retired and singing full-time, Elaine has become a seasoned professional vocalist, and belts them out with fervor.
Elaine Woo belts out a song!
Eli and The Hot Six closed with a march around the room on a flaming Tiger Rag.
That left us in a much better mood than when we arrived!
Eli and The Hot Six are here at Primavera on the 3rd Thursday of every month – next one is April 19th. Come join in the fun!!
Jeff Hughes cornet, John Clark, Leader, clarinet/bass sax, Tom Boates trombone, Jimmy Mazzy banjo/vocals, Ross Petot piano, Rick MacWilliams tuba, Dave Didriksen drums
An energetic, rambunctious Wolverine Jazz Band raised the temperature on this very cold February evening with uplifting, toe-tapping Traditional Jazz at Primavera Ristorante. Just a week+ after Mardi Gras, this was an evening of tunes from the essential spirit of early New Orleans up to the 1950s in preparation for their umpteenth CD – and all of us were pleased to be a part of it!
Jimmy Mazzy kicked it off with banjo intro on Maybe, a song written in 1926 by George and Ira Gershwin, then Brown Bottom Bess, by Johnny Dodds.
Jimmy took banjo intro and vocal on Take Your Tomorrows and Give Me Today.
This front line lights up the room! Trombone, cornet and clarinet against a four-piece rhythm section.
Tom Boates, Jeff Hughes, John Clark in Front Line
John Clark on bass saxophone
The rhythm section had “strength up the middle.” They laid back on ballads, but on a hot tune…look out!
Jelly Roll Morton’s Frog-I-More Rag was a killer with John Clark’s powerful bass saxophone! He reaches deep down and creates beautiful music.
John sang The Preacher, with the band in close harmony, and the 1934 Baby Brown, by Alex Hill with livewire ensemble band opening – marvelous. Ross Petot was in full stride.
Ross Petot, teacher and stride pianist
We were all happy to see Ross Petot back with the band. He’s usually unavailable – teaching on Thursday nights. Fortunately for us, school was out this week. His stride piano is inimitable!!
Check it out on the video of Honky Tonk Towne!
Tom Boates
Tom Boates requested I’m Gonna Charleston back to Charleston – love that growling trombone! He was featured on Stars Fell on Alabama. (It refers to a spectacular occurrence of the Leonid meteor shower observed in Alabama in November 1833.)
Tom drove 125 miles from Connecticut to get here, putting heart and soul in a New Orleans tune recorded in 1940 by Sidney Bechet and Louis Armstrong
– Down in Honky Tonk Town.
video by Marce (sorry about shrinkage! Listen to the music.)
Tell Me Why – sweet intro to Jimmy vocal with Jeff backup. John actually played melody on that monstrous bass sax, with Tom on trombone doing harmony. Lovely!
Jimmy’s banjo opened on a sweet ballad, How Deep is The Ocean, with Jeff backing him on cornet. (Jeff has been playing harmony for Jimmy ever since they were together in Ray Smith’s Paramount Jazz Band.)
Jimmy Mazzy and Jeff Hughes
Jeff and John remembered playing In Our Cottage of Love with the Paramount Jazz Band.
Jeff Hughes is the Bix Beiderbecke in this Wolverine Jazz Band. His technique encompasses a fabulous variety of moods and timbres, especially in a 1928 song Bix did with the Paul Whitman orchestra, Lonely Melody.
Let’s Have Another Cup of Coffee is a song by Irving Berlin in the musical comedy Face the Music, which opened in 1932. The song is sung by a group of once-wealthy citizens who were awaiting better times, as mirrored in the song’s opening lyrics: Just around the corner, there’s a rainbow in the sky.
Banjo played verse on a sweet ballad recorded by Mildred Bailey and Her Orchestra in 1937 If You Ever Should Leave / Heaven Help This Heart of Mine. Harold Arlen’s Kicking The Gong Around had Jimmy scat-singing, with the band alternating fast and slow tempos..
Dave Didriksen
Hot toe-tapping Dixieland tune, Sensation Rag, is also on another one of their CDs, with drummer Dave Didriksen tapping on woodblock.
The buoyant rhythm section sparked by drums provided solid support.
Dip Your Brush In The Sunshine 1931 by Ted Lewis – Jimmy singing backed by clarinet.
Rick MacWilliams
Band in ensemble took the intro to I Ain’t Gonna Tell Nobody with nice tuba solo. Rick’s tuba gives the music support and richness and pushes the beat without racing the time.
These musicians get absolute rapture in making music and delectable hot jazz!!
The Wolverine Jazz Band has been invited to several festivals. They won’t be back here at Primavera until April 26th! Mark your calendars! Don’t miss this amazing Jazz band!
Scott Hamilton returned to celebrate Thanksgiving weekend at Chan’s Jazz & Blues Club with the Gray Sargent Trio featuring 2 members of Tony Bennett’s band: the amazing Gray Sargent on guitar, the incredible Marshall Wood on bass and Boston Pop’s Jim Gwinn on drums.
Scott Hamilton with Gray Sargent, Marshall Wood and Jim GwynnWith Guest Vocalist Donna Byrne November 26, 2017 at Chan’s in Woonsocket, RI
By Bill Falk
pictures by Eric Falk
This was a match made in heaven! The incomparable Scott Hamilton on tenor sax, Gray Sargent on guitar, Marshall Wood on bass and Jim Gwynn on drums.
This is one of the finest groups I’ve ever seen or heard. They blended perfectly to produce marvelous swinging jazz that kept the sellout crowd enthralled all night. Everything they played was a hit from the time they opened with Chinatown My Chinatown.
Scott Hamilton
Scott was at his best – which means he was phenomenal. My late wife Grace always said that he was the only one who could produce such an unbelievable sound. He smiled all night – meaning he enjoyed working with the trio behind him. I believe he is the greatest jazz tenor sax man ever whether he is soloing, blending in with the group or backing up a singer.
Gray Sargent on guitar soloed excellently. Plus, he coordinated with Marshall Wood on bass beautifully. I like it when Gray blasts away on his guitar. Marshall Wood
is a treat on bass. His facial expressions are priceless. He makes the bass sing. Jim Gwynn on drums set a terrific beat for the group. He took some breaks and soloed great later in the program.
All the players were smiling and enjoying themselves all night. Their happiness made the music sound even better. The crowed clapped and clapped as the group ripped through song after song.
If this group ever gets together again, and if you can get to see them, I guarantee you’ll love their music and upbeat mood.
Scott called Donna Byrne up from the audience for several entertaining song renditions. She, too, was a hit. Donna captured the spirit of the evening and performed very well.
Some of the songs played were Laura, Russian Lullaby, East of the Sun and West of the Moon, The Best Things in Life Are Free and Emily. There were many others, but I was unable to remember them.
