Fabjous – a word that poet Louis Carroll invented in 1872 for a blending of fair, fabulous and joyous, and this was fitting!  The Monte Carlo Jazz Ensemble plays the hot dance musical arrangements of the exciting bands of the Roaring Twenties. The musicians are Bob MacInnis, cornet and flugelhorn, John Clark and Craig Ball clarinet and saxophones, Al Bernard tuba, Billy Reynolds drums, and Robin Verdier leader/piano.

He meticulously arranges and times every tune like a painter creating a complex masterpiece, (see list at the bottom).    Robin blends together new ideas and refreshes the material.  It was very different from his September Slide & Glide of 2010. 

The result was a tour de force that transported all of us back to the rowdy days of prohibition, and the swanky Speakeasies of New York and Chicago.

Concentration!

The musicians receive their parts in advance, so they can prepare – even though they’ve played them before and know them instinctively. 

They started this evening with fine ensemble on Alone At Last.  Ensemble is the key here.   Robin used the works of many writers from that era.  Tiny Parkham was represented with Bombay, Now That I’ve Found You and Golden Lily (a tune that Robin also played with  Pam Pameijer’s Jazz Wizards.) 

Albie played a beautiful, passionate,  solo on Now That I’ve Found You that made Robin smile.

Walter Donaldson & Irving Kahn’s My Baby Just Cares For Me was new to their book.   Robin said that Ray Smith called this a “Peppy Period tune.”  I’ve Had My Moments is also one of Donaldson’s. 

Irving Berlin had three tunes.

With Bob MacInnis on cornet, the Intro to Berlin’s  C-U-B-A was very dramatic,  before the tuba and drum actually moved  to a genuine Latin beat. 

Puttin’ On The Ritz and Waiting At The End Of The Road were Berlin’s other two this evening.

Bob switched to flugelhorn for Turk Murphy’s 1946 Bay City. 

Dream Child, in the daunting, exciting Artie Shaw style, keeps clarinet player Craig Ball in a good mood.

“When you are famous, no doubt somebody will write a song about you”,  as was Charles Lindberg. In 1927, he was the first person to fly the Atlantic alone, from Long Island to Paris.  George M. Cohan made sure he would be remembered with When Lindy Comes Marching Home, including passages that sounded like an airplane.

No trip back to the 20’s would be complete without the Charleston.

Lorrie Carmichael (in pink), former band leader of the Squirrel Hill Olde Tyme Band, was having a great time with Everybody’s Doing The Charleston Now.  The others gave it their best effort!

Lorrie was also following along with every note of Lu Watter’s Yerba Buena Strut.

Bill Reynolds’ drum introduced Nullabor, possibly an Australian aborigine song with heavy drum accents, the rhythm section driving the cornet, clarinet, and saxophone to astonishing intensity!  Then they ran out of time. 

This was a fit ending for our own New England version of the rowdy, Roaring Twenties in a swanky Speakeasy! 

Bob MacInnis left for Florida shortly afterwards.  Catch him at the Island Pub in Naples on Mon. & Sat., andErin’s Isle most other nights, in Naples between Marco Island and US 41.

Robin and Albie will be at Jeff & Joel’s House Party on February 11-12 in Guilford Ct. Jeff & Joel’s House Party
in good company!

John Clark is bringing his Wolverine Jazz Band to the University of New Hampshire on January 30th, and also celebrating Mardi Gras lunch at the Sherborn Inn on February 21st.

Ed Reynolds will be wherever the Black Eagles are playing.  www.blackeagles.com

A Fabjous Fall Fling 

* New to our book

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Addendum:

Frabjous – Sculpture by George W. Hart  – The word Frabjous comes, of course, from The Jaberwocky of Lewis Carroll. O frabjous day!