Riverboat Ramblers – 3 sets – 5 pieces – Formerly a Coast Guard band director, extremely skilled in brass instruments and about any other instrument he wishes to play… and a vocalist. John Banker is one talented performer and entertainer. His hand picked side men were, Al LaPorte-synthasizer-vocals, Sal Ranniello-drums, Sherman Kahn-reeds and Bob Barta-banjo. John always guarantees a non-stop high energy performance that more often than not includes audience participation. This weekend was no exception! Lauren Humpage
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The Riverboat Ramblers have been playing New Orleans Jazz, Gospel and Mardi Gras music throughout the East Coast since the 1980s. Five talented Connecticut musicians who sound like a full orchestra, but you never know what they’re going to come up with! This set consisted of some of the oldest tunes they could find.
Raniello began with a loud drum intro to Why Don’t You Go To New Orleans? John on cornet playing Louis, Sherman Kahn wild tenor sax, LaPorte’s lightening left hand on piano.
Banker has an array of instruments – cornet, trombone, tuba, washboard.
He plays piano and just about anything else he can get his hands on.
Egyptian Ella, Barta on vocal. “Ella must have weighed 320 pounds, but the boys liked her that way out there.”
Sherman Kahn on clarinet and tenor sax, patiently puts up with much nonsense from Banker.
A journeyman clarinetist, he was featured on an inspiring, passionate Begin The Beguine.
Banker and his wife celebrated their 32nd anniversary the day before the festival. It happens every year – she gets to celebrate their anniversary with all of us at this festival. Fun.
Every year he dedicates this song to her. I Don’t Know Why I Love You Like I Do. But it’s no sweet love song. He recreates the high-pitched voice of a 1930 crank-up Victrola, with LaPorte replicating the scratches. Inevitably there’s a crack in the record, with the repeat, repeat, repeat. Then Banker sings the complete song – backwards!!
They went even farther back to 1814 with Colonel Jackson and The Battle of New Orleans, sung by Johnny Horton, and played from Bismarck to Alaska! “We fired our guns but the British kept a-comin’. There wasn’t not as a many as there was a while ago. We fired once more and they began to running, down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico.”
Al Laporte is a resourceful pianist. One has to be to play with Banker!
He played keyboard for all of the tunes. We missed the fantastic Boogie Woogie he did on real piano last year.
An Infamous Trio – LaPorte took the vocal on the1890 love song, Bill Bailey. Sherman took the vocal on Just Because, John took the Dummy Song, and they sang them all together – at the same time!
The Mardi Gras song had everyone clapping in the wrong beat, Second Line John playing tuba.
Sal Ranniello’s superb drumming was featured on It Don’t Mean a Thing If it Ain’t Got That Swing.
His powerful playing inspires and drives the band.
John Banker said his parents are in Pennsylvania. His Mom just had her 78th birthday, and his Dad was having his 80th that Tuesday – and they were celebrating their 50th Anniversary. So Banker sang Elvis’s Are You Lonesome Tonight? in a little girly voice, using the old words, with Raniello’s melodic backup on drums.
Those Were the Days.
You will find John Banker on piano and vocals, with Friends every Sunday 8:30pm-12:30am at the Griswold Inn in Essex, Connecticut. Never gets dull!
John Banker accommodates any audience, and keeps it motivated. One of his idols is Robin Williams, because he can entertain any age group. “You only live once – Live longer with laughter!”
Thanks to Bob Johnson for sponsoring this band. Bob is the former owner of the Sunrise Resort in Moodus, where TGCTJF was held for many years. We’ve gathered some fond memories listening to the bands and especially staying in those cabins!!
Hot Steamed Jazz Fest 2012
Jeff Barnhart – Connecticut
Galvanized Jazz Band – Connecticut
Riverboat Ramblers – Connecticut
Festival All Stars – All over
Heartbeat Dixieland Jazz Band – Connecticut (mostly)
The Midiri Brothers – New Jersey
Swing Times Five led by Jeff Hughes – Massachusetts
Ben Mauger’s Vintage Jazz Band – Pennsylvania
Wolverine Jazz Band – Massachusetts
Sugarfoot Youth Band – Connecticut
Saturday Night Big Jam
Gospel Service with Jon Seiger
Funky Butt Jazz Band
Dan Levinson’s Millenium All Stars – New York
Bob Seeley – Michigan