After many years of monthly performances at Gwenn Verdon’s restaurants: Acton Jazz Cafe, ACT II in Acton, and Act III in Littleton, – The Seacoast Stompers played their last gig for her on October 10,2015.
For this occasion the band included:
Frank Stadler – piano and leader, Dave Whitney – cornet, Craig Ball – clarinet, Steve Piermarini – trombone, Rick MacWilliams – tuba, Bobby Reardon – drums, Maureen Benson – vocals
…and they really went out swinging!
Sample some of their numbers by clicking on the photo links below:
The Amazing Things Arts Center is the best place to listen, and really hear a great band and two master trumpeters; marvelous acoustics. It just doesn’t get any better than this!
Jeff Hughes trumpet, John Clark clarinet/bari sax, Dan Gabel trombone, Ross Petot piano, Bill Doyle guitar, John Deardon string bass, Steve Taddeo leader/drums, Caroline Griep vocals.
by Marce
videos by Harold McAleer
You gotta jump, jive, and then you wail! Steve Taddeo’s Swing Senders blew the roof off the Sherborn Inn on April 1st. No foolin’! With three Band Leaders in the front line, and Taddeo’s pulsating drums, who would expect anything less! The musicians were eager to play as soon as they arrived, and hit it off with a swinging Don’t Be That Way; they obviously love what they’re doing.
Caroline Griep
Steve called up the band’s vocalist Caroline Griep, a naturally charming entertainer, with an infectious smile and marvelous voice.
She enjoys listening to this band just as much as singing with them. She knocked our socks off with Jeepers Creepers.
The band was ferocious; Bugle Call Rag was solid swing with updriving tempo.
Pianist Ross Petot’s was featured on a powerful It Don’t Mean a Thing If It Ain’t Got That Swing!
Dan Gabel
Sweet Sue, with trombonist Dan Gabel, had the dancers up on the floor. Dan leads The Abletones Big Band that will be playing April 4th at SAC in Shrewsbury and the Imperial Ballroom April 25th.
Steve Taddeo is famous for his drum solo walk-around. Look out – he’s dangerous with those drum sticks: Diga Diga Do
Dan Gabel muted trombone, John Clark baritone sax, with the band forcefully Swinging The Blues
You Are Too Beautiful brought John and Gisela Brunacelli back up on the dance floor – they danced all night. You’re Nobody ‘Till Somebody Loves You, sweet ballad by Caroline, brought out Steve’s Dad, Frank Taddeo and his companion Gladys Aubin.
John & Gisela Brunicelli
Frank Taddeo Gladys Aubin
Steve introduced a new drummer, George Darrah that freed Steve up for a vocal on Flat Foot Floogie with The Floy Floy. George has been sitting in with The Dick Donovan Band directed by Steve Taddeo since he was 7 years old!
Jeff Hughes on 1953 Selmer trumpet
Jeff Hughes was featured on trumpet with I surrender Dear.
He also sang the vocal made famous by Louis Prima, Slow Boat to China, backed by guitar.
Bill Doyle
Bill Doyle’d arch-top guitar accentuates the rhythm, and backs vocals; he is an essential part of the band.
I Know That You Know was a super trio – clarinet master John Clark passionate, Ross Petot intense on piano and Steve Taddeo playing crazy rhythm on a snare drum.
Caroline returned with All of Me, with the band flaring behind her. Clark on baritone sax competing with Hughes’ trumpet on vibrato. Never gets dull!
They closed with the Swing Senders Theme Song, Dinah. George Darrah back on drums, Steve on floor tom – A Killer Diller drumming duet.
The Swing Senders definitely do not need amplification – the Band Swings loud and clear. They’ll be back here on August 12th – mark your calendars – with the Midiri Brothers, Joe on reeds and Paul on vibes. WOW!
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Harold McAleer is in the process of editing many videos. They will be added as they are approved – come back again, and again!
Don’t Be That Way
Jeepers Creepers
Fly Me To The Moon
Sweet Sue
New Kind of Love
Bugle Call Rag
Sunny Side
Diga Diga Do (drum walk around)
Happy Birthday (Bill Doyle & John Clark)
Flatfoot Floogie with The Floy Floy
You Are Too Beautiful
It Don’t Mean a Thing If It Ain’t Got That Swing
Swinging The Blues
You’re Nobody ‘Till Somebody Loves You
You Do Something To Me
Slow Boat to China
I Know That You Know (Trio)
I Surrender Dear
All Of Me
Dinah
Seacoast Stompers at the Acton Jazz Café, on a bitter cold January 4th 2014, with Scott Philbrick cornet, Craig Ball clarinet, Lee Prager trombone, Jimmy Mazzy banjo/vocals, Al Bernard souzaphone, Bobby Reardon drums, Frank Stadler leader/piano. Videos by Harold McAleer.
In spite of the bitterly cold weather, The Acton Jazz Café had few empty seats when The Seacoast Stompers began another year of 1st Saturdays of the month. Many of us were suffering from Trad Jazz withdrawal over the holidays, with the musicians busy playing at private gigs.
Leader Frank Stadler was back with a long list of tunes, offering two at a time, and letting the musicians choose. They are almost all Band Leaders and have minds of their own; sometimes they picked one, sometimes picked totally different tunes. There is much discussion, but it’s all in great fun. Frank is to be commended for patiently managing the divergent personalities that are the Seacoast Stompers.
They started hot and heavy with the Bix version of their theme song, At The Jazz Band Ball, hot solos!
Frank took the intro with bass notes on I Would Do Most Anything For You. Bobby went wild on drums!
Frank Stadler, piano – leader
Take Your Tomorrows and Give Me Today, Swing That Music. Nice tuba solo. The rhythm boys set the dynamic background that gets toes tapping.
Jimmy Mazzy, Al Bernard, Bobby Reardon
Jimmy has his own unique style of playing banjo, and singing. We especially liked his ballad, Sugar, with ecstatic interchange between Philbrick and Prager. They challenge each other. Rose Room got dancers up, with Scott sneaking in Always Chasing Rainbows on cornet.
We all helped celebrate Jack Phelan’s 90th birthday, who was here with his family. Jack is the pianist for the New Liberty Jazz Band and formerly led the Scollay Square Stompers.
Jimmy Mazzy and Jack Phelan
Jack says “The Seacoast Stompers are a great group, and anytime Jimmy Mazzy is with a group it’s even better!”
He said “Frank Stadler is a top notch piano player, with a steady rhythm and steady beat.” “The front line, Craig, Scotty and Lee, are just great! They sound like they rehearsed for weeks, but we know they were improvising, making it up.”
Frank Stadler filled in for Jack with the New Liberty Jazz Band on their 1941 Fire Truck last November 23rd at the Methuen Parade, when it was again cold weather. Jack recommended him.
Jack Phelan has been around Jazz and Jazz Joints for a long time. He was sitting up front and center, where he could hear them discussing what they were going to play next. He said to Scotty, “Since they moved the spittoon from the corner of the saloon, you just can’t spit anymore!” That broke them up!
The band wanted to play the Birthday song for him, instead he requested Ain’t She Sweet and they were happy to oblige.
Frank asked for Fidgety Feet. All agreed, no discussion!
We especially like Jimmy’s ballads, I’ve Got The World on a String.
Bill Flynn and the Missus from New Hampshire found themselves a corner for dancing. He’s a retired Raytheon engineer who writes books for sale on Kindle as a hobby.
Lee Prager
Trombone intro I’ll Take Manhattan, Lee bends over backwards to get those perfect notes. Sweet tune, followed by something peppy – Sunday.
St. Louis Blues is one of the oldest tunes known to the cognoscenti. Tuba intro, imaginative ensemble. They listen to each other and to the music, play mesmerizing blues.
Fantastic ensemble by the front line, Craig Ball, Scott Philbrick, and Lee Prager
Bobby Reardon has two sets of drums with him, he has another job in Stoneham when he leaves the Acton Jazz Cafe. The musicians really appreciate his tasteful, shrewd, drumming.
Bobby Reardon
They closed this set with a romp roaring Sweet Georgia Brown.
Harold McAleer with his video camera.
We are all grateful that Harold McAleer is back. He is dedicated to recording this music for posterity, and spends hours videotaping and editing many videos, especially of the Seacoast Stompers. You can find hundreds of them on You Tube.
There was much more great jazz in store. (see below). We’ll be back with the usual Trad Jazz Crowd, thirsting for this kind of music, on February 1st. We hope to see Jack Phelan back too!!
Seacoast Stompers January 4, 2014 Tunes:
Set 1
1 At The Jazz Band Ball
2 Sugar
3 I Would Do Anything For You
4 Take Your Tomorrow
5 Swing That Music
6 Rose Room
7 Fidgety Feet
8 I’ve Got the World on a String
9 Sunday
10 St Louis Blues
11 Sweet Georgia Brown
Set 2
1 It Don’t Mean a Thing If it Ain’t Got That Swing
2 Tin Roof Blues
3 Ain’t She Sweet
4 Curse of an Aching Heart
5 New Orleans
6 Undecided
Set 3
1 Jelly Roll (Ain’t Gonna Give You None)
2 Since My Best Gal Turned Me Down
3 If I had You
4 Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives To Me
Seacoast Stompers (with videographer Harold McAleer)
These musicians love making music, playing Jazz, and this audience loves listening to them. It’s a symbiotic relationship – and never gets dull. You never know what will happen next. The Seacoast Stompers do not repeat songs – Frank Stadler has kept a list of every song they’ve played at the AJC in the last five years, so the tunes are seldom repeated.
Surprise! Frank announced that this afternoon they would be doing EXACTLY the same set list as their first gig, 5 years 3 months ago at The Acton Jazz Café. Then it was at night at 452 Great Road, a six-piece band, with Frank Stadler piano, Jimmy Mazzy banjo/vocals, Jeff Hughes cornet, Ben Goldstein clarinet, Steve Taddeo drums and Bob McHenry string bass (whose idea it was to getStadler on piano
Now on October 5, 2013, there was Frank leader/piano and Jimmy banjo/vocals, Scott Philbrick cornet, Dave Whitney trumpet, Craig Ball clarinet, Lee Prager trombone, Albie Bernard sousaphone, and Bobby Reardon drums at the new Acton Jazz Café, 103 Nagog Park. It doesn’t get any better than this – as demonstrated by the full house. Bob McHenry was sitting front and center, enjoying the band.
They started with their theme song, a blistering At The Jazz Band Ball, then Mama’s Gone, Goodbye – Jimmy vocal, the four-piece front line melding seamlessly.
Front line Scott, Dave, Craig, and Lee
Scott and Dave are always a combustible combination, Trumpet and cornet duet on From Monday On.Baby Won’t You Please Come Home. Combination playing vibrato on There’ll Be Some Changes Made.
They slowed down for Memories of You, Scotty doing cornet intro, Jim on vocal with almost imperceptible tuba and trumpet backup.
Mandy Make Up Your Mind – we never get enough of Jimmy Mazzy’s singing. (For the few who are not aware, he’s like olives – an acquired taste; people all over the world love Jimmy, especially in Europe) New Orleans, Hoagie’s favorite tune, heartfelt vocal by Dave Whitney.
Jimmy Mazzy
Dave Whitney
Bobby concentrated on tom toms for Stealing Apples. He has a different drum set for every genre of music, The Dixieland set has three toms, bass, snare drum, cow bell, top hat and a couple of cymbals. He strives for simplicity, purity in his playing, and the energy and precision he lays down is undeniable.
Bobby Reardon and his Dixieland Drum Set
Keeping Out of Mischief Now, Jim on vocal. Craig Ball is in complete command of the upper register on Ain’t Gonna Give You None of My Jelly Roll.
I’m Coming Virginia.
Bobby plays Saturday nights at the Kowloon in Saugus, so he’s ready, always dressed in white shirt and black bow tie (untied) but not tonight; black shirt – no tie. He said he was in mourning because he couldn’t play his favorite tune. So they deviated from the 2008 set list – and substituted Bobby’s favorite (and mine!) Limehouse Blues.
Jim Mazzy, Al Bernard, Bobby Reardon, Rhythm Section
Al Bernard provides the drive and “punch’ behind the band, and plays solos with the dexterity, control, and articulation of the much smaller instruments. Take Your Tomorrows, and Give Me Today. Joe Darensbourg’s Louisian-I-A, dynamic clarinet backed by rhythm in stop-time. Jimmy had the vocal on a HOT Kansas City. I Would Do Most Anything For You, Whitney vocal, and sneaking in snippets of songs with his trumpet.
Look out for Jimmy’s specials – back in 2008, he substituted his own lyrics for the Banking Crisis with The Whiffenpoof’s Song (The Lambs Song). This time he did a parody of the Tea Party, that we won’t go into here because we’ve already lost too much $upport.
Craig Ball on soprano sax
Craig moved to a sweet soprano sax, authentic Bechet sound, for Singing The Blues.
Verne often gets to pick the last tune, a fine choice to end this evening of remembering 2008, with a barnstorming Swing That Music. Seacoast Stompers will return with the same personnel playing amazing Dixieland Jazz at the Acton Jazz Café, 103 Nagog Park, Acton MA, on November 2nd, the first Saturday of the month as usual. See you there!
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Tunes on 2013-10-05 at AJC by Seacoast Stompers set 1
At The Jazz Band Ball
Mama’s Gone Goodbye
From Monday On
Baby Won’t You Please Come Home
There’ll Be Some Changes Made
Memories Of You
Mandy Make Up Your Mind
New Orleans
Stealin Apples set 2
Keepin Out Of Mischief Now
Jelly Roll (Ain’t Gonna Give You None)
I’m Coming Virginia (W/Verse)
Limehouse Blues
Take Your Tomorrow
Louisi-An-I-A set 3
Kansas City request
I Would Do Anything For You
The Lamb’s Song (political diatribe) jimmy special
Singin the Blues
Swing that Music
Piano and Leader – Frank Stadler, Reeds – John Clark, Banjo and Vocals – Jimmy Mazzy, Cornet – Scott Philbrick, Trumpet and Vocals – Dave Whitney, Trombone – Lee Prager, Sousaphone – Al Bernard, Drums – Bobby Reardon
Seacoast Stompers are a Traditional Jazz and Swing band led by pianist Frank Stadler. Frank has a list of everything they’ve played in the nearly five years the Band as been at the Acton Jazz Café; he tries to avoid repeating tunes played recently. Last month, they broke tradition by playing all their old favorite and most requested tunes. This month it was back to normal, with no repeats of anything played for many months.
But they always begin with their theme song, At The Jazz Band Ball, with Albie giving this one extra emphasis on sousaphone. A medium swing tune followed, Between The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea.
John Clark
You never know what will happen with Jazz musicians, that’s why this never gets dull. John Clark took out a smokin’ Coleman Hawkins tenor sax – new instrument for John, making use of the rich lower register, keeping this listener enthralled all afternoon, Beale St. Blues, Undecided.
Dave Whitney
Dave gave New Orleans the respect it deserves with fine trumpet and a Whitney vocal.
Jimmy Mazzy banjo, Al Bernard sousaphone
Jimmy’s unpretentious sincerity comes through with Porter’s Love Song to a Chamber Maid along with many quips that we can’t print here. Never give Jimmy a microphone! Fidgety Feet had feet tapping, check out Lee having fun trading trombone with Albie’s tuba.
Frank Stadler on new Yamaha piano
Frank was swinging from start to finish on the new Yamaha piano; Rosetta, a tune that Earl Fatha Hines’ recorded in Chicago in 1939.
Eva Balazs
Eva Balazs, tiny as she is, found a really high stool to perch on so she could clearly see his impressive piano fingers. Her feet were dangling 2 feet from the ground, but she was enthralled.
There are four Sports’ TVs in the Café. Our Sport is Jazz – no one was watching the Red Sox or Bruins.
John Clark choose the next one, a scorching San, dazzling polyphony by the front line. Bei Mir Bis Du Schoen, Sundown.
Carrie’s Mazzy’s choice was a lyrical I’ve Got a Feeling I’m Falling:
Fran D’Agostino, Tuesday night JazzJam host, took charge of the sound system. He had his guitar with him, and sat in playing catchy riffs on Things Ain’t What They Used To Be.
Fran D’Agostino joins the band
Break time. Sax and cornet soon returned with a trio on a hot Tuxedo Junction, with Dave Whitney on drums! You never know!
There’ll Be Some Changes Made, nice interchange between drum and tuba. Albie was featured with Jimmy’s vocal on Louisiana Fairytale, the theme song for This Old House and a Paramount Jazz Band favorite.
John took out his clarinet for a Slow Boat to China, which was anything but! It sizzled! He’s the youngest in this crowd. He was drawn to jazz in the Library at Connecticut College when he became immersed in its vast collection of Traditional/Dixieland Jazz, and absorbed every recording. (Thank you, Jeff Barnhart!)
You never know what’s coming. They tried S’Wonderful with NO sound system, which is generally the norm for our Trad Jazz Bands, and sounded just fine to me. But they couldn’t hear the piano and banjo from the back of the Café.
Scott Philbrick
Sound on. Something between Dixie and Swing – Scotty began I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate, fun tune. Whitney took the vocal on The Preacher.
They closed with a fiery, wild Somebody Stole My Gal.
The Seacoast Stompers are an imaginative and versatile Traditional Jazz and Swing Band. You never know what they will do next. The Band is here at the Acton Jazz Cafe on the first Saturday of the month for the rest of this year – next one is July 6th. Join us for some fun Jazz and Swing!
