Jazz Jesters at the Sherborn Inn April 30, 2013

Clark on alto, Ball on tenor sax

Jeff Hughes trumpet/leader, John Clark and Craig Ball reeds, Jimmy Mazzy banjo/vocals, Ross Petot piano, Al Bernard tuba, Steve Taddeo drums

Ross was toying at the piano as usual as we arrived.  I Can’t Get Started, Honeysuckle Rose.

Ross on piano, spring flowers at window behind him

Craig Ball came in at exactly 7 P.M. right on time! (He has just returned from a class reunion in England.)

These are busy musicians, Ross plays in several bands and teaches, Craig leads the White Heat Swing Orchestra, John Clark’s Wolverine Jazz Band was at the the Choo Choo Jazz Fest in Chattanooga, Tennessee May 3rd.  Steve leads the Swing Senders and directs the Dick Donovan Big Band.  Jeff has many bands, the most active being  Swing Times Five and the Jazz Jesters.

Jeff distributed arrangements and they soared with their theme This Is My Lucky Day, Craig on tenor sax, John Clark on clarinet. (Baritone sax was left at home.)

Jeff kept these tunes from the 20’s and 30’s refreshing by varying the solos, pointing to an instrument, as if he’d just thought of it. The musicians were ready, carefully keeping an eye on him, and the arrangement, and reacted with inspiring solo work.

Jeff and John face-off with trumpet and alto sax
Jeff Hughes and John Clark

Jeff is in firm control of the band, except for Jimmy.  Jimmy lives in his own world, in the Jazz Decades.

Jack Teagarden liked Ben Pollack’s Diane.  There isn’t a trombone in this band, but Craig’s smooth tenor sax did just fine, getting the dancers up early.

They played a couple of early Bix tunes, before he joined Goldkette, when he was in the Wolverines. There Ain’t No Land Like Dixieland started with Jimmy & Jeff in sync – the two go back many years to Ray Smith’s Paramount Jazz Band.

In 1926 Bix recorded and wrote a tune dedicated to his home town, Davenport Iowa, Davenport Blues.  Craig took the lead, Jeff and John playing harmony.

Clark on alto sax, Ball on clarinet

Staying in the Bix tradition, with the Wolverines before he became famous, I Need Some Petting, and a Gershwin fox trot Kicking The Clouds Away

Jeff thanked Steve Taddeo for being here. He said, “Steve plays drums better than anybody.”  Taddeo was on a 1939 Slingerland Drum Set, with cymbals that were given to him by Bud Schutz who played with the Benny Goodman and Jimmy Dorsey Orchestras.  Exudes energy!

Steve Taddeo and full set of 1939 shiney white, Slingerland drums

Steve is a Gene Krupa devotee. For these tunes from the Jazz Decades, he maintained the Classic Jazz beat with a Krupa original, pinging the Hi Hat stand.

A Walter Donaldson tune featured Jimmy scatting on Changes.  Lovely, one of our favorites.

Jimmy singing, Steve in background

The Kentucky Derby was coming up this Saturday; of course they had to play My Old Kentucky Home. Jimmy’s heartfelt vocal sounded as if he was really homesick for Kentucky.  (We’ll ask him if he’s ever been there, when he returns from the 22nd Keswick Jazz Festival in England.)

Jean Goldkette first recorded this in 1926 in Detroit, Idolizing. That band included Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, Joe Venuti and Bix Beiderbecke.
Jeff tapped out a break-neck beat, chorus and then verse, eyes were focused on the arrangements, all except Jeff, and Jimmy – he doesn’t need them, ever.

From Billy Hill’s  Empty Saddles in the Old Corral, Jeff introduced There’s a Cabin in the Pines, with Jimmy vocal. That was another tune from the Paramount Jazz Band.

One of Jeff’s favorite memories is hearing a recording of  Bunny Berigan playing Louis Alter’s A Melody From the Sky. Jimmy gave it his own unique interpretation.

Jeff singing, Ross in background

Hearing Jeff sing Broadway Melody, was a special treat. It comes from a 1929 American musical film  – the first sound film to win an Academy Award for Best Picture.

“all talking, all singing, all dancing picture!”

Jimmy returned with a sweet version of It’s Wonderful.  After that tender vocal, Vincent Youman’s 1920 I Know That You Know was absolutely WILD!

Jeff on beautiful two-toned trumpet

Jeff has an envious collection of instruments. This magnificent tone trumpet was custom-made for him last March at the local Osmun Trumpet in Acton, MA. They adapted a 1972 Yamaha Tuneable Bell with a wide trumpet bell that would have a warm cornet sound.  Just what he wanted.

Many bands of the 30’s and 40’s delved into Classical, then changed the repertoire to Jazz. Rimsky- Korsakov’s Song of India was Bunny Berigan’s last recorded solo.  The Jazz Jesters nailed it with trumpet, alto and tenor sax, prompting someone to say  “That’s a piece of woik!”

Albie, with his big white beard, smiling behind the tuba

Albie was featured on House of David Blues, by Elmer Schoebel, and recorded by Coleman Hawkins in 1923.

We caught that handsome fella hiding behind the tuba.

Jeff said that “High Society Blues by James Hanley had a beautiful 1930’s bittersweet feeling at the beginning of the 1929 Depression.”  From High Society Blues, Jimmy sang  Charles Lawman’s I’m in the Market For You, followed by another depression tune, Cottage For Sale. 

Enough of that! This is a time to Be Happy!

Steve standing in front of drums tapping on cymbal

The mood changed with the Finale, an upbeat, joyful Zonkie. They let Steve go on drums. He gave it the full Krupa treatment with a rousing, cacophony of sound, concluding with his famous drum walk-around.

9:30pm – we were supposed to be out of here, but nobody wanted to leave.  They squeezed in one more tune.

Craig Ball took over.  Craig’s clarinet went full scale from high to deep rich tones on Laughing at Life.

Craig on clarinet

It was the right ending to a perfect evening:

“Lose all your blues laughing at life
Live for tomorrow, be happy today
Laugh all your sorrows away
Start now and cheer up
The skies will clear up
Lose all your blues laughing at life”

Jeff delved deep into the Jazz Decades for tonight’s performance – and we hope there will be many more like it.  That would keep us happy!  We’ll all be back for more.

Jeff’s Jazz Jesters will return May 28th – see you here!

Jazz Jesters at the Sherborn Inn July 24, 2012

Jeff Hughes trumpet/leader, John Clark reeds, Craig Ball reeds, Jimmy Mazzy banjo/vocals, Ross Petot piano, Albie Bernard tuba, guest drummer Steve Taddeo.

When people want to be entertained, they generally go out for dinner, drinks, music, fun conversation, but Traditional Jazz followers are very picky; they aren’t looking for ‘background music’.  They want to hear their music first – everything else is just superfluous. No talking while the music is playing, please!

Jeff Hughes is one of their favorite band leaders for that reason – Jeff has a band for all seasons, and tonight was ours.  We knew it was going to be a fun night when Craig Ball walked in at the last minute (Craig always comes in at the last minute) and spotted another reed player, John Clark, asking him “What are we doing?”  John replied, “I don’t know.” 

Jeff distributed charts and they found out.  They started with a 1927 tune that symbolized the feeling we all had today, This is My Lucky Day.


Jeff dug down deep for some very old material, the best and hottest of the 20’s and 30’s, some we have never heard before – and probably the musicians too.  They had fun with it,  inspiring and provoking each other, adding their own interpretations to these old tunes. It was an enlightening and entertaining evening! They really enjoy playing together. Their camaraderie is infectious – we all were having a good time.  Couldn’t help it.

Not Much we’ve heard before, but not Dream Kisses. Another tune Bix recorded in a 1930 session with Jack Teagarden, Deep Down South.

Guest drummer Steve Taddeo, usually loud and flamboyant like Gene Krupa, played fine restrained trad, with the use of brushes on the snare drum and his special 1939 cymbal (the original cymbal that Buddy Schutz played on Benny Goodman’s Angels Sing).  Good job, Steve!


Ross was featured in pulsating, effervescent stride on Cole Porter’s Riding High.   Albie Bernard, driving the band on tuba, took a high spirited solo on Breakaway.

Jimmy had the vocal on Oh Miss Hannah, and Changes with Jeff backing him on his 1946 Olds trumpet. 

Jeff let Taddeo cut loose with this one, with drum sticks beating energetic Gene Krupa style!

There aren’t many Mouldy Figs left here – Bea Page is our finest.  The band walked up to her table, playing a swinging Happy Birthday, and continued with her favorite tune Moon Glow.

Manager Phil Cocco caught Bea by surprise for her “29th birthday” with a delicious birthday cake prepared by the chef – that she shared with all of us.

Back to the ‘stage’ – John Clark on clarinet and Craig Ball on tenor sax with a poignant duet on Irving Berlin’s Russian Lullaby.
Memories of the Depression in the1930’s – I’m In The Market.
A 1911 tune that is still being played in colleges today, Sweetheart of Sigma Chi.
The band played Who, dedicated to another fan, Joan Murray.  (Her birthday is in August.)

Jeff took out the flugelhorn for a sweet When Day is Done.  1910? Jolson’s Golden Gate(California Here I Come.)  Weary Man BluesThere Ain’t No Land Like Dixieland,Cottage for Sale, Old Folks.

They sent us home with Farewell Blues.

This is a new band for Jeff Hughes, separate from the Jazz Jesters Novelty Orchestra, that sounded much more like the Paramount Jazz Band. Nevertheless, he delved deep into the Jazz Decades for tonight’s performance – and we hope there will be many more like it.  Wish we had a video!!