Williams Reunion Jazz Band at Opening of the Bay, Snug Harbor, Duxbury MA 2014

 

7-pc Dixieland Band

Williams Reunion Dixieland Jazz Band at Opening of the Bay May 23-25 2014

The Williams Reunion Jazz Band was born on New England college campuses in the 1950’s when Dixieland was alive and well and “runnin’ wild”.  Band members now include four Williams College boys: Bob Kingsbury ’58 on clarinet; Fred Clifford ’58 on Tuba; Tom Hayne ’59 on Drums and features: John Halsey ’59 on Piano who is a PhD, teacher and a featured pro in NYC having played with all of the greats in Jazz.

Three permanent guests from Amherst, Bates and U. Mass are: John Bucher who for 25 years led the Woody Allen Band at Michael’s Pub in NYC and plays a wonderful Beiderbecke/Hackett style; Jimmy Mazzy on Banjo who is well known to everybody, and Tom Boates on trombone who plays in the style of Jack Teagarden and Miff Mole and is featured with the Wolverine Jazz Band.

The WRJB name goes back to 1983 when, at a formal jazz concert in Williams College Chapin Hall, the seven first played together.  Through the years, their reputation in Williamstown has blossomed into a year ’round schedule of performances at private parties, country clubs, weddings, church masses, jazz festivals, jazz cruises, and special events across the USA.

The band returns every Memorial Day weekend to Duxbury MA for the Duxbury Bay Maritime Academy’s “Opening of the Bay”, their 17th this year.  Friday night’s GALA was Traditional Jazz, cocktails and heavy hors d’oeuvres and Island Creek Oyster reception under the tent, and Dixieland Jazz.

Duxbury Bay Maritime Academy

Duxbury Bay Maritime Academy

Saturday afternoon is family day, with face painting, balloon animals, vendors, food and drinks.  It was a New England cold, damp day.  We caught the Williams Reunion Dixieland Jazz Band under the tent on the deck by the Bay.

Jimmy banjo vocals

The inimitable Jimmy Mazzy

 

 

 

They opened with a lively Dr. Jazz, Jimmy vocal and banjo – Jimmy Mazzy has a unique hold on the bridge that allows him to make sounds like no one else!

 

 

 

Boates’ powerful trombone opened My Honey’s Loving Arms.  Ensemble took the intro to Rose Room, followed by engaging personal solos first by clarinet, then cornet, trombone, banjo, piano.

Kingsbury on clarinet

Bob Kingsbury, leader, clarinet

 

 

 

Kingsbury’s clarinet started with the verse on W. C. Handy’s Hesitation Blues; ensemble parts twining around each other leading to a Jimmy Mazzy hearty shout.  They played a final chorus, Hayne closing with a cymbal CRASH!

 

 

Tom Boates plays Kid Ory's

Tom Boates plays Kid Ory’s Creole Trombone

 

 

 

Tom Boates is always featured on Kid Ory’s Creole Trombone, no matter what band he’s in. We hope he never gets tired of playing it because we never get tired of hearing his magnificent growling trombone!

 

 

 

 

Memphis Blues was a soft wistful blues, clarinet playing high over the whole ensemble, cornet and piano building long, melodic solos. Jimmy’s scatting was more like a soft moaning,

Bucher on cornet

John Bucher, Bix-style cornet

John Halsey

John Halsey rippled up and down the keyboard.

Fred Clifford

Fred Clifford

 

 

 

They revved it up with S’Wonderful, nice low register clarinet start, Jimmy singing ballad, marvelous Bucher cornet, tuba holding long notes.  Clifford is the band’s rhythmic engine.  Banjo solo was backed by drum softly tapping cymbal and snare drum.

 

 

Let Me Call You Sweetheart, clarinet, cornet, piano played melody, with trombone counterpoint accents.  Kingsbury moved over to Boates for a wonderful trombone/clarinet duet.

Tom Hayne on drum

Tom Hayne drives the band with his Dixieland Beat

 

 

At The Jazz Band Ball was explosive, with great New Orleans polyphony, then they let Tom Hayne go wild on drums.

 

 

 

 

 

Their music has a joyful, timeless spirit.  It all ended too soon, but there was a cold wind blowing in from the Bay and they were glad to pack up and move on.

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WRJB did a week in Florida again this year, what they call “Spring Training”, with five appearances, one in Ponte Vedra, three in Vero Beach and finished at the Bath and Tennis Club in Palm Beach. And they just finished their annual Boston/Duxbury weekend with six appearances ranging from the Somerset Club in Boston to the South Shore Conservatory, First Parish Church and Winsor House in Duxbury. Then a full Reunion weekend in Williamstown from June 13-15 capped by a private party in Bretton Woods, NH.

The Williams Reunion Jazz Band plays some excellent, authentic Traditional Jazz.
Try some of their many CDs.

Williams Reunion Jazz Band at DBMS opening of the Bay 2013

Williams Reunion Jazz Band

Williams Reunion Jazz Band

Ship at dock, with sponsor banner

Schooner Thomas E. Lannon

 

 

On Friday, May 24, the schooner Thomas E. Lannon sailed into Duxbury Bay for the Duxbury Bay Military School’s 16th Opening of the Bay, with the Williams Reunion Jazz Band.

 

 

The Williams Reunion Jazz Band was born on New England college campuses in the 1950’s when Dixieland was alive and well and “runnin’ wild”. The core four here today were Williams College Boys: Bob Kingsbury ’58 on clarinet; Fred Clifford ’58 on Tuba; Tom Hayne ’59 on Drums and John Halsey ’59 on keyboard, with John Bucher cornet. (Amherst ’52.) They were joined by two permanent guests and members of the Wolverine Jazz Band, the inimitable Jimmy Mazzy Banjo/Vocals, and Tom Boates, trombone.

Opening of the Bay is a fund-raiser for the Duxbury Bay Maritime School. The school serves 1800 students from age 3 to adult, through educational and recreational programs that stimulate individual growth and an enduring love and appreciation of the sea. The Williams Reunion Jazz Band assembles every year for the event.

The day started out with a fine Youth Swing Band before the YRJB’s drum introduced some New Orleans Standards: Bourbon St. Parade, Dr. Jazz, with Jimmy Mazzy on vocals, drum tapping cymbals.

Let Me Call You Sweetheart was in an upbeat Dixie; never sounded better! Cornet growling, trombone responding with a growl.

Atlanta Blues, also Make Me a Pallet on Your Floor. If I Could Be With You One Hour Tonight.

Orie’s Creole Trombone.

Bob Kingsbury led the band, and explained the Heart and Soul of the WRJB:

John Bucher, cornet

John Bucher

Jimmy Mazzy banjo/vocals

Jimmy Mazzy

 

– The Heart John Bucher from NY, who was in the the Woody Allen Band for several years

 

 

 

 

The Soul: Jimmy Mazzy

Kingsbury on clarinet, Clifford on trombone and scatting

Bob Kingsbury, Fred Clifford

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kingsbury says he was Fred’s classmate for 50 years and never able to hold that Tiger back.

 

 

 

Tiger Rag

Everybody Loves My Baby, great cornet drum exchange, each member of the band trading 4’s with the drums. A tune WC Handy stole from Louis’s record Hesitation Blues featured a ‘diminished chord’ with clarinet intro of Edmund Hall. Nice blues.

The Finale was an upbeat Canal St. Blues, with a young couple enjoying a sprightly dance.

The band also played a dockside reception Friday night with an Island Creek Oysters raw bar, heavy hors d’oeuvres by the Silent Chef, and cash bar.
Sunday they played at the service for the First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church.

Opening of the Bay is a fund-raiser for the Duxbury Bay Maritime School. The school serves 1800 students annually, through educational and recreational programs that stimulate individual growth and an enduring love and appreciation of the sea. Because of this fund-raiser, the school remains debt-free.

The WRJB will be back in May next year for the Duxbury Bay Maritime School’s 17th opening of the Bay! See you there!