Pierce Campbell guitar and vocals, Noel Kaletsky reeds, Lauren Evarts piano, Al Bernard tuba, John Rispoli drums
Pierce Campbell on guitar
The Funky Butt Jazz Band was started by his father, Pete Campbell and Bud Gettsinger 36 years ago. Pierce took over the band for playing traditional jazz, has various small combinations, and also performs solo..
He borrowed Noel Kaletsky and Albie Bernard from the Festival All Stars, for Summertime, Georgia, Dinah, One Meat Ball, I’m Confessing, Jelly Roll, Ain’t She Sweet, Buddy Bolden Blues. All great Trad tunes.
The Valley Railroad gave him an opener for Buddy Bolden’s Blues. Noel on soprano sax.
Lauren Evarts
Lauren is a regular member of The Funky Butt Jazz Band.
Noel on alto sax – Georgia
John Rispoli
John Rispoli is a monster on drums!
Al Bernard on tuba
Al Bernard put away the sousaphone and took out the tuba to play melodies for this session.
Ain’t Gonna Give Nobody None of My Jelly Roll
Noel Kaletsky
Noel Kaletsky is a complete band unto himself!
Unbelievable, from the Festival’s start to finish.
Price Campbell said it succinctly,
“Faster than a silver bullet!”
They all went WILD on Ice Cream!
Currently Pierce plays a variety of music which showcase his versatility. He performs solo singing and playing original and Celtic folk, American pop and Jazz classics. He performs Irish and original Celtic folk with The Kerry Boys, traditional Jazz with The Funky Butt Jazz Band, vocal Jazz classics and originals with The Pierce Campbell Jazz Duo/Trio and pop rock classics with Pierce Campbell and the Scramble. During the day, he entertains seniors at venues throughout CT.
Dan Levinson is a jazz Historian in New York devoted to Traditional Jazz, with a vast collection of memorabilia going back to the 1900’s. He has at least nine different bands. Fortunately for us, he spends much of his time searching out the newest talent coming out of the music schools and teaching these young NY musicians our kind of music, so it will be preserved well into the future.
He seems to save the Millenium All Stars for us at the Hot Steamed Jazz Festival. We have no idea how many young bands he is responsible for, but he has been bringing new ones here to the Hot Steamed Jazz Festival for 16 years. (He breaks the new ones in with a discerning Traditional Jazz Audience.)
This band was actually from the Millennium Generation, with recent graduates of the Manhattan School of Music. Jack Holkum on trombone is 21. Mike Davis cornet, Rob Atkins bass.
Mike Davis, Jack Holkum
Rob Atkins
Kevin Dorn, drummer
Except for drummer Kevin Dorn. Kevin was a young drummer when he first arrived here with Dan 15 years ago in 1998; now he’s one of the “elders” in the band, and has a great Traditional Jazz Band of his own.
Ian Frankel
Dan invited a fine Connecticut pianist, Ian Frankel, to join the band. Dan promised him there would be no reading, but this is Jazz, and it’s never the same twice. Frankel cleverly breezed through several surprises.
They began with Dan on clarinet with the title tune of an album by his Swing Wing Band, featuring Molly, At The Cod Fish Ball.
It includes Bud Freeman’s Summa Cum Laude Orchestra’s Copenhagen.
Molly has been coming here since 2004 – she is now Mrs. Dan Levinson. Molly also sang some tunes from her own new album, Swing For Your Supper, and I’d Like to Wake Up in the Morning Where The Morning Glories Grow.
Swing for your Supper
The Milleniums presented another tune from the Cod Fish Ball album, originally done by the Rhythm Makers, a mixed band, unheard of at the time. Oh Peter, You’re So Nice. In 1932 it featured PeeWee Russell on clarinet, with Eddy Condon on guitar, Joe Sullivan piano, and Zutti Singleton drums. Dan moved to tenor sax for the 1936 Mez Mezro & Sy Oliver, Hot Club Stomp.
Another from Molly’s Album, done by Bing Crosby and The Bob Cats, You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby. A mellow front line backed Molly on Ruth Ettings 1930 Ten Cents a Dance.
They closed with the Gershwin’s The Lorelei from Pardon My English that opened at the Majestic Theatre, New York on January 9, 1933.
We sure hope Dan Levinson and Molly Ryan are available with more of New York’s new talented musicians for next year’s Hot Steamed Jazz Festival! http://danlevinson.com/ensembles.html
Bob Seeley, 85 years old in September, is a “National Treasure,” an exponent and proponent of Boogie Woogie. He grew up when Boogie was popular music, never forgot Meade Lux Lewis, Albert Ammons, James P. Johnson. He remembered when Albert Ammons and Pete Johnson played a duet at Carnegie Hall in 1938, from spirituals to boogie – it was a Boogie Woogie Dream!
A natural entertainer, he speaks about all the great pianists of the past, including some we’ve never heard of, like Freddy Slack, who wrote Strange Cargo.
Bob Seeley teaches us about past masters
Bob started out with Seeley’s Boogie. He played W. C. Handy’s St. Louis Blues first in boogie, then switched to stride – first slow, then at a thundering pace, sounding as if there were three pianists. Unbelievable!
He was having a problem with the piano – the ‘sustained key’ pedal on the Yamaha piano was hard, and stride has many sustained notes. He just pushed harder.
He asked for requests and unfortunately got one – Jay was having his 70th birthday and his wife asked for Happy Birthday. Jay got his Happy Birthday Boogie. (Fortunately there were no copyright police around to collect the royalties on it.)
Seeley loves what he’s doing!
Amazing Grace began very slow and reverent as a spiritual and quickly turned into a fast boogie – audience loved it, and he loved the audience. “Mature audience – thank goodness!!”
This is from the 2012 Hot Steamed Jazz Festival:
Hot Steamed Jazz Festival is located at a Steam Train Museum – he had to play something about railroads – he chose Honky Tonk Train. This was Meade Lux Lewis’ special tune that requires a muscular left hand. It has a repetitive bass that sometimes gives the left hand cramps. He was ferocious and wild! From there he continued with Pete Johnson’s JJ’s Boogie – at an exhausting pace!
He gets together with another fine piano player whenever he’s here at the Hot Steamed Jazz Festival. They generally start out peacefully. But with Barnhart, one never knows…
Seeley and Barnhart at piano
Jeff Barnhart and Bob Seeley
When Barnhart plays – Seeley can’t sit still – no way! Loves to prance around.
And he never misses a parade!
Always has his tambourine with him…
He is a Happy-go-lucky Treasure!
“Boogie Woogie demands precise fingering and split second timing. It’s one of the most demanding and dangerous pieces of music to perform and only a handful of people left on earth possess it.”
Here he was on June 11th at the Blind Boone Ragtime & Early Jazz Festival in Columbia,Missouri ~ June 11, 2013. Video by Tom Warner (tdub1941) http://youtu.be/M8fz6jLnLr0
We are indeed fortunate to have Bob Seeley here in Connecticut to show us how its done. See you next year!!
Joe Midiri – Clarinet, Saxophones, Paul Midiri – Vibraphone, Trombone, Pat Mercuri – Guitar, Ed Wise – String Bass, and Jim Lawlor – Drums.
The Midiri Brothers, identical twins, graduated from Glassboro State College in the mid-1980s, and have been keeping Swing alive all over the country ever since.
Joe Midiri’s creativity, technique of breathing, and sound – as with his clarinet in D over High C, is unsurpassed. Paul does many of the arrangements, and his vibes remind us of the great Red Norvo in the Benny Goodman Sextet.
Shine:
Joe used the circle breathing technique for holding a note forever on After You’ve Gone. Ed Wise used his voice mike, humming along when he’s bowing that marvelous string bass.
Joe Midiri on soprano sax
Always, the song I sang to my grandchildren when they were babies. Joe moved to soprano sax, again holding long notes, for The September Song – sweetest soprano sax you ever heard!
Ed Wise Humming along with his string bass
Paul did the arrangement for a tune he heard on a Count Basie recording, Let’s Go – clarinet and vibes playing together in sync, with Ed humming in the background.
Joe Midiri sings Louis A.
Joe’s Louis Armstrong imitation is precious, sometimes on Wonderful World.
Here he’s Louis on Pennies From Heaven. Joe on alto sax, Paul trombone.
Pennies From Heaven
Pat Midiri
Pat Mercuri, guitar, plays catchy riffs, fills in any spaces.
Avalon:
Together:
Paul joins drummer Jim Lawlor for Lime House Blues
The Midiri Brothers are entertainers as well as virtuoso swing musicians. They keep the crowd laughing with their sibling rivalry banter. The Midiri Brothers Sextet keep dancers Swinging! Check out their schedule at The Midiri Brothers – New Jersey
The photo shows (from left to right) J.T. Lincoln (piano) Caleb Jackson & Nathaniel Weir (trumpets) Jake Brunelle & Sky Hagner (sax) Kevin Bjarnason (clarinet) Emma Sayles (trombone) Andrew Zych (bass) Sam Gosner & Mike Schober (trombones) and Art Hovey on tuba. Not shown are Robert Young (piano) Ben Shorten (guitar & banjo) Brendan LeMieux and Molly Sayles (drums).
Sugarfoot Philharmonic (The Route 17 Stompers)
Most of Art Hovey’s Sugarfoot Youth Jazz Band http://nejazz.com/oldsite/HotStm12_Sugarfoot.htm members have graduated and moved on to higher education, many on their way to becoming professional musicians.
Art is now breaking in a new, much younger group – The “Route 17 Stompers” – mostly from Durham, which is just up Route 17 from the site of the old Millpond Taverne.
Some Sugarfoot alumni returned to assist the new band at the 2013 Hot Steamed Jazz Festival.
Mollie Sayles
Robert Young
Sky Hagner reeds
Emma Sayles
Molly Sayles started them out on drums on “By and By” and “Joe Avery’s Piece”, Robert Young sat in on piano, Sky Hagner on clarinet and sax, Emma Sayles on trombone, and Ben Shorten on banjo and guitar. They each contributed some unrehearsed solos and powerful additions to the ensemble.
Caleb and Nathaniel
In the new band, which has been rehearsing monthly for about a year, Nathaniel Weir is King Oliver, Caleb Jackson is Louis Armstrong. Jake Brunelle plays alto sax, Kevin Bjarnason plays clarinet, Mike Schober and Sam Gosner play trombone, J.T. Lincoln is on piano, Andrew Zych is on bass, and Brendan LeMieux was on drums.
Brandon Lemieux
The group kicked off with the old Sugarfoot arrangement of “Arab Strut”, with J.T. Lincoln soloing on piano.
J. T. Lincoln
Next was “By and By”, with Emma Sayles on trombone, a trumpet duet chorus by Nathaniel and Caleb, and a clarinet-sax duet by Kevin and Jake.
reeds” Jake, Sky, Kevin
King Oliver’s “Camp Meeting Blues” featured the famous trombone solo (harmonized) with Michael, Sam, and Emma, followed by the theme which Duke Ellington borrowed and re-named “Creole Love Call” played by Kevin and Jake.
Oliver’s “Canal Street Blues” featured improvised solos by Nathaniel, Kevin, Caleb, and J.T. “Careless Love” included a piano solo by Robert Young, a guitar solo by Ben Shorten, a trombone solo by Michael Schober, and a sax chorus by Sky Hagner.
Ben Shorten
Ja-Da – Sonny Rollins ‘re-invented it’ using the Ja-Da chords for his composition “Doxy” in 1954. Our arrangement begins with Doxy, reverts to Jada with half-chorus solos by J.T., Jake, Nathaniel, the trombone section and then returns to Doxy for the ending.
Jazz Me Blues, 1921 featured a trumpet duet chorus and a clarinet-sax duet. Joe Avery’s piece featured Molly, Nathaniel, Jake, and Sky. Melancholy was short and sweet.
Andrew Zych
Red Wing is a popular song written in 1907 with music by Kerry Mills and lyrics by Thurland Chattaway. Mills adapted the music from Robert Schumann’s composition for piano “The Happy Farmer, Returning From Work” from his 1848 work Album for the Young, Opus 68. The song tells of a young Indian maid’s loss of her sweetheart who has died in battle. In 1940 Woody Guthrie wrote what are probably the most familiar lyrics “Union Maid”. The Stompers version featured a short piano solo, another clarinet-sax duet, a trumpet solo, and a trombone duet.
Working Man Blues is another King Oliver number featuring duet breaks for the trumpets and for the clarinet and sax. Sugarfoot Jazz Band alumni showing off their sight reading skills on Lu Watters’ “Sage Hen Strut”. Lu was a leader of the Yerba Buena Jazz Band in San Francisco in the 40’s and 50’s. Turk Murphy started with this band.
There are some amazing budding musicians in this “Sugarfoot Philharmonic” Jazz Band. We’re looking forward to hearing what they’ll be playing next year!
Bill Logozzo’s Heartbeat Jazz Band, “New England’s Most Lovable Jazz Band”, has many variations, but always plays great Traditional and Dixieland Jazz, and even some Rock & Roll. Bill picks the best musicians from Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York, and Florida — they are all eager to be in this band.
This session, recorded by Eric Devine, has Sherman Kahn and Noel Kaletsky reeds, Tom Brown cornet, Skip Hughes trombone/vocals, Ben Griffen trombone, Steve Keeler guitar, Shari Lewis piano, Al Bernard sousaphone, Bill Logozzo drums, Jane Campedelli vocals.
Jane Campedelli
You can feel the camaraderie between the members. Skip Hughes starts the vocals on this one, Louisian-I-A; he motions Jane to join him. Albie backs them.
Jane, Albie, and Skip. (Marce photo from other session)
Skip Hughes is a gregarious singer, belts out the tunes, and really connects with the audience. But here in Georgia he reveals another, softer, side.
Roll the Patrol is usually Skip’s tune, but he let Janie start this one.
Ben Griffin takes the intro on When You’re Smiling. Marvelous! Bob Price couldn’t be here, Steve Keeler filled in, focused on guitar. You’ll be hearing more from him!
Stevedore Stomp is strictly instrumental, with two trombones, and Noel on alto sax, Sherman clarinet, Tom Brown on growling cornet.
Second session, multi-instrumentalist John Clark stepped in for Noel. Clark and Kahn work together and play off each other – superb craftsmanship.
John Clark joins Heartbeat Jazz Band
Sherman Kahn alto sax and clarinet, John Clark bari sax, soprano sax, clarinet, Tom Brown cornet, Skip Hughes trombone/vocals, Ben Griffin trombone, Steve Keeler guitar, Shari Lewis piano, Al Bernard sousaphone, Bill Logozzi drums, Jane Campedelli vocals.
They opened with a good ol’ good one, New Orleans, and ended up with some Rock & Roll. With Skip and Jane singing, Clark took out the baritone sax for Goody Goody. They asked him to call the next tune, he chose Sweet Georgia Brown that featured two trombones.
Steve, Ben Griffin, Albie, Skip Hughes
Down in Honky Tonk Town, powerful, with Sherman on tenor sax, Clark on soprano sax, hot dazzling solos buoyed by propulsive rhythm section. Both on clarinet, they ‘worked like government mules’ on Avalon.
Sherman Kahn and John Clark
Jane and Skip are a show by themselves. Big discussion on who will start Just a Closer Walk With Thee, Jane says to Skip, “You start, like you always do”. Skip replies “And you’ll get the last word in, I’m sure”!
Jane and Skip go at it
Jane got the last word in, softly backed by Ben on trombone.
Tom Brown cornet
John Clark beat out a hard driving tempo for a scorching Running Wild. Clark’s soprano sax traded 4s with cornetist Tom Brown setting sparks flying.
Steve Keeler
Steve Keeler made the guitar intro to a Dolly Parton tune, Pretend, and pushed the beat on Hey Good Lookin’ Jane and Skip scatting. Please Don’t Talk About Me When I’m Gone.
Bill Logozzo is a most unique individual. This world needs more like him! Besides being a fine musician with a great band, he drums up charitable support for the needy with his high-powered Heartbeat Dixieland Jazz Band and Musical Dreams for Human Harmony.
Bill Logozzo
His mission: “To solicit and earn funds through musical productions and programs for the purpose of helping people from all religions, races and ages, with specific medical needs and/or handicaps. To achieve the highest donation rate possible, through minimal expenses and volunteer labor.”
Karen Senn is now letting the world know where they’re playing by emailing The Heartbeat Weekly Pulse and posting on Facebook.
The Wolverine Jazz Band has finally become recognized as one of the top Traditional and Dixieland Jazz Bands. It’s been a long time coming, since John Clark stepped in to fill in the reed section of the Paramount Jazz Band in 1994.
In his own words:
“I started at the Holiday Inn when Ray invited me to his 1994 Christmas party there – I thought it was an actual party and not a performance, so it was a good thing I thought to throw my bari in the car – it turned out to be an audition (I had played in a casual group with Ray the summer before). Apparently I passed, because I was put on the regular rotation after that (I believe the Christmas gig was the last local gig for both Gary Rodberg and Steve Wright – I think they both moved away within a week or so). That led to my subbing for Steve with the Paramount J.B. on the England tour in June, 1995.”
John continued his studies at Connecticut College, and soon formed the Wolverine Jazz Band, with its own ‘Bix’, Jeff Hughes on cornet and trumpet,Tom Boates trombone, Ross Petot piano, Jimmy Mazzy banjo/vocals, Rick MacWilliams tuba, Dave Didriksen drums.
They have since been invited to the Bar Harbor Jazz Festival, America’s Dixieland Festival, Olympia; Arizona Classic Jazz Festival, Summit Jazz Festival, Hot Steamed Jazz Festival.
They kicked off this session with a tune Santo Pecora, trombone, played with the New Orleans Rhythm Kings. Check out our own Santo Pecora! She’s Crying For Me,.
Jimmy starts a swinging 1920’s Dardanella,
Jimmy sings Yellow Dog Blues
The one and only Jimmy Mazzy singing in the 1919 W. C. Handy’s Yellow Dog Blues.
(People in New England don’t jump up out of their seats and holler like the West Coast Trad Jazz Fans on Yellow Dog Blues.)
Sweet Jenny Lee is on one of the Woverines’ many CDs. Clark dug out the bari sax.
The Rhythm Boys keep the band jumping.
Dave Dickriksen
Rick MacWilliams
They stole a tune from Clarence Williams – “You can never get enough from him.” Cushion Foot Stomp, with Jimmy vocal, Dave wrapped it up with a loud crash cymbal.
The Halfway House Orchestra did this old chestnut in the 1920’. Wolverines updated it to 1925 style. Let Me Call You Sweetheart, Ross marvelous on stride piano.
Tom Boates
They moved to ‘western swing’ with a tune played by Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys, with Tom Boates’ captivating vocal. Cherokee Maiden, backed by Dave’s Native American drum beat.
Ross was back in stride with a hard driving tempo on Duke’s Street Beat CD, Birmingham Breakdown. Fabulous muted trombone and baritone sax.
Trumpet and banjo kicked off Irving Berlin’s 1929 Waiting at the End of the Road, featuring Jimmy;nice tight ensemble on Jimmy Blythe’s 1920’s Oriental Man.
The Wolverine Jazz Band plays at least once a month at the Sherborn Inn’s Tuesday Night Jazz, and always to a full-house. For their schedule, best get on John’s email list at jazzbnd@aol.com
