ON JANUARY 17 UPTOWN LOWDOWN WILL STOMP

January 2016
Volume 41, Number 01
ON JANUARY 17
UPTOWN LOWDOWN WILL STOMP OFF 2016!
By George Swinford
The Uptown Lowdown Jazz Band needs
little introduction to a PSTJS audience. After
all, they’ve been our January band for years
and we’ve long enjoyed their music at jazz
events here and across the country. Perhaps,
rather than an introduction, a bit of band
history will be appropriate.
Bert Barr formed his Uptown Lowdown
Jazz Band in 1973. Since then it has been
continuously active in the Northwest,
across the country and even internationally.
Thirty of the band’s recordings are currently
available, dating from 1985 and on. In my
own collection I have at least four Uptown
Lowdown LPs from the years before that.
Many musicians have cycled through
the band. Some have passed on, but quite
a few are still active on the local scene. Think of Rollie Morehouse, Steven Joseph,
Ed Krenz, Sal Smith and Gary Provonsha,
all former members now gone. In the latter
group are Dave Holo, Dave Loomis, Tom
Jacobus, George Goldsberry, Dave Brown
and several others. Remember that KPLU’s
jazz historian? Ken Wiley played trombone
on the band’s first two recordings. No doubt
the most notable change in personnel came
about when pianist Dr. Bob Dunn left the
band. He was replaced by Rose Marie
Sparks, who soon became Rose Marie Barr
and who continues to be the band’s everpopular pianist.
Although the band has experienced
many changes, this year’s line-up duplicates
the roster from last January’s session. Bert
Barr will lead on cornet, with Rose Marie
Barr on piano. Andy Hall will play trombone
and Paul Woltz will bring a variety of reeds,
no doubt including that crowd-pleasing bass
sax. Longtime banjoist Al LaTourette will
be on the stand too, along with Art Horgan
on tuba. We can expect vocals from Paul
and Andy.
Uptown Lowdown has amassed an
extensive book of ragtime, classic jazz and
pop tunes from the 1920s. Once again we’ll
hear Bert’s selections from the danceable
music of Joplin, Morton, King Oliver,
Fletcher Henderson, Turk Murphy and
many others. Bring your friends and join
us at the Ballard Elks on January 17th for a
great afternoon of music and fun.
WHERE: Ballard Elks Lodge
6411 Seaview Ave. NW, Seattle
WHEN:
1 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. January 17
ADMISSION: $12 PSTJS members $15 non-members. Pay only at door.
FURTHER INFO: Carol Rippey 425-776-5072. Or - website: www.pstjs.org. Plenty of
free parking; great view & dance floor,
snacks, coffee, and other beverages
available.
Notes from the Prez
Happy New Year everyone! 2016,
wow, time sure flies by. We have been
given tickets for two festivals. The
Fresno festival dates are February 11-14,
the Seaside dates are February 25-28.
We have two all-event tickets for each
festival, to be sold separately. As always,
the money we receive for the tickets
goes to the Youth Scholarship Fund. We’ll be auctioning off these four tickets
during this month’s raffle, so bring your
checkbooks or cash, and get in on good
pricing plus helping send music students
to Jazz Camp. Be sure to look for this month’s jazz
memories letter, it’ll bring back fond
memories for all of you, I promise. And for
those of you who haven’t sent me memories,
please do. Please send them in an email so I
can forward it to our Editor for publication
in a future “Soundings”. Cheers, Judy Jazz Soundings
January 2016
Puget Sound
Traditional Jazz Society
19031 Ocean Avenue
Edmonds, WA 98020-2344
425-776-5072 www.pstjs.org
Elks Lodge, Ballard, 6411 Seaview Ave N.W., Seattle
January 17
Uptown Lowdown Jazz Band
February 21
Claire McKenna and Friends
March 20
Gerry Green’s Crescent City Shakers
April 17
Ain’t No Heaven Seven
May 15
holotradband
June 19
New Orleans Quintet
PRESIDENT
Judy Levy
[email protected]
425-890-6605
VICE PRESIDENT Jack Temp
425-242-0683
SECRETARY
Cilla Trush
[email protected]
206-363-9174
TREASURER
Gloria Kristovich
[email protected]
425-776-7816
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
MEMBERSHIP COORDINATOR
Carol Rippey [email protected]
EDITOR
Anita LaFranchi [email protected] WEBMASTER
George Peterson [email protected]
Gigs for Local Bands
BELLINGHAM TRADITIONAL JAZZ SOCIETY
UPCOMING EVENTS
Keith Baker [email protected]
Verna Eriks
Joanne Hargrave [email protected]
John Heinz [email protected]
Edmunde Lewin George Peterson [email protected]
Carol Rippey [email protected] George Swinford [email protected]
Page 2
206-363-6171
206-550-4664
425-412-0590
360-297-6633
425-453-5218
425-776-5072
425-869-2780
425-776-5072
1st Saturday, 2 - 5 pm VFW Hall 625 N. State St
Jan. 2
Halleck Street Ramblers
Feb. 6
Bob Storms’ All-Stars
March 5 Clamdigger Jazz Band
BOURBON STREET ALL STARS
1st Tuesday, 5-9pm at McCloud’s Grillhouse 2901 Perry Ave, Bremerton, WA 98310 Res: 360-373-3093
DAVE HOLO TRIO
Salty’s on Alki 1936 Harbor Avenue. SW Seattle, WA 98126 206-937-1600
Jan 15 5-8pm
GREATER OLYMPIA DIXIELAND JAZZ SOCIETY
2nd Sundays 1-4:30pm Elks Lodge. 1818 Fourth Ave., Olympia
Jan. 10
Mardi Gras Jazz Band
Feb. 14 Columbia Classic Jazz Band
March 13 Uptown Lowdown Lite
Apr. 10 Columbia Classic Jazz Band
May 1
Hume Street
June 12 Dukes of Swing
PEARL DJANGO
Jan 2-3
Jan. 31
7:30pm Jazz Alley with Gail Pettis 2033 Sixth Ave.,
Seattle, WA (206-441-9729
7:30pm WICA (in Langley) with singer Gail Pettis
565 Camano Ave, Langley, Washington
RAY SKJELBRED & THE YETI CHASERS
206-522-7691
Jan 23
5 - 7:30pm Royal Room (Seattle, WA) For more info visit: http://theroyalroomseattle.com
425-453-5218
UPTOWN LOWDOWN JAZZ BAND
Jan. 17 1-4:30pm Puget Sound Traditional Jazz Society - Ballard Elks
Jan. 30 7-9pm Jubilee, Lacey - Trad Jazz Concert
JAZZ SOUNDINGS
Published monthly except July and August by the
Puget Sound Traditional Jazz Society.
Anita LaFranchi, Editor, [email protected]
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On Your Dial........
Saturday
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Art of Jazz, Ken Wiley, KPLU 88.5 FM
Jazz Soundings
January 2016
Page 3
Presented by Lighthouse Jazz Society
February 25 - 28, 2016
SEASIDE, OREGON
Blue Street
Bob Draga and Friends
Cornet Chop Suey
Grand Dominion
High Sierra
Ivory & Gold®
Mardi Gras
Rudy’s Revelers
Stephanie Trick & Paolo Alderighi
Tom Rigney
Uptown Lowdown
Young Bucs
BOB DRAGA, Guest Artist
Five venues: Three at the Convention Center and
one each at the Best Western Ocean View Resort, and Seaside Elks.
Call 1-888-306-2326 for housing info.
More information at www.jazzseaside.com or 1-866-345-6257,
Monday-Friday, 9 – 5 PM only.
A portion of this project was made possible from a grant from
the City of Seaside Tourism Advisory Committee, funded by room tax dollars.
Jazz Soundings
January 2016
Page 4
ENTERTAINMENT: A FEW CLOSE CALLS
By Ray Skjelbred
Do you remember Joanne Worley?
She was one of the stars of the manic
comedy show “Laugh-In” from many
years ago. During my time with Turk
Murphy at the Fairmont Hotel we
used to see famous people all the time,
but an incident with Worley was my
favorite. Bill Carroll (our wonderful
tuba player) and I were sitting on a
couch in the lobby during a break when
she walked by. Suddenly she turned,
pulled up Bill’s socks and said, “You
know they make socks with elastic now
so they stay up by themselves,” and
walked on, end of meeting. During the time I played trombone
with the Red Garter band for the 49’ers
games, we always had to accompany a
guest star who sang the “Star Spangled
Banner.” We would learn the appropriate
key and rehearse some time before the
game. One day the guest was Tennessee
Ernie Ford, a folksy and natural sort of
guy. After rehearsal he said, “I have to
take a leak. Could you fellers form a
circle around me so I can have some
privacy?” Yes, and there we were, at the
edge of the bleachers.
At the Fairmont Hotel the Venetian
Room with big name stars was next door to
the New Orleans Room where we played.
At one time the Mills Brothers appeared. Actually it was one Mills brother and, I
believe, his nephew. I still was thrilled to
see him. The Mills Brothers have always
been favorites of mine. One night while
wandering aimlessly in the hallway
during a break, I saw Donald Mills doing
the same. He said, “How are things in
your room tonight?” and I realized at
that moment that this legendary man just
thought of us as two working musicians.
He was a quiet fellow and I was happy
to have a few words with him. The next
night I brought him a record for him to
sign. He did, but he wrote, “Donald Mills,
of the Mills Brothers.” I have always
felt that he added the title to just make
sure I would know who he was. It was a
sweet and humble gesture. I have never
forgotten it.
When I played at the last Earthquake
McGoon’s club that Turk had, the singer/
actress Martha Raye came in one night.
She always played the part of a clown
but I thought she was really a wonderful
singer. I told her how much I dug her
in a 1930’s Bing Crosby musical called
“Rhythm on the Range.” She laughed,
kissed me and said, “You weren’t even
born yet when I made that picture.” Of
course that was true, although any film
with Bing Crosby, Louis Prima, Frances
Farmer, Roy Rogers and the Sons of the
Pioneers seems part of the time of my
life, whatever that is.
MY INTRODUCTION TO DIXIELAND JAZZ
By Therese Berg
It was July 1980. The TV evening
news on KOMO featured The Island
City Jazz Band, which played on Saturdays in a tavern in Friday Harbor. It
was advertising a Jazz Festival to be
held on the last Saturday in July in
Friday Harbor on San Juan Island.
My husband, Norman Berg, was impressed. We decided to go. So on Saturday morning we got up very early
and drove, along with my brother,
Jerry Kyle and his wife June, up to
Anacortes to board the ferry. The
first band we heard was the Phoenix Jazzers, with Jim Armstrong
on trombone and Roy Reynolds on
reeds.The venues for the bands were
in various restaurants and the Grange
Hall. The bands which I recall were,
besides The Phoenix Jazzers, the
host band of course Island City Jazz
Band, with Tom Scoogs on trumpet,
the Bascombe brothers on piano and
clarinet, Don Anderson on trombone,
Gary Provonsha on drums and Linda
Travis, vocalist. The others were Uptown
Lowdown Jazz Band and Rainer Jazz
Band. The Dixieland Express Jazz
Band from Victoria, B. C. came in on
a private sailing yacht. As the ship came
slowly into the bay, the band was playing on deck in their white pants and red
shirts. The crew in navy blue pants and
white sweatshirts were up on the yard
arms high-stepping to the music. What
a spectacle!
What a day! The Washington
State Ferry System ran an extra
late night ferry for all of us. And
The Phoenix Jazzers were again on
board. They set up on the upper deck
and played. We had a ‘sing-along’.
What a day!
We vowed to return again the following year, and the next , and the next.
Jazz Soundings
January 2016
Page 5
Puget Sound Traditional Jazz Society
19031 Ocean Ave., Edmonds, WA 98020-2344
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B A N D S , C O N TA C T S
AIN’T NO HEAVEN SEVEN Leader: Terry Rogers
[email protected] 206-465-6601
BOURBON STREET ALL STARS
Leader: Jeff Winslow (360) 731 0322 [email protected]
COAL CREEK JAZZ BAND Leader: Judy Logen, 425-6411692 Bookings: [email protected]
COMBO DE LUXE Bookings: Candace Brown
www.combodeluxe.net [email protected] 253-752-6525
CORNUCOPIA CONCERT BAND Leader: Allan Rustad
www.comband.org 425-744-4575
DUKES OF DABOB Bookings: Mark Holman, 360-779-6357,
[email protected].
DUWAMISH JAZZ BAND Bookings: Carol Johnston
[email protected] 206-932-7632
EVERGREEN CLASSIC JAZZ BAND Leader: Tom Jacobus
email: [email protected] ph: 253-852-6596 or cell 253-709-3013
FIRST THURSDAY BAND Leader: Ray Skjelbred,
[email protected] 206-420-8535
FOGGY BOTTOM JAZZ BAND Leader: Bruce Cosacchi
360-638-2074
GRAND DOMINION JAZZ BAND Bookings: Bob Pelland
[email protected] 360-387-2500
holotradband Leader: Dave Holo email: [email protected]
www.holotradband.com
HOT CLUB SANDWICH Contact: James Schneider
www.hotclubsandwich.com 206-561-1137
HUME STREET PRESERVATION JAZZ BAND
Bookings: Karla West 406-862-3814
JAZZ UNLIMITED BAND Leader: Duane Wright
[email protected] 206-930-9998
JAZZ STRINGS Bookings: Candace Brown
[email protected] 253-752-6525
LOUISIANA JOYMAKERS! Leader: Leigh Smith
[email protected] 604-294-9464
THE MARKET STREET DIXIELAND JASS BAND
Ansgar Duemchen: 425-286-5703 Tim Sherman 206-547-1772
www.marketstreetdixielandjass.com
MIGHTY APHRODITE Co-leaders: Bria Skonberg, Claire
McKenna [email protected] 405-613-0568
NEW ORLEANS QUINTET Jake Powel 206- 725-3514
[email protected]
RAINIER JAZZ BAND Manager: Randy Keller
[email protected] 206-437-1568
RAY SKJELBRED
[email protected] 206-420-8535
RONNIE PIERCE JAZZ ENSEMBLE
[email protected], 206-467-9365
UPTOWN LOWDOWN JAZZ BAND Leader: Bert Barr
[email protected] 425-898-4288
WILD CARDS JAZZ Leader: Randy Keller
[email protected] 206-437-1568