December, 2014 - Napa Valley Dixieland Jazz Society

NVDJS NEWS
NVDJS NEWS
Napa Valley
Dixieland Jazz Society
P.O. Box 5494,
Napa, CA 94581
December January 2014-15
FIRST CLASS MAIL
NAPA VALLEY
DIXIELAND JAZZ SOCIETY
Sunday, December 14
2014
Sunday, January 11
2015
1:00-4:00 pm
at
Grant HallVeteran’s Home
Yountville, CA
RENEWALS that are DUE
December
on December 14, 2014 1:00 - 4:00
Gold Coast Jazz Band
The late Phil Stiers started the
Gold Coast Jazz Band in 1993, and for
the past 20 years this seven-piece (now
six) show and dance band has performed its trademark style that Phil
came to call "danceable Dixieland", music guaranteed to put a smile on your
face, set your toes to tapping and your
feet to dancing.
The Gold Coast book of more than 300 tunes is an eclectic collection of early
New Orleans-style jazz, hot and tight traditional or "classic" jazz, Dixieland,
ragtime, boogie-woogie, period pop and novelty tunes from the 1920's
Bill Badstubner
Ev Farey
Ray Walker
Sharon Swenson
Trombone, Co-ldr
Trumpet
Reeds
Piano (guest artist)
Jeff Green
Banjo, Guitar, Co-ldr
Candy Woodworth Tuba
Soren Bloch
Drums
Zane Woodworth Vocals
Patty Geyser
Ashley Radcliffe
on January 11, 2015 1:00 - 4:00
The Zenith Jazz Band
Robin Roberts
Gil & Joyce Robinson
Edwina Walsh
Tom & Rose Wolford
January
John Bailey
Bruce Sue Balala
Glenn Calkins
Doc & Bernice Eggen
Jack & Mary Harford
Helen Fay Frank Matulovich
Donald Meehan
Loyce Besant Don Morrison
Larry Risner
Alyce Shutzbaugh
Wayne Taylor
Gerald Turner
Betty Jo Worswick
(Formerly the Jelly Roll Jazz Band)
NAPA VALLEY DIXIELAND JAZZ SOCIETY
MEMBERSHIP
Name_______________________________
Address_____________________________
City___________________Zip___________
Telephone:______________Date:________
Standard Membership
Single
($8.00 Session Admission) Couple
Contributing Membership Single
(Free Session Admission) Couple
Sustaining Membership
Single
(Free Session Admission) Couple
$30.00/year
$50.00/year
$100.00/year
$170.00/year
$150.00/year
$250.00/year
Enclosed is a check for the following: New
Mail check made out to:
Renew
NVDJS, P.O. Box 5494, Napa, CA. 94581
Monthly Admission
Donations
NVDJS
$8.00
Other Jazz Clubs
$9.00
Other Guests
$10.00
Youth (12-18 years)
$3.00
Children (under 12 years) No charge
NVDJS
on the Worldwide Web
Since 1959, Ted Shafer has led both two cornet bands and smaller New Orleans-style combos under the "Jelly Roll Jazz Band" name.
Ted has now retired but the band continues
under Earl Scheelar and a new/old name of
Zenith Jazz Band
Few contemporary traditional bands can
match the breadth and scope of the JRJB repertoire: obscurities associated with Ma Rainey,
Tiny Parham, Johnny Dodds, King Oliver, Jelly Roll Morton and the Dixieland Jug
Blowers; compositions by Lu Watters and Turk Murphy and originals by young revivalists such as Charlie Sonnanstine, Roy Giomi, Robin Wetterau and Sanford New-
Check out:
the Napa Valley site
napatradjazz.org
Earl Scheelar
Tom Barneby
Glenn Calkins
Pete Main
Cornet Leader
Cornet
Trombone
Reeds
Virginia Tichnor
Piano
Jim O’Briant
Tuba
Ken Keeler, Jeff Green Banjo
Lisa Gonick - Ukulele, vocal
NVDJS NEWS
published by the
Napa Valley Dixieland Jazz
Society
P.O. Box 5494, Napa, CA. 94581
__________________________________
The NVDJS is a non-profit organization
founded to encourage an appreciation of
and education in Traditional, Dixieland,
Ragtime and Swing Jazz.
_______________________________
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
and OFFICERS
President
Linda Stevens
Vice President
Marilee Jensen
Secretary
Phil Ingalls
Treasurer
Phil Ingalls
Directors at Large
Don Robertson Gene Campbell
Wayne Taylor
Directors Emeritus
Phil Eggers
Dorothy Hoffman
NEWSLETTER
Editor - Don Robertson 707-258-9259
e-mail: [email protected]
Assist. Editor - Dave Forus
OTHER POSITIONS
Membership
Don Robertson
707-258-9259
Publicity
Historian
Band Liaison
Gene Campbell
707-374-3429
Linda Stevens
707-939-9018
_______________________________________________
Advertising
(ONLY if space permits)
Ads must be submitted by the 15th of the
month preceeding publication.
Full Page..(half legal size).... . .$70.00
Full Page insert---you provide....$30.00
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Quarter Page.................................$20.00
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(Yearly rate = 10 times the monthly rate)
Ads must be paid in advance.
Jazz Around The Bay Area
President's Message
Jazz Clubs
1st Sunday
Well, what a wonderful day we had with the
highflying Flying Eagles Jazz Band entertaining us in November. A lively, talented
band of familiar faces; a full dance floor;
enthusiastic attendees all contributed to a very fine day for
the Napa Valley Dixieland Jazz Society. Rod Roberts was
generous enough to entertain on the piano during the short
breaks and the reduced hours that we are trying through
the winter gave folks the chance to be home before dark.
In October Mission Gold Jazz Band was the popular band
in attendance – a great band with a unique sound. They
were most impressed by the venue and attendees were
impressed by their music. Good band, nice folks.
Continuing our annual tradition, we welcome back the Gold
Coast Jazz Band, with the guest pianist Sharon Swenson,
for our holiday party this month. As we try out various
scenarios for the breaks, we won’t have any music during
the breaks to see if that is a popular option.
We will provide home baked goodies and if any bakers in
the crowd would like to bring some of their creations,
please feel free to do so, but if not that’s fine too.
To begin 2015, we will have the Zenith Jazz Band formerly
the Jelly Roll Jazz Band. Unfortunately, Ted Shafer finds it
necessary to retire due to health issues at least for now.
Hopefully, he will regain his health and be back in business
soon. Earl Scheelar is the leader of the Zenith Jazz Band,
but Ted put together the musicians for this appearance.
See you on Dec 14, 1-4 pm, for another fun afternoon of
our favorite music.
Linda
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TRAD JASS of Santa Rosa meets at Ellington Hall 3535 Industrial Drive, Suite B4 Santa Rosa, January 4,
Neely’s Rhythm Aces, February 1, Fog City Stompers1:00-5:30PM. (707) 526-1772 Jammers call (707) 542-3973,
members $8, other clubs $9, public $10.
3rd Sunday
NOJCNC meets at the Champa Thai, 3550H San Pablo Dam Road, El Sobrante, December 21, Golden Gate Rhythm
Machine, January 18, Cell Block 7 1:00-5:00 PM info call Tom Belmessieri (925) 432-6532, or Paul Hilton (415) 4313390 , Jammers call Rod Roberts (415) 499-1190 . members $8, other clubs $10, public $12.
4th Sunday
SOUTH BAY TRAD JAZZ SOCIETY, Sunnyvale Elks, 375 N Pastoria Ave, Sunnyvale CA, December 28,
High Sierra , January 25, Pat Dutrow’s Jazzmeisters. 1:00 - 5:00 PM info– Barbara Kinney at (510) 792-5484 , members $8, other clubs $8, public $10.
Jazz in other places
Sundays
**Every Sunday**Swing Seven Jazz Band –from 7:00—10:PM at the Hydro Bar and Grill, 1403 Lincoln Ave, Calistoga, No
Cover.
**3rd Sunday-Joyful Noise Jazz Band -from 5:30-7:00 PM at the Champa Thai, 3550H San Pablo Dam Road, El Sobrante,
LARGE dance floor, for info call 510-222-1819.
** 3rd Sunday Gold Coast Jazz Band at the Redwood Café. 8240 Old Redwood Highway, Cotati 4-7 PM, No cover
Info: Bill Badstubner 707-526-1772 or Jeff Green, 650-892-0448
Tuesdays
** 1st and 3rd Tuesdays-- Ken Brock’s Jambalaya Swing (11 pc Big Band ) } play from 7:30 to 9:30 PM Castle Rock Restaurant ,
,** 2nd and 4th Tuesdays– Chris Bradley’s Traditional Jazz Band
} 1848 Portola Avenue, Livermore 925) 456-7100
**1st, 3rd Tuesdays-The Jazzinators (a youth band), play from 7-8pm PM, Pizza Depot. at 43450 Grimmer Rd., Fremont. (510)
656-9911 (an ALL ages Jam Set from 8-9PM.)
Wednesdays
** Every Wednesday- Phil Smith's Gentlemen of Jazz. at Uva Trattoria Italiana, 1040 Clinton, NAPA, 6:30-9:30 PM, Xcellent
food.NO cover, for info call (707)-255-6646.
**1st and 3rd Wednesdays - Mission Gold Jazz Band, Still looking for new venue
Thursdays
** 4th Thursday And That’s Jazz Is Back at High Street Station Cafe, 1303 High Street, Alameda,
Fridays
**Most Fridays-Clint Baker's Cafe Borrone All Stars play in Menlo Park at Cafe Borrone, 1010 El Camino Real, 8-11PM.
** Every Friday The Jelly Roll Jazz Band (five) at the Champa Thai, 3550H San Pablo Dam Road, El Sobrante, 7-10 PM
LARGE dance floor, for info call 510-222-1819.
**Every Friday- Phil Smith's Gentlemen of Jazz. at Uva Trattoria Italiana, 1040 Clinton, NAPA, 9:00 PM-12:00 M, Xcellent
food, NO cover, for info call 707-255-6646.
Saturdays
***Devil Mountain December 20, January 17, 1:30 - 4:30 PM at the Danville Grange Hall, 743 Diablo Rd., Danville, CA.
Admission $15 , BRING YOUR OWN REFRESHMENTS. Check www.jazznut.com, Call Virginia 510-655-6728.
***Last Satnrday Gold Coast Jazz Band at the Redwood Café. Beer Garden 8240 Old Redwood Highway, Cotati 4-7
PM, No cover
Page 7
San Francisco Jazz History
Excerpts by permission from The San Francisco Traditional Jazz Foundation Cricket
A Musical Rebellion
In 1940 the Lu Watters’ Yerba Buena Jazz Band was formed in revolt
against the Big Band swing of its day. They defiantly rejected what
they saw as bland or overly sophisticated written arrangements: modern orchestras were stifling real jazz expression.
Lu Watters discarded any musical practice or technique after
1930. The band’s tunes were arranged in relatively simple charts with
instrumental solos and breaks. Watters kept the ensemble predominant, avoiding the Dixieland formula associated with Eddie Condon in
the East. The hallmarks of this new ‘tradition’ were a pre-Swing perspective, and commitment to renewing the New Orleans ensemble
style: interwoven polyphonic musical lines.
Yerba Buena Jazz Band
The west coast Traditional Jazz
movement aspired to play authentic classic jazz from a generation
earlier in the style of Jelly Roll
Morton, King Oliver and the
early New Orleans diaspora.
Yerba Buena was dedicated to an early, even primitive, jazz style
rejecting the Hit Parade of the day for a repertoire from the first quarter of the 20th century. They set about reviving hundreds of long
forgotten blues, ballads, early jazz and Tin Pan Alley tunes.
BIG BEAR TAVERN
The Traditional Jazz revival began
at Big Bear Tavern in the Oakland
Hills: “The tavern was an old fashioned roadhouse containing stables
for horses and a dance floor for 400
people.” Jam sessions at Big Bear
draw jazz musicians from all over
the Bay Area to what Bob Helm
called, “an experimental laboratory of jazz.”
The Watters Sound
Lu modeled his band on the two-cornet front line of Joe “King” Oliver’s
Creole Jazz Band records, 1923-24. But he was also emulating the
‘outdoor’ sound of early New Orleans: the brassy style of music played
in parks and pavilions, lakeside picnics and dances. Yerba Buena manifested a musical sensibility and repertoire dating back a generation. The
rhythm section emphasized tuba, banjo and 2/4 time signature -- possibly adopted from the early Bennie Moten band -- an overt rejection of
modern 4/4 swing.
Page 6
The Yerba Buena sound was determined by Watters’ vision, its
structure, and its personnel. Watters seconded by Bob Scobey
was a forceful and confident trumpet lead. Turk Murphy’s tailgate
trombone had huge volume and swing. Reed men Bob Helm and
Ellis Horne played outside the mainstream in an acerbic, Johnny
Dodds-influenced style from the 1920s, with an added edge to cut
through the din of 4 brass instruments.
At full tilt Yerba Buena was stupendously loud. The front line horns
were so raucous they usually stood behind or next to the rhythm
instruments so as not to drown them out, or a second banjo was
added. This configuration set the pattern for a slew of bands that
followed and have kept this characteristic sound alive.
The Dawn Club (1941-44, 1946)
The Dawn Club in San Francisco was headquarters for the Trad Jazz revolution.
The former speakeasy was operated by the
band with dancing 4 or 5 nights a week and
broadcasts to the greater Northwestern United
States. During and after WW II, San Francisco
was a major port for troops departing or returning from the Pacific war. Many heard ‘the truth’
visiting the Dawn Club, sparking a lifelong
interest in the genre.
In 1946 the ABC Radio network hosted a 15:00
minute radio broadcast from the club three
nights a week via local affiliate KGO. Numerous airshots and discrecordings from the Dawn Club have been issued over the
years. These never published, or long out-of-print discs from the
Selman collection convey the electric and uninhibited atmosphere
surrounding the band.
"World War Two and Yerba Buena
In December 1941 just as the Watters' band popularity was rising
rapidly, the Second World War began for America. It disrupted orchestras across the country and many disbanded. But Yerba Buena
held together despite the enlistment of Watters, Scobey, Wally Rose
and Turk Murphy. During the war Yerba Buena substitute trumpeters
included the brief leadership of doomed genius Benny Strickler, Al
Zohn or others. Burt Bales was at the piano bench for Wally
Rose. Serving as “placeholder for Turk,” in his own words, was 17
year old trombone player Bill Bardin, working by special permission
of the musician’s union, though Murphy was often allowed leave from
his nearby Navy station to play . . . sometimes in uniform. Two
clarinets were utililzed when no trumpet was available, or to fortify
the single-trumpet front line. Immediately upon discharge the band
began rehearsing five hours a day for two months, building to the
successful relaunch in March 1946. But it closed permanently at the
end of that year.
Editor’s Notes:
Another great session at Grant Hall with the
Flying Eagles.
When we arrived to prepare for our session, we were greeted by two old “friends”.
Facility manager, Ian Merill had found that
his usual sound system had a problem, so
he pressed our newly donated mixer/
amplifier and speakers into service. We
also saw that he had installed our equipment cabinet, the infamous “Blue Box” in
his equipment closet. The band sounded
great as Ian knows how to set up and adjust the sound.
This will be the second of our abbreviated
sessions with minimal breaks.
Josh Kiser &
Ian Merill
of
Vets’ Home
Staff
with
Sound System
Wayne
Taylor’s
Ranchero
and the
Blue Box
Merry Christmas and Happy New year to
all.
Editor
Don Robertson
Directions to Grant Hall at the Vet’s Home
Take your usual route to the Highway
29 First Street off ramp.
Continue on Highway 29 past the First
Street off ramp for approximately 8
miles.
Take the California Drive off ramp in
Yountville and turn left on California
Drive.
Follow California Drive past the Welcom center until it ends in front of the
large white Member Services Building
at Presidents' Circle.
Go left on President's Circle and turn
left into the first parking lot.
Cross Presidents' Circle (on foot) and
enter the end of the Member Services
Building. Take elevator to the 2nd
floor
Go right down the corridor and find
Grant Hall on the left side.
Page 3
CD REVIEW
by Bert Thompson
BESSIE SMITH—THE BESSIE SMITH COLLECTION
1923-1925
(Acrobat
FADCD2040). Total playing time: 149 mins.
50 secs.
CD 1
Beale Street Mama; Keeps on A-Rainin [sic]
(Papa He Can’t Make No Time); Outside of That;
Midnight Blues; Nobody in Town Can Bake a
Sweet Jelly Roll like My Man; Whoa, Tillie, Take
Your Time; I’m Going Back to My Used to Be;
Mistreatin’ Daddy; Frosty Mornin [sic] Blues;
Eavesdropper Blues; Sorrowful Blues; House
Rent Blues; Weeping Willow Blues; Dying Gambler’s Blues; Reckless Blues; Sobbin’ Hearted
Blues; Cold in Hand Blues; St Louis Blues; Cake
Walkin’ Babies; J. C. Holmes Blues; My Man
Blues; Nobody’s Blues but Mine; I’ve Been Mistreated and I Don’t Like It; I Want Every Bit of It.
CD 2
Jazzbo Brown from Memphis Town; Baby Doll;
Honey Man Blues; Honey Man Blues; One and
Two Blues; Young Woman’s Blues; Muddy Water; There’ll Be a Hot Time in Old Town Tonight;
Sweet Mistreater; Dyin’ by the Hour; I Used to be
Your Sweet Mama; Put It Right Here; Standin’ in
the Rain Blues; Devil’s Gonna Git You; Me and
My Gin; My Kitchen Man; I’ve Got What It Takes;
He’s Got Me Goin’; You Don’t Understand; New
Orleans Hop Scop Blues; Blue Spirit Blues; See
If I Care; Shipwreck Blues; I’m Down in the
Dumps; Take Me for a Buggy Ride.
Collective Accompanists:
These are too many to list here, but they include
Louis Armstrong, Fletcher Henderson, Don
Redman, James P. Johnson, Eddie Lang, Clarence Williams, Jack Teagarden, and Coleman
Hawkins.
Of the female blues singers of the early twentieth
century, the two giants are Ma Rainey (the
Page 4
“Mother of the Blues”) and Bessie Smith (the
“Empress of the Blues”). Ma Rainey was the
older of the two, and interestingly they once
worked in a show together, Rainey being the
show’s singer and Smith a dancer. Nothing,
however, indicates the older woman gave the
younger much in the way of singing lessons.
Rainey made about one hundred recordings
before she “went out of style,” according to
Paramount in 1928. Smith eventually put out
over a hundred and sixty records and would
undoubtedly have produced more had she
lived beyond her forty-third year.
This double CD set provides a fairly generous
selection of some forty-eight tracks. The title
wisely makes no claim that these are her
“best,” period, but they are certainly representative. Despite the often stellar accompaniment she gets on some of these tracks, I tend
to prefer those where she is backed only by
piano as it is easier to focus on her voice,
rather than being somewhat distracted by the
accompaniment, often quite brilliant in its own
right—witness the superb obbligatos from
Louis Armstrong on St. Louis Blues or Reckless Blues, or the solid group backing on Cake
Walkin’ Babies from Home or I’m down in the
Dumps. And what a voice it is—rich, powerful,
vibrant—almost any adjective of praise one
can muster. And what a superbly controlled
vibrato! In her emotional outpouring she personifies the blues, expressing feelings that
come from actually living, not just observing,
what she is singing about—unrequited love,
physical abuse, betrayal, abandonment, ostracism—all subjects of many blues.
that her robust, big voice is not much diminished by the cone into which she sang (her accompanists do not always fare quite so well);
out it came almost as warm and convincing as it
did later when caught by a microphone on the
electric recordings, which comprise the rest of
CD 2.
She not only sang the blues, she also turned
her hand to composing blues numbers—and
with some success. Several of her compositions
are to be found in this compilation, and at least
two of them, Reckless Blues and Young
Woman’s Blues, can stand beside those of any
other composer.
The tragedy of her death in an automobile accident in 1937 at such a young age lies not only
in her relative youth but also in the many recordings which were never to be made. On the
headstone which Janis Joplin (along with one of
Smith’s friends) had commissioned for Smith’s
otherwise unmarked grave, is the inscription:
“The Greatest Blues Singer in the World Will
Never Stop Singing.” There may be some debate about “Greatest,” but to date the latter part
of the inscription holds true as Bessie Smith’s
recordings are still being issued and played today. And this double CD set makes clear why
that is the case.
A UK-based record label, Acrobat specialises in
collectors’ and re-issue CDs, which are available on Amazon, cdUniverse, and, at times,
eBay.
B AND S CHEDULE -2014–15
14-Dec Gold Coast Holiday Party
11-Jan Zenith (Jelly Roll) Jazz Band
8-Feb Bear Republic Jazz Band
8-Mar S F Feetwarmers
12-Apr Cell Block 7
10-May Neely's Rhythm Aces
14-Jun Devil Mountain Jazz Band
12-Jul Ray Skjelbred and the Cubs
9-Aug Fog City Stompers
13-Sep Golden Gate Rhythm Machine
Intermission Music
November
Rod Roberts
Piano
December
There will be no Intermission Music
Raffle Donations
Due to restrictions at the Veterans
Home, we have had to discontinue our Raffle
Another remarkable thing about her voice is
that it overcame the shortcomings of acoustical
recording. Columbia did not stop recording
Bessie Smith acoustically until mid 1926 or
thereabouts, so a good portion of her output
consisted of acoustic recordings, and in this
collection all of tracks on disc 1 and the first
couple on disc 2 are acoustic. But on the
acoustic recordings one can hear right away
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