During the last two weeks of November, we attended the West Coast Ragtime Festival in Sacramento, Calif., and the 27th Annual Thanksgiving Dixieland Jazz Festival in San Diego. While I would ordinarily report more about the particular bands at these festivals, this year I decided to concentrate on other aspects of the festivals. For example, at the Ragtime Festival, we were amazed at the number of young talents who had been asked to perform there. A year ago, we had heard young Adam Swanson of Shenendoah, Iowa. Here he was again, looking mature for his 16 years and playing more exacting and exquisitely than most of the seniors on the playbill. And, on the first day of the festival, Adam was joined by other "juniors" -- Max Keenlyside from Prince Edward Island, Canada; Vincent Johnson of Sierra Madre, Calif.; Will Perkins of Riverbank, Calif.;  Wesley Reznicek of Dixon, Mo; Tim Rotolo of Upland, Calif; Martin Spitznagel of Alexandria, Va.;  Andrew Barrett of Costa Mesa, Calif., and, one young lady we were most impressed by, Stephanie Trick of St. Louis, Mo. All of these young ragtimers left us with the distinct feeling that this great American music would live on through our generation and that of our children, and perhaps, our grandchildren.

All of the performers we saw at Sacramento were good to great -- Morten Gunnar Larsen playing solo (without his marvelous Orphelia Orchestra), Butch Thompson soloing and with a trio in really good form, plus Mimi Blais, Frederick Hodges, Marty Eggers and Virginia Tichenor, Nan Bostick, Sonny Leyland, the Bradshaws (Jack and Chris), Tom Bopp, David Thomas Roberts, Dick Zimmerman, Jack Rummel, Tom Brier, Jim Radloff, Scott Kirby, Frank French, Yvonne Cloutier. Rosie Hallum, Bob Ringwald, Trebor Tichenor, and Sarah Roth Vanegas with her South American and Cuban works. Excellent  performances from all these and more, plus the really fine ragtime groups like the St. Louis Ragtimers, the Smalltimers, Pacific Coast Ragtime Orchestra, Porcupine Ragtime Ensemble, Raspberry Jazz Band, the Ragtime Skedaddlers and Ragnolia Ragtette and the better-than-ever Fresno High School Band whose music led the attendees through the Grand March.

We could not see all the special programs presented at the festival, but we really enjoyed the Laurel & Hardy and Charley Chase silent movies shown on Sunday morning with piano accompaniment by Frederick Hodges. Late Friday afternoon, Trebor Tichenor presented "A Short History of Ragtime" which was an abbreviated version of the "History of Ragtime" course he had taught at Washington University in St. Louis for some 36 years. Most informative and enjoyable. One of the many trio combinations was that of the Ragtime Skedaddlers who played original arrangements on string instruments used during the ragtime era; Dave Krinkel, guitar; Dennis Pash, banjo and mandolin and Nick Robinson, mandolin. They were excellent players in this unusual tradition.

Mark your calendars for Nov. 20-22, 2009, and contact the West Coast Ragtime Festival to reserve badges when they are available. It's bound to be another great affair.

On the next weekend, Nov. 27-30, we drove to San Diego for the 29th Annual Thanksgiving Dixieland Jazz Festival at the Town and Country Resort and Convention Center. Arriving on Thursday afternoon we had time to relax before hearing the Buck Creek Jazz Band play their last festival before disbanding as a group. This band got together in 1977, wanting to be a West Coast-styled band like that led by Lu Watters. Their superb dynamics and solid arrangements soon made them one of America's most popular groups. It was good to hear them again, and we were pleased to see and hear a fellow Arizonan Ray Templin on piano and  young Tom Holtz on tuba and string bass. The band's sounds will be missed on the festival circuit and in their regular Washington, D.C. area venues.

We were pleased to see some old friends in the Tim Laughlin's New Orleans All Star Band which followed Buck Creek -- Clint Baker, trombone; Marty Eggers, bass; Hal Smith, "king" of trad drums, and Katie Cavera, guitar. These four great players worked with several other groups during the four days of the festival that followed. Hal became king of Rockabilly when he played with the Hayriders and was the king of sweet swing drums when he was with the Sentimental Serenaders group playing a tribute to Bing Crosby. And, we were impressed by the youngsters who played with Festival Association-sponsored Mission Bay High School Dixie Band.

Even with three days and two evenings, it was impossible to see and hear all of the great bands at the festival. There were eight venues where 27 groups, nine individual artists and the Dick Williams' JazzSea Jam group performed. I won't list the groups but will say that they can be considered the very best that this country has to offer.

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I've always described Frederick Hodges as being a ragtime pianist who may not be in first place among ragtime players in this country, but he is 'way ahead of whoever is in second place. Our Ragtyme-Jazztyme Society tries to bring him here to Arizona's Valley of the Sun from his headquarters in the Sacramento area whenever his schedule permits, so we were pleased when one of our members brought him here recently for a concert at her home. As usual, the concert was interesting, and his playing was flawless.

The program began with the old Zez Confrey gem, "Kitten On The Keys" and progressed through the early 1900 years with Arthur Marshall's "The Pippin," Phil Ohman's "Dixie Kisses," Luckyeth Roberts' "Junk Man Rag" and "Palm Beach," and Eubie Blake's "Chevy Chase." All were interspersed with the great melodies of Gershwin and the favorites of Alice Faye from her famous movies of the 1930s. And that was just during the first half of his program!

Following a brief intermission, Hodges returned to the Grand Kawai and took us through such marvelous rags as Milton Decamp's "Rackety Rag" and "Hot Hands " by Charlie Straight. Then, there was a series of his favorite Jerome Kern melodies: "Waltz In Springtime," "Pick Yourself Up," "Never Gonna' Dance," "A Fine Romance," "Just The Way You Look Tonight" and "Bojangles of Harlem." After that came Luckyeth Roberts' "Music Box Rag," Nacio Herb Brown's "Doll Dance," the 1918 George Cobb masterpiece "Russian Rag" and a Roy Bargy-Charlie Straight collaboration, "Rufenreddy." Hodges ended the concert with Gershwin's "Let's Call The Whole Thing Off." Not a missed note or error in the bunch; another of the reasons I place Frederick Hodges at the top of my list of the best ragtimers performing today. Be sure to hear him when he is in your area. If you are in the Valley of the Sun, be sure to mark your calendar for his concerts here on Dec. 27-28. For additional information, contact me at (480) 951-8339 or e-mail me at Rlynn7@cox.net ( new address).

The local Uke-A-Zonies, a nine-piece grooup of ukelele players/singers with a steel guitar, bass and washboard performed at the West Valley Affair for the Arts on Oct. 26, collaborating with Sister Jean Huling and her grandson, Kenan Leslie (Lil' Laundry) on washboard. They came into town on the 23rd and played for the Ragtyme-Jazztyme Society at Tempe's Pappas School on Friday the 24th, and then at the Church of the White Spire on Saturday afternoon, the 25th.

We are always impressed with Sister Jean's performances and are surprised and happy to see how 14-year-old Kenan has progressed on the washboard. It is amazing to hear how much he sounds like his grandfather, Laundry Fat (the late Paul Huling), who taught him to play this instrument.

The Annual Meeting Party of the local Audrey's Angels was held Nov. 1 at the home of Dr. Robert Plenge in Scottsdale. During the afternoon some 36 local musicians who perform through Audrey's organization at various assisted living homes and other locations throughout the Valley gave 15 minute examples of their talents. My wife, Lois, and I had our "15 minutes of fame" in mid afternoon, she with her ukelele and me with my washboard.

By the time you read this, we will have attended the West Coast Ragtime Festival (Nov. 21-23) in Sacramento, Calif., and the San Diego Thanksgiving Dixieland Jazz Festival (Nov. 26-30). We'll report on both of these great affairs next month. Till then, keep jazzin'!

December 2008 issue | © 2008 The Mississippi Rag

P.O. Box 19068, Minneapolis, MN 55419.