Clarinetist Craig Ball's Back Bay Rhythm Makers, with pianist Steve Dale, far right.

The Hot Steamed Jazz Festival will take place at the Essex Steam Train in Essex, Conn., from June 27 to 29. The participants include Connecticut's Galvanized Jazz Band with vocalist Jane Campedelli, trombonist Craig Grant and banjoist Bob Price; pianist Bob Seeley from Michigan playing boogie woogie and the blues; Dan Levinson's Summa Cum Laude Orchestra from New York City; Jeff Hughes' Jazz Jesters Novelty Orchestra from Massachusetts; Doctor John Clark's Wolverine Jazz Band with Jimmy Mazzy from Massachusetts; stride pianist Olivier Lancelot from Paris, France; Art Hovey's Sugarfoot Youth Band from Connecticut; Jeff Hughes and the Festival All Stars from Massachusetts; the Rialto Rhythm Revellers from Ottawa, Canada; Levinson's Palomar Quartet from New York City; the Buffalo Ridge Jazz Band from Cincinnati, Oh., and more. You can check info@hotsteamedjazz.com for additional information.

New England lovers of ragtime are in for quite a treat at the Strand Theatre, 345 Main Street, Rockland, Me., Aug. 20, when the 12-piece Paragon Ragtime Orchestra performs the original score to comedian Buster Keaton's silent film classic, The General. Additional information can be obtained from Bay Chamber Concerts, Camden, Me., on the Internet from www.baychamber-concerts.org or by phone from (207) 236-2823 or (888) 707-2770.

Stan McDonald's Blue Horizon Jazz Band, with guest trumpeter Jeff Hughes, was featured April 15 at the Sherborn Inn, Sherborn, Mass. BHJB will again be at the Sherborn Inn June 17.

The New Black Eagle Jazz Band, now in its 37th year, played the Sherborn Inn April 22. NBEJB is led by cornetist Tony Pringle, and the other regular band members are trombonist Stan Vincent, reedman Billy Novick, pianist Bob Pilsbury, banjoist Peter Bullis, bassist Barry Bockus, and drummer Pam Pameijer. The Black Eagles perform the music of Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton, King Oliver, Sidney Bechet, Duke Ellington, and others. NBEJB continues its gig at J.P. O'Hanlon's Pub and Restaurant, Ayer, Mass., 7:30 to 10:30 p.m., the second Thursday monthly, except for an appearance there June 5. Call (978) 772-9282 or check www.blackeagles.com for more information.

On April 19, NBEJB performed at the Claremont Opera House, Claremont, N.H. From April 25 to 27, NBEJB was at Jazz in the Olympics, Port Angeles, Wash. NBEJB will be at John Chan's, Woonsocket, R.I., June 20, 8-11:30 p.m.

Swing Times Five entertained at the Sherborn Inn April 29. The players were leader Jeff Hughes on cornet and flugelhorn, pianist Ross Petot, guitarist Dan Weiner, bassist Justin Meyer, and drummer Dave Didriksen. Their American Songbook repertoire includes seldom-heard numbers by Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn, George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Jerome Kern, and Harold Arlen.

The Dave Whitney Orchestra, with vocalist Sophia Stevens, played at the Sherborn Inn May 6. With Whitney, on trumpet and vocals, were trumpeters Joe Musumeci, Mel Deveau and Don Heathcock; trombonists Scott Hills and Jay Keyser; saxists Art Bakopolus, Bon Drukman, Ben Goldstein, and Blair Bettencourt; pianist Steve Dale; bassist Dave LeBleu; and drummer Reid Jorgensen. Whitney and Stevens, in duet, sang "Gotta Be This or That" and "I'm Beginning to See the Light." Stevens also sang "Tangerine," "Our Love Is Here to Stay," "Boogie Blues," and "Let Me Off Uptown." Whitney took trumpet solos on "Pete Kelly's Blues," "Concerto for Cootie" and "The Man I Love."

On May 1, the Blue Horizon Five performed at Ma Glockner's Restaurant, Bellingham, Mass. With leader Stan McDonald on soprano saxophone and clarinet were Jeff Hughes on trumpet and cornet, guitarist Royce Anderson, string bassist Al Ehrenfried and drummer Richard Malcolm. The quintet appears at Ma Glockner's the first Thursday monthly.

Doctor John Clark's Wolverine Jazz Band participated for the first time at Jazz at the Olympics, and the Wolverines spent the first weekend in May at the Chattanooga Traditional Jazz Festival, Chattanooga, Tenn.

Reedman Craig Ball's White Heat Swing Sextet, also known as the Back Bay Rhythm Makers Sextet, played on April 12 at the newly renovated grand ballroom of the Four Point Sheraton, Eastham, Mass. The event was billed as Big Band Night, and it was a benefit for the scholarship fund of the Business and Professional Women of Lower Cape Cod.

Frank Sinatra vocal stylist Steve Marvin appeared April 11 with pianist Russ Hoffman, bassist John Pierce and drummer John Hazilla at All Seasons Table, Malden, Mass. On April 27, Marvin performed with pianist Jack Senier for the Sunday jazz brunch at Hart House, Ipswich, Mass. On June 13, Marvin will work with Dave Whitney, Senier and a trio at Angelica's, Route 114, Middleton, Mass.

In Connecticut, on April 16, Bria and Jim's Borderline Jazz Band, featuring trombonist Jim Fryer and trumpeter/vocalist Bria Skonberg (from Vancouver, Canada), began its Spring tour with a concert at Quinnipiac University, near New Haven, Fryer was a guest of Bill's Seafood All Stars at Bill's Seafood, Westbrook, April 26.

According to Fred Vigorito, "The 1940's Radio Hour" at Chow, 964 Chapel Street, New Haven, Conn., on April 20 was a success. The show starred banjoist Joel Schiavone, cornetist Vigorito, pianist Bill Sinclair, and bassist Steve Bulmer. Vigorito reports that Schiavone led the audience "on a trip back to those thrilling days of radio, when we used to sit and talk and use our imagination. The sold-out audience loved it." The next show, at 6:30 p.m., June 15, will feature Schiavone and the Smith Street Society, with Bruce McNichols on banjo and sax, trombonist Herb Gardner, and tubaist Chicken Joe Hanchrow. There is room for only 60 people at Chow, so call (203) 772-3002 for reservations and additional information.

Also in Connecticut, drummer Bill Logozzo's Heartbeat Jazz Band, with guest trombonist Skip Hughes, was at Oliver's in Essex on May 1.

If you have news of traditional jazz, swing or ragtime in New England, please e-mail me at algeob@aol.com or call me at (781) 762-9344. I'd like to learn more about what is happening in Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont.

And the beat goes on...

June 2008 issue | © 2008 The Mississippi Rag

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