Dick Chaffee played with the Wonderful World Jazz Band and also joined the Mary Louise Knutson trio for a memorable set Saturday night.

Continued: Jazzfest

The Hall Brothers New Orleans Jazz Band had not made a public appearance in many years. In fact, the Hall Brothers (Stan and Russ) basically retired from music while the rest of the band regrouped under the leadership of Bill Evans and later the combined leadership of Evans and Charlie DeVore. Stan Hall is in frail health and was unable to make an appearance. Russ Hall, who hasn't played much trombone in years, sounded fine. Mike Polad, whose place in the original band was on banjo, guitar, and soprano sax, played solid piano. Charlie DeVore, cornet; Butch Thompson, clarinet; and Bill Evans, bass, sounded just the way they did 40 years ago. Newcomer Chuck DeVore moved quite effectively into Doggie Berg's spot on drums. He had spent many years listening to Berg, so the little runs and fills we were used to hearing were all there.

Hall Brothers Jazz Band bassist Bill Evans gets credit for suggesting the Hall Brothers reunion band for the festival and then making it happen.

The band had gathered several times in advance of the festival to re-learn some of their old tunes, and it showed. When they kicked off "Come Back Sweet Papa" to start their first set Friday night I felt as if it were 1966 again, and I was sitting at the Emporium's beautiful wood bar. There was even a sprinkling of Emporium regulars in the audience, thanks to a special mailing to the old Hall Brothers mailing list by Gail Johnson Wick, a longtime Hall Brothers fan now living in Missouri.

The band ran through their old favorites, with a bittersweet emphasis on the numbers Doggie Berg used to sing -- "Careless Love," "When I Leave the World Behind," "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out," and "Sister Kate." They also played some New Orleans classics -- "Panama," "1919 Rag," "Bugle Boy March" and lots of other good old good ones. It was great to hear the band again. They are one of the most authentic New Orleans bands ever, and after hearing them again after a long hiatus, I was pleased they'd lost none of the unique qualities that earned them a 35-year run as the Twin Cities' favorite traditional jazz band.

The Festival Committee, led by Norm Thingvold and Dave Colton, had everything very well organized. Sets always happened on time, and the facilities were excellent. Dick Rippey had a wonderful CD concession, and the La Crosse Area Jazz Society had a room full of jazz souvenirs for sale. Everything was within a two-block walk, and the weather cooperated this year even as indoor venues negated the need for blues skies and sunshine.

The four groups offered something for almost everyone, and the mix-and-match scheduling led to more variety than one would have had if each group just played its own music. There is a lot of commonality in jazz, so to me it's always interesting to see how different musicians will interact when thrown into a slightly different environment. This was a very enjoyable festival and one I would definitely attend again.

Fans rejoiced as Hall Brothers cornetist Charlie DeVore and trombonist Russ Hall blended horns once again. DeVore also plays in a band with Bill Evans,  but Russ Hall rarely plays publicly. In spite of that, he still plays superbly, so it was great to see him back on the bandstand.

October 2008 issue | © 2008 The Mississippi Rag

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