riverboat dixie jazz band

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          Note :  Riverboat Dixie performs at Zin Bistro in Westlake Village                             on the last Sunday of each month thru October                                                    Check for Schedule Updates                                                                                                                                               2024 Jan 28                       Sunday              5:30pm to 7:30pm         Zin Bistro                                                                                                 32131 Lindero Cyn                                                                                                 Westlake Village, CA                                                                                                 (818) 865-0095 Feb 16                      Friday                5:00pm to 9:pm              Stonehaus Mardi Gras Festival                                                                                                   32039 Agoura Rd                                                                                                   Westlake Village, CA Feb 17                      Saturday            6:00pm to 9:pm               Stonehaus Mardi Gras Festival                                                                                                   32039 Agoura Rd                                                                                                   Westlake Village, CA Feb 18                      Sunday              2:00pm to 5:pm               Stonehaus Mardi Gras Festival                                                                                                   32039 Agoura Rd                                                                                                   Westlake Village CA                                                                                                                        Feb 26                      Sunday                 5:30pm to 7:30pm        Zin Bistro                                                                                                  32131 Lindero Cyn                                                                                                  Westlake Village, CA                                                                                                  (818) 865-0095 Mar 31                       Sunday                5:30pm to 7:30pm         Zin Bistro                                                                                                   32131 Lindero Cyn                                                                                                   Westlake Village, CA                                                                                                   (818) 865-0095                                                                                                                                                                      Apr 28                       Sunday                 5:30pm to 7:30pm      Zin Bistro                                                                        32131 Lindero Cyn                                                                                                    Westlake Village, CA                                                                                                    (818) 865-095S May 26                        Sunday               5:30pm to 7:30pm        Zin Bistro                                                                                                   32131 Lindero Cyn                                                                                                   Westlake Village, CA                                                                                                   (818) 865-0095 Jun 30                         Sunday               5:30pm to 7:30pm        Zin Bistro                                                                                                    32131 Lindero Cyn                                                                                                    Westlake Village, CA                                                                                                    (818) 865-0095 Jul 13                           Saturday            6:00pm to 7:00pm         Jazz in July                                                                                                     First Presbyterian Church Lawn                                                                                                     10400  Zelzah Ave                                                                                                      Northridge, CA                                                                                                      (818) 360-1831                                                                                                                                                                        Jul 28                            Sunday               5:30pm to 7:30pm       Zin Bistro                                                                                                    32131 Lindero Cyn                                                                                                    Westlake Village, CA                                                                                                    (818) 865-0095 Aug 4                             Sunday               2:30pm to 4:30pm       Old Town Music Hall                                                                                                     140 Richmond St                                                                                                     El Segundo, CA                                                                                                     (310) 322-2592 Aug 25                            Sunday                5:30pm to 7:30pm        Zin Bistro                                                                                                      32131 Lindero Cyn                                                                                                      Westlake Village, CA                                                                                                      (818) 865-0095 Sep 29                           Sunday               5:30pm to 7:30pm         Zin Bistro                                                                                                      32131 Lindero Cyn                                                                                                      Westlake Village, CA                                                                                                      (818) 865-0095 Oct 27                            Sunday              5:30pm to 7:30pm          Zin Bistro                                                                                                       32131 Lindero Cyn                                                                                                       Westlake Village, CA                                                                                                       (818) 865-0095 Nov 28                                        Thanksgiving                                            --- Dec 25                                          Christmas                                               ---                                                                                                                       Check for schedule updates                                     

Riverboat Dixie Jazz Band

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Riverboat Dixieland Jazz Band Returns to Zin Bistro

Live Music on the Last Sunday of Every Month

Don’t miss the historical Riverboat Dixieland Jazz Band’s first performance of the year on the lake! On the last Sunday of each month, the Riverboat Dixieland Jazz Band performs at Zin Bistro from 5:30pm to 7:30pm.

Contact us today to make your reservations !

Skip Parsons' Riverboat Jazz Band

by Cliff Lamere, a fan

November 27, 2004 , most recent revision August  18, 2019

This webpage was made for my friends in the Skip Parsons' Riverboat Jazz Band.

This terrific 7-piece dixieland/traditional jazz group performed monthly at the 

Fountain Restaurant in Albany, NY from January 1971 until February 9, 2019 (48 years).

(Albany Times Union article ) 

Skip Parsons founded the Skip Parsons' Riverboat Jazz Band in 1956.

The photo shows him with his clarinet and soprano saxophone.

Miscellaneous Photos

Hear the sound of Skip Parsons & his Clarinet Marmalade Swing Quartet

Skip Parsons (clarinet), Rennie Crain (piano), Ernie Belanger (electric bass), Tim Coakley (drums)

MUSIC FORMERLY FOR SALE

Skip Parsons   - 2 of his many CDs

            With Ed Hubble (trombone & alto horn), Paul Monat (cornet & a vocal), Ernie Belanger (tuba & bass),

on clarinet & soprano sax.  With Ernie Belanger (tuba & bass), Don LaVoie (banjo), 

Ed Kebabjian (banjo), and Dick Hunsberger (tuba).  Only three musicians play on each cut.

                    Ernie Belanger on tuba & bass, Tom D'Andrea on drums, and Paul Mastriani on piano. 

Eddy Kebabjian   - 2 CDs

Other band members appear on CDs as part of a group.  See their individual or biographical webpage for more information.  Click on the CD icon following a CD title to get more information about the CD. 

Members of the 7-piece Riverboat Jazz Band I saw in 2006

Skip Parsons - clarinet / soprano sax / vocals / leader

Ron Joseph - clarinet

Mo Rancourt - cornet / trumpet / Satchmo vocals

Sam Ponder - trumpet

Woody Strobeck - trombone

Eddy Kebabjian - banjo / vocals

Ron Bill - guitar, banjo

Bernie Mulleda - guitar  

Arvid Allen - keyboard

Rich Skrika - keyboard

Ernie Belanger - tuba / sousaphone / electric bass / vocals

Rich Downs - acoustic bass, cornet

Tom Wetmore - acoustic bass

Tom D'Andrea - drums

Tim Coakley - drums

Mike Benedict - drums

Forrest Gabriels - drums

Just a few of the members seen after 2006

Giampaolo Biagi

Mike Canonico - cornet  (2010-2011)

Dino Cimino  - electric bass  (2007)

Rennie Crain - keyboard  (2011)

Crick Diefendorf (2011)

Joe Hetko - guitar  (2010)

Paul Mastriani  (2010)

Ken Olsen  (2012)

Johnathan Steenstra - bass & soprano sax  (2009-2012)

Members I saw at the Fountain Restaurant in earlier years

Paul Monat - tuba (well-known cornetist)

Tom Scannell - cornet

Ed Hubble - trombone

Guests I have seen at the Fountain Restaurant have included :

Jerry Gordon, washboard  (Feb 10, 2006 & Sep 8, 2006)

Oakley Frost, electric stick bass  (Nov 13, 2004)

Don Arnold, trumpet  (Dec 10, 2010)

Jill Hughes, vocals

Brian Brundige, tuba

Jonathan Greene, clarinet (Dec 12, 2015)

MY OTHER JAZZ WEBPAGES

Ernie Belanger, Sr.

Ernie Belanger, Sr., - Part 2

Burial Places of Jazz and Other Musicians  

     Includes photos of most gravestones and some signatures. 

Tom Wickman - an 80th birthday celebration of a Riverboat Jazz Band fan

Read a biography of Skip Parsons.

View Skip's website .

1113 on 19 Jan 2007

2523 on 12 Sep 2009

2923 on 16 Aug 2010

3158 on 18 Feb 2011

3434 on 2 Nov 2011

3857 on 13 Jan 2013    Videos   

VenTURACOUNTYJAZZ.COM

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venturacountyjazz.com Ventura County Jazz calendar of live jazz events in the cities of Ventura, Oxnard, Port Hueneme, Camarillo, Newbury Park, Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village, Oak Park, Simi Valley, Moorpark, Ojai, Oakview, Santa Paula, Fillmore and Piru IN Ventura County

Jazz Calendar Ventura County Jazz calendar of live jazz events in the cities of Ventura, Oxnard, Port Hueneme, Camarillo, Newbury Park, Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village, Oak Park, Simi Valley, Moorpark, Ojai, Oakview, Santa Paula, Fillmore and Piru in Ventura County CALENDAR​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Apr 1 Mon 7pm Harry Selvin Orchestra - Vocalists-Nancy Osborne and Bill A. Jones with Larry Perpoli- Drums, Mike Velasquez - Bass, George Cole - Guitar, Bob Selvin - piano, Saxes-Patrick Ingram, Margaret Joyce, Sam Glenn, Tom Romero, Gabe Katell, Trumpets-Mel Bator, Mike Rotman, Rob Sack, Jack Perr, Trombones-Bob Goodwin, Clay McCarter, Don Casebolt, $15, Palm Garden Hotel, Newbury Park Apr 2 Tues 1pm Seniors of Note, big band, rehearsal open to the public, Room 7, Camarillo Community Center, Camarillo

Apr 2 Tues 5pm Monte Montgomery on piano and friends, barside, The Grape, Ventura

Apr 2 Tues 6pm Danny Delurgio sings Sinatra, Prime Steakhouse, Ventura

Apr 2 Tues 7pm jazz jam, $5, The Grape, Ventura

Apr 3 Wed 5pm Kent Rollins on piano, barside, The Grape, Ventura

Apr 3 Wed 5:30pm Jimmy Calire on keys/sax, The Ranch House, Ojai

Apr 3 Wed 6pm Robert Van on piano, The Manhattan, Camarillo

Apr 3 Wed 6pm Bryan McCann on sax/clarinet, George Friedenthal on keys and Dave Hunt on drums, Café Fiore, Ventura

Apr 4 Thurs 11:30am Conejo Valley Senior Dance Orchestra, rehearsal open to the public, Goebel Adult Community Center, Thousand Oaks

Apr 4 Thurs 5pm Tom Collins on guitar, Kent Rollins on piano and Tom Etchart on bass, barside, The Grape, Ventura

Apr 4 Thurs 6pm Tom McMorran on piano, The Manhattan, Camarillo

Apr 4 Thurs 6pm Seth Andrey Oster on guitar and Michael Velasquez on bass, jazz, Latin, blues, r&b, Aqua Lounge at Moofish Cafe in Crowne Plaza Hotel, Ventura

Apr 4 Thurs 7pm Ben Scholz on drums, Peter Gemus on bass, Bevan Manson on piano and Rose Colella on vocals, $15, The Grape, Ventura

Apr 4 Thurs 8pm D.on Darox on keys/guitar/accordion/vocals, swampy jazz, dirty blues, American roots, R&B, 1901 Speakeasy, Oxnard

Apr 5 Fri 6pm singer Jeanne Tatum, Tony Campodonico on keys and Curtis Sanford on drums, Zin Bistro Americana, Westlake Village

Apr 5 Fri 6pm Michael Falcone on keys/vocals and friends, $5 plus $10 drink minimum, Sunland Vintage Winery, Thousand Oaks

Apr 5 Fri 6:30pm Lisa Ritner on sax/vocals, Tilford Jackson on keys and Larry Perpoli on drums, The Manhattan, Camarillo

Apr 5 Fri 8pm Kristina Aglinz on vocals, Todd Hunter on piano, Kay-Ta Matsuno on guitar, Kevin O’Neal on bass and Tony Austin on drums, $20/$30 VIP presale, $25/$35 at the door, The Grape, Ventura

Apr 6 Sat 2pm Donna Deussen on vocals, Jim Fox on guitar, Dominic Genova on bass and Kendall Kay on drums, The Grape, Ventura

Apr 6 Sat 5pm Jimmy Calire on Hammond B3 organ and Tom McMorran on piano, barside, The Grape, Ventura

Apr 6 Sat 6pm Lisa Ritner on sax/vocals, Tilford Jackson on keys and Larry Perpoli on drums, Tierra Rejada Golf Club, Moorpark

Apr 6 Sat 6:30pm singer Jeanne Tatum, Tony Campodonico on keys and Curtis Sanford on drums, The Manhattan, Camarillo

Apr 6 Sat 7pm Nathan Rivera on guitar/accordion/vocals and Jessie Andra Smith on guitar/vocals, jazzy folk and blues, $22.50 includes service fee, Namba, Ventura

Apr 6 Sat 7:30pm Eric Ekstrand Band, $10, Goebel Adult Community Center, Thousand Oaks

Apr 6 Sat 8pm Henry Franklin on bass, Tony Austin on drums, Theo Saunders on piano and Teodross Avery on sax, $25/$35 VIP presale, $30/$40 at the door, The Grape, Ventura

Apr 6 Sat 8pm Tom Collins on guitar, Kent Rollins on keys and Tom Etchart on bass, Ojai Pub, Ojai

Apr 7 Sun 11am Razzberry Jam Trio - Seth Andrey Oster on guitar, Scott Weiss on trumpet and Jim Wade on tuba, Ojai Farmers Market, Ojai

Apr 7 Sun 3:30pm AXIOM - Peter Templer on guitar, Phil Templer on drums, Bill Owen on bass, Greg Spaulding on keys and Lance Rickman on sax/flute, jazz, Latin, funk, rock, Tavern 101, 28434 Roadside Dr, Agoura Hills

Apr 7 Sun 5pm Jason Bourne on keys/sax/vocals, jazz/pop/reggae, Zin Bistro Americana, Westlake Village

Apr 7 Sun 5pm singer Jeanne Tatum and Tony Campodonico on keys, jazz and blues, The Amendment, Camarillo

Apr 7 Sun 7pm Boom Duo - John Lacques on drums/percussion and Noah Thomas on trumpet/conch/theremin/electronics, experimental jazz, $20, Namba, Ventura

Apr 9 Tues 1pm Seniors of Note, big band, rehearsal open to the public, Room 7, Camarillo Community Center, Camarillo

Apr 9 Tues 5pm Monte Montgomery on piano and friends, barside, The Grape, Ventura

Apr 9 Tues 6pm Danny Delurgio sings Sinatra, Prime Steakhouse, Ventura

Apr 9 Tues 7pm jazz jam, $5, The Grape, Ventura

Apr 10 Wed 5pm Tom Collins on guitar and Monte Montgomery on piano, barside, The Grape, Ventura

Apr 10 Wed 5:30pm Jimmy Calire on keys/sax, The Ranch House, Ojai

Apr 10 Wed 6pm Robert Van on piano, The Manhattan, Camarillo

Apr 10 Wed 6pm Donna Butler on vocals, Kent Rollins on keys Tom Etchart on bass and Dave Hunt on drums, Café Fiore, Ventura

Apr 10 Wed 7pm George Kahn on piano, Pat Kelley on guitar, John Leftwich on bass and Kendall Kay on drums, $15, The Grape, Ventura Apr 11 Thurs 11:30am Conejo Valley Senior Dance Orchestra, rehearsal open to the public, Goebel Adult Community Center, Thousand Oaks

Apr 11 Thurs 5pm Tom Collins on guitar, Kent Rollins on piano and Tom Etchart on bass, barside, The Grape, Ventura

Apr 11 Thurs 5:30pm Brandon Ragan on sax, jazz/R&B, Winchesters, Ventura

Apr 11 Thurs 6pm Seth Andrey Oster on guitar and Michael Velasquez on bass, jazz, Latin, blues, r&b, Aqua Lounge at Moofish Cafe in Crowne Plaza Hotel, Ventura

Apr 11 Thurs 7pm Susan Krebs on vocals, Rob Lockart on sax, Tom Rizzo on guitar, Ken Wild on bass and Kendall Kay on drums, $10, The Grape, Ventura

Apr 11 Thurs 8pm D.on Darox on keys/guitar/accordion/vocals, swampy jazz, dirty blues, American roots, R&B, 1901 Speakeasy, Oxnard

April 12 Fri 6pm The Rhythm Kings, $10, Senior Center, Simi Valley

Apr 12 Fri 7:30pm Kent Rollins on keys, Tom Collins on guitar and Tom Etchart on bass, Sam’s Place, Ojai

Apr 12 Fri 8pm Nick Mancini on vibes/marimba, Vardan Ovsepian on piano, Larry Koonse on guitar, Francisco Ojeda on bass and Christian Euman on drums, $25/$35 VIP presale, $30/$40 at the door, The Grape, Ventura

Apr 13 Sat 4pm Fabulous Hangovers - Renee Myara Cibelli on vocals/ukulele and David Patt on guitar, The Cancer Hope Foundation, benefit, $100, Las Posas Country Club, Camarillo

Apr 13 Sat 5pm Jimmy Calire on Hammond B3 organ and Tom McMorran on piano, barside, The Grape, Ventura

Apr 13 Sat 6pm Goleta Sound - Teeny Tal on vocals, Bob Talavera on sax, Rob LaLonde on flute/trombone/keys, Stan Taylor on bass and Larry Jones on drums, jazz, smooth jazz, R&B, rock and pop, Waterside Restaurant, Oxnard

Apr 13 Sat 6:30pm singer Pam Vincent and Herman "Hollywood" Dawkins on piano, soul/jazz, The Manhattan, Camarillo

Apr 13 Sat 8pm Phoenyx Big Band with vocalists Michael Falcone and Eliya Frantz, Bob Hackett-lead alto sax, Patrick Ingram-alto sax, John Webb-1st tenor sax, Tom Romero-tenor sax, Derek Povah-baritone sax, Stephen Hughes-lead trombone, Robert Vriesman-trombone, Alex Reyes-bass trombone, Paul Litteral-lead trumpet, Mike Gerber-trumpet, Mitch Schuster-trumpet, Don Isley-trumpet, Greg Spaulding-keys, Michael Velasquez-bass, Al Velasquez-drums, Santino Gutierrez-guitar and band leader, $15 presale, $20 at the door, The Grape, Ventura

Apr 14 Sun 3pm Rachel Flowers on keys, Tom Buckner on sax and Tom Etchart on bass, $25, Museum of Ventura County, Ventura

Apr 14 Sun 5pm Jason Bourne on keys/sax/vocals, jazz/pop/reggae, Zin Bistro Americana, Westlake Village

Apr 16 Tues 1pm Seniors of Note, big band, rehearsal open to the public, Room 7, Camarillo Community Center, Camarillo

Apr 16 Tues 5pm Monte Montgomery on piano and friends, barside, The Grape, Ventura

Apr 16 Tues 6pm Danny Delurgio sings Sinatra, Prime Steakhouse, Ventura

Apr 16 Tues 7pm jazz jam, $5, The Grape, Ventura

Apr 17 Wed 5:30pm Jimmy Calire on keys/sax, The Ranch House, Ojai

Apr 17 Wed 6:30pm Chris Banta on keys, Jim Henken on guitar and George Green on drums, Blue Table, Agoura Hills

Apr 18 Thurs 11:30am Conejo Valley Senior Dance Orchestra, rehearsal open to the public, Goebel Adult Community Center, Thousand Oaks

Apr 18 Thurs 5pm Tom Collins on guitar, Kent Rollins on piano and Tom Etchart on bass, barside, The Grape, Ventura

Apr 18 Thurs 6pm Tom McMorran on piano, The Manhattan, Camarillo

Apr 18 Thurs 6pm Seth Andrey Oster on guitar and Michael Velasquez on bass, jazz, Latin, blues, r&b, Aqua Lounge at Moofish Cafe in Crowne Plaza Hotel, Ventura

Apr 18 Thurs 7pm Jordan Leicht on sax, Michael Gutierrez on trumpet, Michael Orenstein on piano, Ryan Embola on bass and Jonah Shin on drums, $10, The Grape, Ventura

Apr 18 Thurs 8pm D.on Darox on keys/guitar/accordion/vocals, swampy jazz, dirty blues, American roots, R&B, 1901 Speakeasy, Oxnard

Apr 19 Fri 6pm singer Jeanne Tatum, Tony Campodonico on keys and Curtis Sanford on drums, Zin Bistro Americana, Westlake Village

Apr 19 Fri 8pm Gregg Karukas on keys, Woody Mankowski on sax, Michael O'Neill on guitar, Darryl Williams on bass and Joel Taylor on drums, $20/$30 VIP advance, $25/$35 at the door, The Grape, Ventura

Apr 20 Sat noon Jumpin' Joz Band with singer Ashley Anne, Jerry Moore on sax, Dr. Barry Pohlmann on guitar, Nick Morabito on bass and Rick Joswick on drums, swing band, Ventura Harbor Village promenade stage, Ventura

Apr 20 Sat 12:30pm The CocoKnots - Kenny Walters on ukulele/guitar, Trey O'Toole on percussion, Dirk Shumaker on bass and Larry Stein on ukulele/percussion, island-style tropical tunes, pop and jazz classics, Rincon Brewery, Ventura

Apr 20 Sat 5pm Jimmy Calire on Hammond B3 organ and Tom McMorran on piano, barside, The Grape, Ventura

Apr 20 Sat 6pm Walt Johnson on trumpet and his Frank Sinatra Tribute Band featuring Michael Falcone on vocals, Ira Nepus on trombone, Tom Romero on baritone sax, John Cheas on tenor sax, Michael Preddy on keys, Seth Andrey Oster on guitar, Michael Velasquez on bass and Richard Weller on drums, $15, Novo Cafe, Westlake Village

Apr 20 Sat 6:30pm singer Jeanne Tatum, Tony Campodonico on keys and Curtis Sanford on drums, The Manhattan, Camarillo

Apr 20 Sat 7pm Toni Jannotta on vocals and Brad Rabuchin on guitar, Nonna Restaurant, Westlake Village

Apr 20 Sat 8pm Barrelhouse Wailers with singer Karen Parkhouse and Todd Temanson - Banjo, Diamono Andreo - Drums/Washboard, David Leoncavallo – Bass, Jim Wade – Tuba, Andrew Chermak - Trumpet, Stan Middleton - Trombone, John C. Webb - Clarinet/Sax/Flute, $15 presale/$20 at the door, The Grape, Ventura

Apr 21 Sun 11am Razzberry Jam Trio - Seth Andrey Oster on guitar, Scott Weiss on trumpet and Jim Wade on tuba, Ojai Farmers Market, Ojai

Apr 21 Sun 1pm Groovin' Easy Big Band - Patrick Ingram on Alto Sax, Tom Romero on Alto Sax, Jimmy Calire on Tenor Sax, Brandon Boyd on Tenor Sax, Tom Stipulkosky on Baritone Sax, Trumpets - Don Isley, Russ Nester, Jim Bailey, Drew Chermak, Trombones - Don Casebolt, David Marx, Erik Daniel, Ulises Valdivia, Rhonda Gianelli on Piano, Rick Cuilty on Guitar, Dean Dods on Bass, Larry Perpoli on Drums, John Elman on Percussion and Erin McPherson on vocals, members $10, non-members $15, hosted by Channel Cities Jazz Club, House of Dance, Ventura

Apr 21 Sun 5pm Jason Bourne on keys/sax/vocals, jazz/pop/reggae, Zin Bistro Americana, Westlake Village

Apr 22 Mon 7pm Tropic Starr, $15, Ventura Poinsettia Dance Club, Poinsettia Pavilion, Ventura

Apr 23 Tues 1pm Seniors of Note, big band, rehearsal open to the public, Room 7, Camarillo Community Center, Camarillo

Apr 23 Tues 5pm Monte Montgomery on piano and friends, barside, The Grape, Ventura

Apr 23 Tues 6pm Danny Delurgio sings Sinatra, Prime Steakhouse, Ventura

Apr 23 Tues 7pm jazz jam, $5, The Grape, Ventura

Apr 24 Wed 5pm Kent Rollins on piano, barside, The Grape, Ventura

Apr 24 Wed 5:30pm Jimmy Calire on keys/sax, The Ranch House, Ojai

Apr 24 Wed 6pm Robert Van on piano, The Manhattan, Camarillo

Apr 24 Wed 6pm Donna Greene on vocals & The Roadhouse Daddies - Greg Loeb on guitar, Jack Lee on keys, Stan Taylor on bass and George Lambert on drums, Cafe Fiore, Ventura

Apr 24 Wed 7pm Brad Rabuchin on guitar/electric sitar, Allen Hinds on guitar, Tim Landers on bass and Chris Wabich on drums, $10, The Grape, Ventura

Apr 25 Thurs 11:30am Conejo Valley Senior Dance Orchestra, rehearsal open to the public, Goebel Adult Community Center, Thousand Oaks

Apr 25 Thurs 5pm Tom Collins on guitar, Kent Rollins on piano and Tom Etchart on bass, barside, The Grape, Ventura

Apr 25 Thurs 6pm Tom McMorran on piano, The Manhattan, Camarillo

Apr 25 Thurs 6pm Seth Andrey Oster on guitar and Michael Velasquez on bass, jazz, Latin, blues, r&b, Aqua Lounge at Moofish Cafe in Crowne Plaza Hotel, Ventura

Apr 25 Thurs 7pm Antonio Artese on piano, Jim Connolly on bass and Matt Perko on drums, $15, The Grape, Ventura

Apr 25 Thurs 8pm D.on Darox on keys/guitar/accordion/vocals, swampy jazz, dirty blues, American roots, R&B, 1901 Speakeasy, Oxnard

Apr 26 Fri 6:30pm Lisa Ritner on sax/vocals, Tilford Jackson on keys and Larry Perpoli on drums, The Manhattan, Camarillo

Apr 26 Fri 7pm Whole Hog - Corey Hugh Highberg on bass, Seth Andrey Oster on guitar, Charletta Erb on violin, Keith Frankel on banjo, bluegrass, Irish, jazz, swing, Sam's Place, Ojai

Apr 26 Fri 8pm The Jive Aces, swing band, $35 presale/$40 at the door, The Grape, Ventura

Apr 26 Fri 8pm Teresa Russell on guitar, Stephen Geyer on guitar and singer Pat Russell, 1901 Speakeasy, Oxnard

Apr 27 Sat 5pm Jimmy Calire on Hammond B3 organ and Tom McMorran on piano, barside, The Grape, Ventura

Apr 27 Sat 5:30pm Tom Etchart on bass, Dave Hunt on drums, Dan Patterson on guitar, Gordon Jenewein on keys, Tom Buckner on sax and Leigh Vance on vocals, Onyx Bistro, Camarillo

Apr 27 Sat 6:30pm singer Jeanne Tatum and Tony Campodonico on keys, jazz, blues, R&B, Cajun Country Cafe, Oxnard

Apr 27 Sat 8pm Doug Webb on sax, Danny Carey on drums, Jimmy Earl on bass, Jamie Kime on guitar and Mitch Forman on keys, $35/$45 VIP presale, $40/$50 at the door, The Grape, Ventura

Apr 28 Sun 5pm Swing Shift Orchestra with Jan Nelson on vocals, $10, Sportsman Restaurant, Camarillo

Apr 28 Sun 5pm Riverboat Dixie Jazz Band - Ron Ruiz on banjo and vocals, Amy Davis on vocals, Joan Adler on keys, Sam Glenn on clarinet, Scott Yawger on trumpet, Ed Hirsch on trombone, Stephen Nutt on tuba and Jim Flynn on drums, Zin Bistro Americana, Westlake Village

Apr 28 Sun 7pm Julie Newsome on vocals, Karen Hammack on keys, Jim Fox on guitar, Armando Compean on bass and Paul Kreibich on drums, $20 plus two drink minimum, Bogies, Westlake Village Inn, Westlake Village

Apr 30 Tues 1pm Seniors of Note, big band, rehearsal open to the public, Room 7, Camarillo Community Center, Camarillo

Apr 30 Tues 5pm Monte Montgomery on piano and friends, barside, The Grape, Ventura

Apr 30 Tues 6pm Danny Delurgio sings Sinatra, Prime Steakhouse, Ventura

Apr 30 Tues 7pm jazz jam, $5, The Grape, Ventura

Apr 30 Tues 7:30pm CLU Jazz Collective conducted by Uziel Colon, Samuelson Chapel, Cal Lutheran University, Thousand Oaks

Skip Parsons has kept the Riverboat Jazz Band afloat for 63 years!

• October 23, 2019
• Artist Profiles

In September 1956, Albany, NY-based clarinetist Skip Parsons played his first gig with his Riverboat Six at the Van Schoick Tavern in Cohoes, N.Y. He was 20 years old.

“ The group, which included drummer Tom Brown and cornetist Dick LaVoie, caught on and began to travel the college and night club circuits,” Parsons recalled. “In those days, people were really interested in Dixieland music.”

Since then the Riverboat Jazz Band has appeared with a veritable Who’s Who in American Jazz including Doc Cheatham, Cutty Cutshall, Jimmy McPartland, Wild Bill Davison , Pee Wee Erwin, Bobby Hackett , Spiegle Willcox , and Kenny Davern.

Parsons and the RJB returned to Central New York for the first time in six years to play a concert for The Jazz Appreciation Society of Syracuse on Sunday Sept. 8, at the Spaghetti Warehouse, on the north side of the Salt City.

P arsons, who celebrated his 83 rd birthday in March, plays soprano sax and clarinet and occasionally vocalizes. On Sept. 8, the Riverboat Jazz Band also featured bassist Pete Toigo (pronounced Tu-wee-go), drummer Tim Coakley, banjoist Crick Diefendorf, trombonist Ken Olsen and Massachusetts cornetist and singer Rich Downs.

All attired in white slacks and dark shirts, the Riverboaters swung through two solid sets of classic jazz from “Tin Roof Blues” to “Basin Street Blues.” Cornetist Downs vocalized “Singin’ the Blues” as Parsons recalled Tram’s C-melody sax work on his clarinet. Downs lent his voice again to “Rose of Washington Square,” and he plugged a Harmon mute into his horn to evoke turn-of-the-20 th century New York.

Diefendorf sang a rollicking rendition of “Make Me a Pallet on the Floor,” on which the leader soared on clarinet. Parsons again reveled on the reeds with Lil Hardin ’s “Struttin with Some Barbecue,” and trombonist Ken Olsen channeled Jack Teagarden on “Muskrat Ramble.”

Parsons’ voice may not be quite as powerful as it was 40 years ago, but he ably sang “You Can Depend on Me” in the first set and “Basin Street” in the second, and his reed work remains as strong as ever!

The Riverboat Band is proud of its long and harmonious history.

“ It was about 1960 when I decided to run my band like a business,” Skip says. “It’s really the only way, if one is at all serious about keeping the ship afloat – riverboat in this case. Somebody has to do the real work, and now with this world of computing, taxes and red tape, it’s a necessity. Other musicians in the clan often have to rescue me on musical matters, but it’s all part of the same scenario. Whatever works, works.

“ As far as the music,” he says, “I have to separate the business from it in order to keep swingin.’”

During the 1970s Skip continued to front the band as well as doing appearances with Pee Wee Erwin, Bobby Hackett, Ed Hubble, Russell Moore , Vic Dickinson and several engagements with a band fronted by Doc Cheatham.

To begin the 1980s the Riverboat JB was named the official jazz band at the Lake Placid Winter Olympics. Employment by ABC Sports projected the Riverboat Jazz Band sound literally around the world on television throughout the entire duration of the games.

Skip Parsons and the Riverboat Dixieland Jazz Band issued a CD in the mid-1990s including such standards as “Struttin’ With Some Barbecue,” “Buddy Bolden’s Blues,” “Bourbon Street Parade” and “I’m Confessin.’”

Skip’s desire to promote and produce musical events brought about his organization of the Great Northeastern Traditional Jazzfest in Greenville, N.Y., in 1978 and 1979, at which the RJB was the main focus. Several top artists to participate were Pee Wee Erwin, Bob Wilber , Kenny Davern, Dick Wellstood, Joe Muranyi and the Salt City Six .

Skip also organized the Lake George Hot Jazz Party & Cruise which began in 1979 and was hosted by the RJB for 20 years. Festival appearances have included Newport at Saratoga; Ottawa International; Syracuse’s Bix Bash and the New Jersey’s Pee Wee Russell Stomp .

Later in the ‘80s to keep the sounds of Dixie alive, Skip began working with smaller groups too, trios and swing quartets. 

The Riverboat band suffered a setback in 2014 when it lost its regular twice-a-month engagement at The Fountain restaurant, at New Scotland Avenue, in Albany. The group held down that job on the second Friday and Saturday of each month for 43 years, since 1971.

Although the gigs aren’t as plentiful as they were 50 years ago, Skip’s commitment continues into the new century as he schedules plenty of park and gazebo concerts, cruises, festivals, and nightclubs.

And Parsons has a new home base, McGeary’s Pub, in Albany’s Clinton Square on the second Monday night of each month. McGeary’s Pub is located at Clinton Square, Albany; (518) 463-1455; mcgearyspub.com . To get to McGeary’s, motorists must turn south onto Chapel Street from Clinton Avenue (Palace Theater) and proceed one block to a parking lot on left at the corner of Chapel and Orange.

Hope on the horizon

Veteran Upstate NY jazzman Skip Parsons chatted with The Syncopated Times about a surprisingly satisfying jam session that unfolded at one of his last gigs at The Fountain restaurant.

Q: Tell us about your experience a few years ago with a group of young musicians from the Dirty Dozen Brass Band and some swing dancers who accompanied them.

A: Yeah. There have been a few young musicians in our area making an effort to play early-style music. Seems the Dirty Dozen Brass Band was booked at a local college for a concert. Some of these young musician friends who attended the concert brought some of the Dirty Dozen to the Fountain for a look-see, after the concert. Before I knew it, there were five trombone players, seemed everywhere within the place, with their horns-a-blowin.’ A gal from Connecticut, who played great trombone, brought her guitar-playing boyfriend to join in the fun. Jammin’ just like old times! Except 50 years ago, mine were usually after 3 a.m. I got a chance to meet and play with some great cats that way. Indeed, great memories and a “hands-on” education as well. Not enough of that anymore.

Q: What do you think the future holds for traditional jazz?

A: It often seems like we’re the last of the old guys. But after seeing these kids around here, my hopes are somewhat brighter. They come in the Fountain late and ask for more. Sometimes there is about 20 of ’em. They slide the tables aside and dance, too. Ha! Plus they ask for “That’s a Plenty,” “St. James” and “Dixieland One-Step.” They even applaud after a good solo, yep, a good solo. Imagine that? I have said over the mic occasionally, “What’s-amatter? Haven’t ya ever seen a bunch of old guys kickin’ ass before?”

One More Quote:

“ Funny, if you go to a gig with problems on your mind, you discover after the gig the music has become a natural therapy. When you’re playing, you can’t think of anything else but the jazz, and the troubles get set aside.” – Skip Parsons

For artist info and gigs, visit skipparsons.com . All pictures in this story are from www.skip.clifflamere.com a wonderful site documenting the full history of the Riverboat Jazz Band put together by Cliff Lamere who has been photographing the band for years.

Russ Tarby is based in Syracuse NY and has written about jazz for The Syncopated Times, The Syracuse New Times, The Jazz Appreciation Society of Syracuse (JASS) JazzFax Newsletter, and several other publications.

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The Jazz Mann | Sunday at Wall2Wall Jazz Festival, Abergavenny, 31/08/2014. | Feature | The Jazz Mann

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Winner of the Parliamentary Jazz Award for Best Media, 2019

Sunday at Wall2Wall Jazz Festival, Abergavenny, 31/08/2014.

by Ian Mann

September 04, 2014

Ian Mann on the second day at Wall2Wall including performances by Kevin Figes, Bannau Trio, Moonlight Saving Time, Tony O'Malley and Moscow Drug Club.

Photograph of Moonlight Saving Time sourced from http://www.blackmountainjazz.co.uk

My second day at Wall2Wall 2014 found me exploring the Stroller Programme once more and dipping in and out of a typically diverse range of performances. Brighter, warmer weather ensured that there was more of a festival atmosphere although attendances at some events were again rather disappointing.

Once again the day began with a free event in the Castle grounds with a triple bill featuring the Red Rug Jazz Band, the Tenovus Community Choir and Debs Hancock & The Jazz Dragons. First to appear were the Red Rug Jazz Band, a quintet of talented fourteen and fifteen year olds who had been brought together under Gwent Music’s youth development scheme. Keyboard player Tom Marley appeared to be the leader and he was joined by drummer Dylan Sluiter, double bassist Joe Archer, trumpeter Rory Gordon and the band’s most recent recruit, Dafydd John on guitar. Quickly conquering their nerves the young five piece performed creditable versions of Miles Davis’ “So What”, Freddie Hubbard’s “Red Clay” and a couple of Herbie Hancock pieces including the ever popular “Water Melon Man”. The core trio of Marley, Sluiter and Archer were particularly impressive and John wasn’t afraid to bring something of his rock background to the proceedings. I wasn’t impressed by the fact that some members of the Tenovus Community Choir who were due on stage next talked loudly through the latter stages of the lads’ set, a little bit more respect wouldn’t have gone amiss, I don’t suppose for a minute that they’d take kindly to somebody talking through their own performance. I for one was impressed with Red Rug (their name comes from the piece of carpet Sluiter places under his drum kit at rehearsals) and even caught a bit of their second set at the Priory stage in the afternoon where I heard Hancock’s “Chameleon” and Jimmy Forrest’s “Night Train”. This performance on the Stroller Programme was as deps for Brass Jaw who had played at the festival on Saturday but had to rush back to Scotland at short notice on Sunday morning following news of a family illness. Hopefully all is now well but Brass Jaw’s misfortune constituted a lucky break for Red Rug who again performed well and impressed their audience. Who knows, we have seen some of the jazz stars of the future.

The rash of choir programmes on TV, all of them seemingly featuring Gareth Malone, ensured that the Tenovus Choir, an offshoot of the Welsh cancer charity, had a supportive audience who were more than happy to sing along with self asserting anthems such as Labi Siffre’s “Something Inside So Strong” and Bill Withers’ “Lean On Me”. They concluded their performance with a joyous rendition of Katrina & The Waves’ pop hit “Walking On Sunshine”. Involving a local charity and local people was a nice touch from the festival organisers and the choir were very well received. It appeared that it was only my wife and I who seemed to have a gripe with the behaviour of some of their number earlier on.

I saw Usk based vocalist Debs Hancock performer with her group The Jazz Dragons as part of the Fringe at Brecon Jazz Festival. Today she appeared with a totally different edition of the band, a trio featuring saxophonist Tamasin Reardon and the young Cardiff based guitarist Geraint Rees. Reardon was featured on both tenor and alto saxophones in an enjoyable standards set that included “Summertime”, “Satin Doll” and “Moon River” among others. Hancock is a confident performer with an effusive stage presence and she was well supported by her two colleagues who both delivered some enjoyable instrumental solos with Rees’ guitar also fulfilling the harmonic and rhythmic function at the heart of the music. Again the trio were very well received.

KEVIN FIGES QUARTET

At the Priory stage Bristol based saxophonist and composer Kevin Figes led a quartet featuring some of the West Country’s most accomplished jazz musicians in the shapes of keyboard player Jim Blomfield, bassist Will Harris and drummer Mark Whitlam. This line up appeared on the excellent album “Tables And Chairs” (2013) from which some of today’s set was sourced alongside a greater number of newer, as yet unrecorded compositions .

The Figes quartet play in a post bop style influenced by the great American alto saxophonist David Binney. The opening “Scrapboard” from “Tables And Chairs” mixed bop and funk elements with solos from Figes on alto and Blomfield on electric piano plus a drum feature from Whitlam, a musician who seems to get better every time I see him.

The as yet unrecorded “Sketches” was an episodic composition that moved through several different section and featured Figes on alto and Harris on five string electric bass.

Figes described the following “Empathy”, another new piece as a “swinger” and this more straightforward item included solos from Figes and Blomfield, the latter a consistently inventive soloist on the electric piano.

“The Point” , a new tune about “being different” featured a tricky bebop inspired theme punctuated by freer episodes featuring Blomfield’s synth. Solos came from Figes, Blomfield and Harris plus a closing Whitlam drum feature.

The three part “Weather Warning” was written in response to the flooding of early 2014 that affected the West Country so badly. The piece won the approval of a watching Gareth Roberts who was passing by en route to playing trombone with the Ceri Williams Band.

The Figes quartet concluded their set with “New Clothes”, a tune from “Tables And Chairs” but given a funk twist that recalled the music of another Figes band , 4 Sided Triangle (with Mike Outram-guitar, Dan Moore ? Fender Rhodes and Daisy Palmer ? drums).

I’ve always enjoyed Figes’ music and today’s performance was no exception. It’s just a shame there weren’t a few more people around to enjoy it with me.

CHRIS RIDGEWAY SEXTET

I was only able to catch the very last number of guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Chris Ridgeway’s set at the Kings Arms. The Cardiff based musician is an experienced campaigner whose music embraces folk, roots and blues. His band here featured a lead guitarist, violinist, double bass and drums. Whilst not exactly jazz this tantalising glimpse suggested that Ridgeway’s music is worthy of future investigation.

TONY O’MALLEY TRIO

The veteran pianist and vocalist Tony O’Malley was a popular visitor to Black Mountain Jazz in September 2013. A founder member of the 70s jazz/soul/funk outfit Kokomo he still performs occasional reunion shows with that fondly remembered group.

With his soulful voice and accomplished piano technique O’Malley is a great entertainer who really knows how to work a crowd. I caught part off his afternoon set with a new trio featuring electric bassist Yolanda Charles and drummer Phil Gould as they entertained a rather more substantial audience at the Castle stage.

I arrived for “Get My Baby Back” which featured O’Malley’s passionate vocals and pounding piano alongside Charles’ funky bass and Gould’s solid drumming. This was a trio that really knew how to lock into a groove.

I remembered O’Malley’s blue eyed soul version of “It Ain’t Easy Being Green” (originally sung by Kermit the Frog!) from his previous show at Abergavenny. Similarly his take on Bill Withers’ “Lovely Day”, an audience participation number which saw O’Malley climbing out from behind his keyboard to conduct the crowd.

The blues staple “Sweet Home Chicago” saw O’Malley changing the lyric to “Sweet Home Kokomo” in honour of his old band.

Finally a cod classical intro heralded a supremely funky and hard grooving “Unchain My Heart” which concluded a thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining set.

The O’Malley trio played a second set at the same venue in the early evening, this time with Cardiff based singer Helena May in a guest vocalist role. At first I got the impression that this was a genuinely impromptu appearance and that O’Malley and May hadn’t worked together before. Nevertheless she fitted in superbly as she demonstrated her skills as an accomplished vocalist and a born entertainer with a confident, bubbly personality. Subsequent research revealed that May’s group Man May’d had supported Kokomo on their recent series of re-union gigs and that she had even depped for Kokomo’s Dyan Birch on occasion.

Again I didn’t see the entire performance and there was a degree of overlapping with the first set with “Lovely Day” getting another airing. O’Malley and May also shared the vocals on “Ain’t No Sunshine When She’s Gone”, “Stand By Me” and a gospel infused “Naked Flame” A splendidly funky version of the recently departed Bobby Womack’s “I Can Understand It” rounded off another uplifting set from the popular O’Malley, ably assisted by his trio and their guest. 

NIA LYNN’S BANNAU TRIO

The Welsh born vocalist, lyricist and songwriter Nia Lynn is now based in London following her graduation from the Guildhall School of Music. She has since become an acclaimed educator and vocal coach with a post at the Royal Academy of Music.

Lynn is no stranger to Abergavenny and visited Black Mountain Jazz with this same trio for a successful club event back in 2009. Bannau Trio take their name for the Welsh word for “beacon” as in Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons), Lynn’s birthplace, and feature Gareth Lockrane on a variety of flutes (standard, alto and bass) and the always excellent Ross Stanley on piano. The trio’s blend of chamber jazz was initially inspired by the classic Norma Winstone album “Somewhere Called Home” and it was fitting that Winstone made a guest appearance on the latest Bannau Trio album (their third) “Points Of View”.

Like Will Butterworth the previous day Stanley was forced to deploy an electric keyboard but at least he’d brought his own, a Nord Stage that performed satisfactorily throughout. The trio is a highly interactive unit, it’s far more than just a singer plus backing musicians, and both Lockrane and Stanley were afforded generous amounts of solo space in virtually every song.

The programme comprised of a mixture of jazz standards, original songs and vocalese adaptations of existing melodies by celebrated jazz composers. The standards included Johnny Mercer’s “Midnight Sun” and Anthony Newley’s “Who Can I Turn To”.

Lynn’s original songs also impressed, among them the memorably melodic “Precious”, the evocative and atmospheric “Lonely Ghosts” and “Two Points Of View”, a writing collaboration between the singer and another fine pianist, the brilliant Gwilym Simcock.

Lynn’s vocalese version of Kenny Wheeler’s “Heyoke” from the trumpeter’s classic 1975 album “Gnu High” has long been a staple item of the Bannau Trio. I think I’m correct in stating that “Gnu High” represented Keith Jarrett’s last ever appearance as a sideman. 

Another constant in the Bannau repertoire is their signature tune, an adaptation of A Welsh folk tune, the reel “The Bannau Brycheiniog”, a fun piece that showcases Lynn’s wordless vocal gymnastics alongside Lockrane and Stanley’s sparkling instrumental passages. Today’s version was an enjoyable and fun conclusion to an absorbing set that contained many moments of genuine beauty and embodied a genuine sense of adventure and group interaction. It was much appreciated by a number of other musicians and singers who formed part of the audience including Debs Hancock and members of both the Kevin Figes Quartet and Moonlight Saving Time.

MOONLIGHT SAVING TIME

The next act to feature at the Priory stage was Moonlight Saving Time, the Bristol based quintet fronted by vocalist and songwriter Emily Wright and featuring the rhythm section of bassist Will Harris (this time on upright acoustic) and drummer Mark Whitlam who had both appeared previously as members of the Kevin Figes Quartet. The keyboard chair was taken by Dale Hambridge and the line up was completed by trumpeter Nick Malcolm, a successful band leader in his own right.

Taking their name from an obscure Blossom Dearie tune MST released an eponymous EP in 2013 and also attracted a compelling amount of critical acclaim for their live appearances. The EP focusses mainly on outside material but it represents an eclectic selection with distinctive and innovative arrangements, mainly by Harris but often involving the rest of the band.

A full year on from the release of the EP it was immediately apparent just how much MST have progressed. A full length album is in the pipeline and most of today’s material was sourced from within the ranks of the band. I was highly impressed both with the quality of their song writing and of their playing, which had the relaxed tightness of a regular working group.

Playing outdoors on a glorious summer evening MST attracted the largest crowd yet to the Priory stage, a sign perhaps that this is a group who are beginning to build something of a following. Unfortunately they had to compete with the sounds of evensong emanating from the neighbouring St. Mary’s Church which resulted in some amusing moments but overall the sounds of “the devil’s music” won the day!

Lyrics are important to Wright and the group began with “Clouds”, a tune by Will Harris with words supplied by Wright’s father and with Hambridge the featured soloist.

“Meeting At Night” took the words of Robert Browning and merged them with Whitlam’s hip hop grooves and the occasional free jazz squall, an interesting and innovative juxtaposition featuring Malcolm’s trumpet and Hambridge’s keyboards.

Malcolm’s “Views” featured his own trumpet on an unaccompanied introduction, Harris’ bass melody and subsequent solo and Wright’s soaring wordless vocals. For this listener of a certain age Wright’s singing reminded me less of Norma Winstone than of Amanda Parsons, once of “Canterbury Scene” progsters National Health and Hatfield & The North.

Hambridge’s thoughtful episodic “Desire For Nothing Known” embraced a number of sections and a series of dynamic changes and included features for himself and Harris. 

“Douala”, a tune from the group’s EP added Wright’s lyrics to a tune by the American guitarist David Gilmore who has played with pianist Vijay Iyer and many other leading US names. In the absence of a guitar the instrumental honours were taken here by pianist Hambridge.

The Wright/Harris composition “Silence is Here” contained lyrics inspired by Wright’s mother and her love of gardening. An effective arrangement saw the singer duetting delightfully with first Hambidge’s keyboards and, later, Malcolm’s trumpet.

Family is obviously very important to Wright and the singer’s “Arthur’s Dance” was a delightful lullaby for her young nephew, a piece that featured the gentler side of Malcolm’s trumpet playing.

“|Not Alone”, written by Calvin Harris and arranged by the unrelated Will represented an unexpected choice, totally left-field but totally effective with its solo piano introduction, a beguiling voice and bass duet and a vocalised Malcolm trumpet solo.

MST have been together for four years and took much of their early inspiration from Chick Corea’s original Return To Forever group featuring vocalist Flora Purim.  The MST EP features an excellent arrangement of Corea’s “Open Your Eyes, You Can Fly” and this was the final item here, an uplifting conclusion to an excellent group performance featuring superb contributions from all five musicians with drummer Whitlam featuring prominently here alongside Hambridge and Malcolm.

Wright’s pure and flexible voice is the obvious focus of this excellent band but the contributions of the instrumentalist are equally significant. MST seem to be entering a new and important phase of their career and the release of their first full length album should constitute a highly significant event on the UK jazz scene.

CERI WILLIAMS BAND

Due to the enforced absence of Brass Jaw versatile trumpeter Ceri Williams found himself covering a Stroller Programme slot up at the Kings Arms. This was his trad jazz outfit, sometimes referred to as the Good Old Spit & Dribble Jazz Band or as The Crow Valley Hot Five and this line up had also played a number of pop up gigs around the town.

Totally acoustic and rooted in the music of the 1920s this couldn’t have been more different to Williams’ Project X funk and fusion band which had played at the Priory the night before.

Today’s line up featured Williams on trumpet, Gareth Roberts on trombone, Martin Butterworth on clarinet, Sarah Thatcher on banjo and Steve Davies on the mighty sousaphone (“he’s a monster!” enthused Williams).

I only caught the last couple of numbers of a fun set that was enthusiastically received by the Kings Arms crowd who were denied an encore only because Thatcher had to dash off to another gig. I managed to hear Hoagy Carmichael’s “Honeysuckle Rose” and Fats Waller’s “Christopher Columbus”, an “I Got Rhythm” variant. Williams, Roberts and Butterworth all delivered enjoyable solos but inevitably it was Davies’ rasping sousaphone feature that stole the show. I’m not a huge fan of trad but Williams put a tongue in cheek modern twist on it and I’d have been happy to have heard more of this. Great fun, well done guys ? and girl.

MOSCOW DRUG CLUB

The Kings Arms programme concluded with a performance from yet another Bristol based band, Moscow Drug Club. Fronted by singer Katya Gorrie this group take elements of gypsy jazz, cabaret, East European folk music, klezmer and tango to create a heady brew that has proved extremely popular with audiences and would probably get a nod of approval from Tom Waits.

Moscow Drug Club have acquired something of a cult following and are one of the favourite bands of festival organiser Mike Skilton so they represented a natural choice to round off the festival. They attracted the biggest crowd of the weekend to the gigs and their high energy performance (despite most of the band remaining seated throughout) also attracted the most fervent crowd reaction.

Joining Gorrie were guitarist Denny Ilett, accordionist Mirek Salmon and double bassist Andy Crowdy (the latter here yesterday with John Etheridge) all of whom also provided backing vocals, plus trumpeter Jonny Bruce, a new addition who brings a welcome additional jazz touch to the proceedings.

However Moscow Drug Club is more about songs and attitude than instrumental virtuosity, good as all these players undoubtedly are ? Ilett, for example works regularly with star saxophonist Andy Sheppard. And there’s no doubt that they’re very good at creating a a Berlin cabaret style ambience on songs like “Jezebel”, a hit for both Frankie Laine and Edith Piaf.   

They certainly cover interesting material including songs by such brilliant writers as Jacques Brel (“Funeral Tango”) and Tom Waits (“Jockey Full of Bourbon”). Then there’s Peggy Lee’s “The Gypsy With The Fire In His Shoes”, Russian folk tunes like “Two Guitars” and Django Reinhardt style gypsy jazz on “Belleville”.

Novelty songs are also on the menu including the audience participation number “Istanbul Not Constantinople” and the group’s signature tune “Moscow Drug Club” (“where the reds play the blues”) delivered here as an encore. And who can forget that original number with the hook line “we don’t give a shit”.

Led by the charismatic Gorrie Moscow Drug Club have established a distinctive sound world that sounds both glamorous and dangerous. There were also plenty of excellent instrumental moments from Ilett, Salmon and Crowdy and particularly from Bruce, once of the Dave Stapleton Quintet, whose flamboyant solos included screaming high register passages and vocalised techniques. I’m a great admirer of Bruce’s playing and it’s always good to see him perform.

Tonight’s gig was clearly a triumph for Moscow Drug Club and they are clearly a much loved act. I enjoyed the energy of their performance and much of the playing but for me it’s all a too bit too much of a pose and a novelty and despite the quality of this live performance I wouldn’t necessarily want to listen to them at home. I guess this live, club style environment is where they’re at their best.

I couldn?t quite believe that I’d attended the entire festival and managed to miss both performances by clarinettist Arun Ghosh who was leading a quintet that also featured Chris Williams of Led Bib on alto sax. However the feedback on them was largely positive and I’ll be checking them out in a more formal concert environment at another of my regular haunts, the Arena Theatre in Wolverhampton, on December 4th 2014. I can’t wait.

Congratulations to Mike Skilton and his team for a second enjoyable Wall2Wall festival with an admirably diverse programme of acts. Once again I enjoyed everything I saw and it’s the sheer breadth of the programming that makes the festival such an artistic success.

However on a much more ambitious programme attendances were still disappointing for many events and the use of three stages on the Stroller programme was probably a step too far with audience members being spread too thinly.

I got to attend the festival as a journalist so money wasn’t an issue to me, but I did wonder whether the prices may have deterred others, especially as a series of new ticket offers emerged in the weeks immediately prior to the festival. However I do appreciate that costs have to be covered ? musician’s fees, venue and marquee hire etc. etc. - and that ticket pricing isn’t an exact science and is very difficult to get just right.

The ambition to recreate something of the ambience of Brecon Jazz Festival is a laudable one. At one point on Sunday afternoon I walked from the Priory stage to the Kings Arms passing the Borough Theatre from which the sounds of the 606 Gospel Group were emanating. As I walked past the Hen & Chickens the sounds of vaguely jazz sounding music drifted into the street, albeit not part of the official festival. Then there was Ceri Williams’ trad band playing on a street corner and finally the sounds of jazz within the Kings Arms itself. All that was missing were the crowds.

I do hope that the festival managed to break even again and I’d like to thank Mike Skilton for giving me the opportunity to cover it. Wall2Wall deserves to survive and to establish itself as one of the country’s leading festivals. 

From Debs Hancock via Facebook;

“Thank you Tamasin Reardon and Geraint Rees for your fabulous playing and Thank You Ian Mann for your positive words xx All very encouraging.”