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Dedicated to the performance and preservation of Traditional Dixieland Jazz in Austin and Central Texas


Jazz All-Stars from Dallas, San Antonio and Austin Play ATJS Concert at Cap City Comedy Club on Sunday, June 21

By Dan Augustine


They made it sound so easy! Well, OK, they were billed as 'All Stars', which certainly implies a high level of competence, but really, it was like watching Fred Astaire calmly do impossible dance-steps that would tie a mortal's legs in knots.

Now, take Bob Krenkel from Dallas on clarinet, soprano sax, and bass sax. He's been coming to Austin as an All-Star for something like 24 years, and he keeps playing each instrument with such ease and excelllence that one tends to forget that most other musicians will never be able to play like that. David Jellema from San Antonio on cornet and clarinet is of similar aplomb, casually tossing off nifty riffs on both instruments that make you stop the beer on the way to your face with an expression that says "Whoa! How did he do that?" Not to be outdone, our own Dave Stoddard of Austin played valve trombone today, but he also plays tuba, and plays each one with intricate jazz phrases that seem so lovely and logical that you tend to forget what a jungle of chords and rhythms he was faced with before he started playing.

The All-Star rhythm section featured San Antonio's Mark Hess on piano and Bobby Black on banjo and guitar, and Austinites Ryan Gould on string bass and Budge Mabry on drums. Collectively they have more minutes keeping the beat and providing bass lines and chords than there are tortilla chips in Austin, plus their salsa is hotter. And even though the band had never played in public before Sunday, June 21, 2009 (at the Capital City Comedy Club in Austin, hosted by the Austin Traditional Jazz Society), such was their expertise and years of experience that you couldn't tell. They played before an enthusiastic audience of about 170 jazz-lovers, and a passel or two of dancers of all styles and ages.

Highlights of the afternoon's performance included "Wild Man Blues" in the third set, with Krenkel on clarinet playing one of his best solos of the day, some bent high notes at the end. Stoddard then also played one of his best solos, with good choices of chord tones and some fast scalar runs he doesn't usually do. Jellema on cornet came in with a flutter-tongued low-register passage and some great melodic ideas. Mark Hess's solo was also one of his best. This was perhaps the best song of the afternoon, and it's a pity more bands don't play it. The band was really in a zone on this song, with everything clicking just right.

Quieter moments of the afternoon featured David Jellema, a noted Bix Beiderbecke specialist, on his Conn Victor cornet playing "Singing the Blues" and "I'm Coming, Virginia" with touches not only of Bix but of Bobby Hackett, . Bobby Black traded his banjo for guitar and played some nice reflective solos. Ryan Gould had some great solos (as in "Sorry") slapping his string bass, but not because it misbehaved, rather the contrary. He also demonstrated a strong voice and good intonation and enunciation on his vocals on "Louise" and "Breeze". Sidney Bechet's "Si Tu Vois Ma Mere" and "Petite Fleur" also received delicate treatments and some fine duetting with Bob Krenkel on soprano sax and David Jellema on clarinet.

It looked like the dancers (especially the younger swing-dance couples) appreciated the up-tempo tunes like "Sorry" and "Riverboat Shuffle". The crowd involuntarily went, "Oooohhh!!" when Dave Stoddard announced they were going to play "When I Get Too Old to Dream". "Borneo" included a bridge or verse that this reviewer has never heard before. Throughout all of these tunes, the rhythm section of Mabry, Gould, Black, and Hess provided steady tempos, good bass-lines, strong off-beats, and clear delineation of the chord-changes.

After singing "Happy Birthday" to Budge Mabry, Bob Krenkel thanked the audience and ATJS for inviting him down to Austin as an All Star for 24 years. The band then did one of their own favorites (mine too), "Once in a While" in a fast 4, with a good beat and dancers swinging around each other. Krenkel took two choruses on his bass sax, with some happy audience-members clapping along off the best. Jellema played a muted cornet solo in stop time, and the finish had two quiet 16-bars passages followed by a loud ensemble and triumphant finish, with some members of the audience standing and clapping. The ATJS All Stars not only made it look easy, they provided great entertainment, proof of which lies in the fact that everybody had a good time and that subjective time seemed much shorter than the three hours that actually elapsed.

The Swinging Strings Bring Fresh Instrumentation To ATJS’May 17 Concert at the Cap City Comedy Club’s Cabaret

Review by Daniel Augustine 


All told, there were one-and-a-half standing ovations.  At the end of the concert, the whole audience got to its feet and clapped and whooped (in a dignified manner, of course) to thank the Swinging Strings for their wonderful concert.  But also, after the band's hot rendition of "Wolfgang's Lament" (what a great title!), at least half the audience spontaneously got out of their chairs and applauded and cheered.  (I would have too, but i was busy writing down that they got up and applauded and cheered.)

The proximate cause of these celebrations?  Why, the concert hosted by the Austin Traditional Jazz Society on Sunday, May 17, 2009, from 2 till 5 pm at the Capital City Comedy Club.  The band -- the Swinging Strings -- was one that nobody knew anything about, even though most of its members had already played for others of these concerts previously with other bands.

In his introduction of the band, Dave Stoddard pointed out that the style of music we call "traditional jazz" is not limited just to bands with cornet, clarinet, and trombone backed by banjo, tuba, and drums.  Back in the 1930s, an equally important style of jazz flourished when Belgian gypsy jazz-guitarist Jean "Django" Reinhardt (1910 – 1953) and French jazz-violinist Stephane Grapelli (1908 - 1997) formed the "Quintette du Hot Club de France" in 1934.

The Swinging Strings is a similarly constructed group, in which the leader of the group, bassist Ryan Gould, is joined by Erik Hokkanen on violin and guitar, J. D. Pendley on guitar and banjo, Dave Biller also on guitar, and Jon Doyle on clarinet and tenor saxophone.  All of these musicians play constantly in the central Texas area and all are superb instrumentalists.  Gould, Pendley, Biller, and Doyle play regularly with Stanley Smith's Jazz Pharaohs every Wednesday at the Elephant Room, and also play in a number of other groups around town.  Jon Doyle recently finished a tour playing with Ray Benson and Asleep at the Wheel.  Erik Hokkanen currently plays with his new "gypsy surf" band, the Hip Replacements, every Tuesday at Flipnotics starting at 9 pm.  But he has also been a three-time winner of the Kerrville Folk Festival's "Instrumentalist of the Year" Award, has toured through Finland (being a third-generation Finn), has been inducted into the Western Swing Hall of Fame.  With the help of his son Luke he also teaches a rock 'n' roll summer camp in Austin.  His latest CD features some of his own songs like "Wolfgang's Lament", "Barton Springs Swing", and "Goin' Back to Zilker Park".

Dave Biller kicked off the first song of the first set with a nice solo on "Coquette", and it was immediately apparent that there were no weak links anywhere in the band, every one of them having full mastery of their instrument.  "Honeysuckle Rose" was next, featuring a typically inventive clarinet solo by Jon Doyle, and the Erik Hokkanen showed what a violin can do in jazz.  Hokkanen not only played with fire and artistry, but his on-stage demeanor and expressive face also entertained the audience.  (While some players rip off astounding chunks of notes without so much as a blink, others like Hokkanen seem to let the audience see how hard they're working and what the notes mean to them emotionally.)   "The Sunny Side of the Street" was next, followed by "Blue Skies", in which Jon Doyle's clarinet solo occasionally reminded some listeners of the agreeably raspy tone of Edmond Hall.  There was a good steady beat, thanks to Ryan Gould's tireless and accurate string-bass line.  Just in case anyone in the audience was in doubt as to the name of the song, Gould helpfully shouted out "BLUE SKIES!!" after the song ended, in his best music-hall voice.

The next song had most of us scratching our heads, trying to figure out the name of the tune.  It turned out to be an Erik Hokkanen composition named "The Farr Brothers Blues", honoring Hugh and Karl Farr who played fiddle and guitar and helped found a group called The Sons of the Pioneers with Leonard Slye (who later became better known as Roy Rogers).  It started with a slow, gypsy-like minor-key intro by the violin, bowed bass, and clarinet, and then grew into a fast 4-beat blues with a strong off-beat.  Ryan Gould had an impressive string bass solo, featuring triple-slaps.  (See http://www.answers.com/topic/hugh-karl-farr for more information about the Farr brothers.)  The set's last tunes were "Basin Street Blues", "Brazil" in a fast 4, and "China Boy" with a great solo by Dave Biller.

The second set started with "Struttin' with Some Barbecue".  (Jazz fans interested in the meaning of song titles might take a glance at the Jive Dictionary at http://www.cabcalloway.cc/jive_dictionary.htm, where it is revealed that 'barbecue' in this context means "the girl friend, a beauty" -- hence the strut.)  The next song was another Hokkanen composition, called "Wolfgang's Lament", which started off in a slow gypsy rhythm and an evocative guitar solo by Dave Biller.  Not to be outdone, J. D. Pendley followed with an equally impressive solo.  After Hokkanen's violin solo, full of twists and turns and impossible high notes, the tempo changed to a fast 4-beat rhythm, and the audience spontaneously started clapping on the beat with it.  Ryan's fast slap-bass solo with sixteenths led into an even faster 4-beat racehorse tempo, and the song ended with the audience roaring its approval, half of them standing up and clapping furiously.  After it died down, i asked the guy next to me, "OK, now how do they top THAT?"

Well, the answer is, you don't even try.  Instead, the band went into a medium-fast 4 with a good beat, prompting (once again) the dancers (including a bevy of young swing-dancers) to get out on the dance-floor.  Ryan Gould played a heck of a bass solo.  The next song was "If I Had You", led off by Dave Biller, and after the song ended Ryan Gould helpfully annouced the song title and added that it was "not written by Dan Augustine".  In point of fact, ASCAP (of which I am a member) requires me to disclose (not immodestly) that ALL of the songs played today were not written by Dan Augustine.  I hope that sets everybody's mind at ease.

The next tune had no takers as to the name.  It was a fine danceable song that turned out to be an old Count Basie ditty called "Topsy".  Mr. Gould next favored the audience with a heartfelt vocal in "When the Red Red Robin Comes Bob-Bob-Bobbin' Along".  The set ended with an increasingly faster rendition of the "Twelfth Street Rag", in which Dave Biller quoted the "Third Man Theme" in his solo.  The tempo increased to fast, then faster, then even faster, then too fast, and finally much too fast.  A break was then called so the musicians could replenish their precious bodily fluids.

The third set began with J. D. Pendley alone with his guitar, unamplified but near a microphone.  He played a beautiful version of "April Kisses".  Next, he became the backup accompanist to Dave Biller and Erik Hokkanen, both of whom played guitars in a tune that I think was called "Troublant Boléro" by Django Reinhart.  Hokkanen displayed huge chops on guitar (musician talk for "how can he be such a virtuoso on guitar too?").  Before the next song, Ryan Gould announced where the players in the band could be heard around town, and said that Erik Hokkanen's CDs could be found at Waterloo Records.  He then invited crowd-favorites Larmon Maddox on cornet and Dave Stoddard on valve trombone to sit in with the band to play "I Can't Give You Anything But Love", with J. D. Pendley on banjo, and perhaps the high point of the song was Maddox trading 8s with Hokkanen (more jazzer talk, meaning that the players alternated solos of eight bars each).  A great Jon Doyle solo in "Minor Swing" (one of Django Reinhardt's most popular tunes) was followed by a fantastic solo by Erik Hokkanen.  After "Way Down Yonder in New Orleans", the band audibly mulled over what to play next, and finally Erik Hokkanen said, "I Surrender, Larmon Dear".  This turned out in fact to be the old Bing Crosby song "I Surrender Dear", with a lovely solo by Larmon and an exquisite solo by Dave Stoddard.  The set and the concert ended, not with "Saints", but with "Bye Bye Blues", an old banjo-favorite.  As the last notes were dying away, the whole audience rose almost as one and cheered and applauded loudly.  Who says this ain't traditional jazz?

jazzinrockies (332K)

The Easy Street Ramblers debut at ATJS April 19 concert

By Dan Augustine


A new band called the Easy Street Ramblers played for the Austin Traditional Jazz Society on Sunday, April 19th, at the Capital City Comedy Club.  Made up of veterans of the jazz scene in central Texas, it featured players from both San Antonio and Austin and was led by Bob Black on banjo and guitar (a former member of the Jim Cullum Jazz Band).  Also from San Antonio were: Jay Thomas on bass trumpet and Superbone (a combination of slide and valve trombone), who has previously played for ATJS in Phil Armstrong's Crystal City Jazz Band; Rich Markow on vocals reminiscent of those in 1930s bands (he also presided at the washboard); and Jim Kelly on string bass.  Bobby Black and Jay Thomas have played together at Julian's Italian Restaurant in San Antonio every Friday for several years and both play in the Sentimental Journey dance orchestra.  Jim Kelly played at Pappadeaux Restaurant there with Bobby Black and Jay Thomas for a number of years.

Heading up the Austin contingent was Larmon Maddox on cornet, who for years played with Chuck Reiley's Alamo City Jazz Band and is currently the best traditional jazz cornetist in central Texas not named Jim Cullum.  He was joined by special guest artist Stanley Smith on clarinet and vocals, who has a list of jazz and popular credits as long as your arm: he currently plays guitar and clarinet and sings on Tuesdays at the Elephant Room on Congress Avenue, and on Wednesdays he plays clarinet and sings with the Jazz Pharaohs there.  He also has played and recorded with the Asylum Street Spankers.  (See his website at http://www.stanleysmithmusic.com/bio.htm for more information about him and his CD "In the Land of Dreams", which is also available through CD Baby.)  Joining Larmon and Stanley was Budge Mabry on drums and washboard, who has played with the Alamo City Jazz Band and with the others in the band for decades in central Texas.

Bob Black kicked off the first set with "Honeysuckle Rose", and right away the band established a rapport with the audience.  Jay Thomas has a marvelously mellow tone on his bass trumpet, which is not widely known as a solo instrument.  It sounded somewhere in the middle of a trombone and a flugelhorn, and his melodic ideas and extended range on the instrument immediately showed his expertise.  Stanley Smith then played a clarinet solo with wonderful rich tone and a deceptively simple selection of rhythms and notes.  One of the hardest things to do in any kind of music is not to play a million notes all over the place, which winds up sounding like everybody else (Brahms is reputed to have said, "It is not hard to compose, but it is wonderfully hard to let the superfluous notes fall under the table.").   Then Larmon Maddox reinforced this point in his solo, demonstrating how one builds an entirely different and attractive structure on the foundation of the same set of chords.  In the next tune, "Sleepy Time Down South", Larmon played even better (how is that possible?) in an extended tasty solo.

Next, Stanley remarked that it was "nice to be playing in a band with cats" his own age, a sentiment that just emphasized the cohesive style and maturity of the whole band's playing.  Bobby Black on banjo then led the band in "Way Down Yonder in New Orleans", with a good beat and energy, thanks to the steady pulse provided by Jim Kelly on bass and Budge Mabry on drums.  Rich Markow sang "Dream a Little Dream of Me" in the boy-singer style of some 1930s bands, in a strong tenor voice with good intonation and understandable lyrics (what a radical idea!).  Jay and Bobby played a little solo duet without the rhythm section.  Other tunes in the first set included such old favorites like "You Took Advantage of Me", "Moonglow", "A Kiss to Build a Dream On", and "After You're Gone".  The crowd was spontaneously impelled to clap (OFF the beat) during Bobby's banjo solo in "Once in a While", which had intensity and drive (with a tricky ending).  And the first set ended with a possible central-Texas first, a washboard duet between Budge and Rich in "Sweet Georgia Brown", with Budge looking like he was having more fun than anyone else in the building, and the crowd loved it and him.

During the break between sets, our ATJS Treasurer Malcolm Rodman mentioned that ATJS was doing financially well and that "The banks and the government should run as well as we do."  Ben Conroy favored the audience with some expert ivory-tickling boogie-woogie.

The second set started with "Willie the Weeper" at a nice bright tempo, and then Stanley showed what a great jazz-singer he is with his vocal on "George on My Mind" (which he has done countless times at the Elephant Room, and it never fails to enchant the audience).  "Avalon" and "Someday You'll Be Sorry" followed, and Stanley sang "Rosetta" to a rapt audience (when he sings, people listen and quit talking, as what he's doing commands their attention).  Rich sang and scatted a version of "Sunday" and the set ended with a lively version of "Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen" (which some bands have purposefully mis-translated as "The Bear Missed the Train").

The last set featured "Mama's Gone Goodbye", "On the Sunny Side of the Street" (with another fine Rich Markow vocal), and Stanley singing "St. James Infirmary", with a great solo on cornet by Larmon Maddox (using trills and shakes).  A very nice solo on bass trumpet by Jay Thomas followed in "'S Wonderful".  The set and concert ended with "All of Me", "If I Had You", "Dinah" (with a quiet intro of cornet and guitar), and a rousing rendition of "Shine".

This may be a new band, but the players showed nothing but decades of playing fine jazz.  They satisfied and pleased the crowd with both their choice of songs and their jazz virtuosity, and we look forward to hearing from them again.


March 15, 2009: Review of the Tim Laughlin New Orleans All Stars ATJS Concert

Review by Dan Augustine               Photos by Tom Straus


Here are some random thoughts after coming back from the Tim Laughlin concert:

Well.  Where do i start in trying to describe to you the concert?  Did you ever notice (now i sound like Andy Rooney -- not necessarily a bad thing) that when you don't like something, it's very easy to talk about why you didn't like it.  But when you DO like something, suddenly you're at a loss for words.  Example: in 25 words or fewer, tell me why you love/hate lima beans.

Melody.  Big, fat glistening globules of gorgeous notes strung together like chains of paper ovals i used to hang on the Christmas tree -- that was what i heard today.

Tone.  Trying to describe Tim Laughlin's tone on the clarinet is like trying to tell someone how a good steak tastes.  Can't be done.  Yes, you could say that its sound is closer to that of an Albert-system clarinet than most run-of-the-mill clarinets, or how a fine piece of leather feels to your fingers.  Texture.  Body.  And not only Tim's tone, but those of Connie Jones and Rick Trolsen also.  Connie gets a big fat sound out of his cornet, no matter what the register he's playing in is, and you may be excused for not noticing it because you're swept up in the stream of his musical ideas.  Rick Trolsen's trombone sound is a pure, clear tone, and he sometimes pops out a string of high-altitude notes that both surprise and please you.

Energy, enthusiasm, vivacity, LIFE!  For the first time ever (in my experience), the audience after the first set did what other Austin audiences do between sets, and that was to stand up, stretch, talk with friends and neighbors about the music, walk around, schmooze a little, go take a look at the CDs for sale.  Seems like in most previous concerts, everybody just kept sitting in their chairs and talked among themselves.  This energy came in large part from the great rhythm section. Hal Smith on drums, one of the world's best drummers, showed why he's called that with rock-solid tempos and inventive fills, dings, accents, and even pauses (a big part of good drumming, in my opinion, is knowing when NOT to play -- you can sometimes create drive and intensity by intentionally leaving a space where a sound is expected).  Matt Perrine on string bass anchored the beat and the harmonies, and displayed a lot more chops on that instrument that i expected, as i know him from his sousaphone work, which is spectacular (more later on that).  And Tom McDermott on piano not only filled in the harmonies but put in a lot of extra melodic phrases that gave one a better idea of the underlying chords and also commented and complemented what the soloists were playing.


Loud!  The players in Tim Laughlin's band seemed to be playing louder, individually and collectively, than those in previous bands.  Well, no, that's not quite it.  Maybe it was just with more intensity.  "More intensity", you know, doesn't necessarily mean louder.  Tim showed that in many of his solos, as he played with a dark luscious tone in the low register of the clarinet, but he did so quietly, and people listened.  They stopped talking and concentrated on those quiet notes.

Did you ever see an old fellow on a porch whittling a piece of wood?  He wasn't in any hurry, and didn't seem to be making anything recognizable, but gradually you began to see a form taking shape, and you realized you were watching the act of creation of art, right before your eyes.  In music, that can happen also, and it happened today, but nothing physical was created.  Time itself was shaped and colored before your ears (not eyes), and you could see the entire process unfold.  Sound has not only pitch, but color, and texture, line and shape, and master musicians are able to sculpt aural images of thoughts and feelings no words will ever be able to capture.  (Doesn't stop me and us from trying, though, as you can see.)

OK, i've gotten WAY ahead of myself here, writing the middle of the review at the top.  Here are the chronological particulars: first, this was a concert sponsored by the Austin Traditional Jazz Society at the Capital City Comedy Club on March 15, 2009.  The featured band was Tim Laughlin's New Orleans All-Stars, but unfortunately their flight was late and ATJS had to scramble to assemble what ATJS Vice-President Dave Stoddard called a 'shadow' band.  The band, which could have easily been a headliner anywhere else, consisted of Dave on valve trombone, David Jellema from San Antonio on cornet, Larmon Maddox also on cornet, Bob Black from San Antonio on guitar and banjo, Bob Alexius on string bass, and Hal Smith on drums.  (They all just happened to bring their horns.  Bob brought his string bass for Matt Perrine to play, and Hal Smith had arrived in Austin earlier in the week to scout out some barbecue and mingle with some railroad enthusiasts; he was playing the drums loaned by Budge Mabry.)  They played the first set at 2 pm, starting out with "Louisiana" and then narrowing into "New Orleans".  "Jazz Me Blues" followed, along with "Dinah", "Big Butter and Egg Man", and "China Boy".  All played with gusto and expertise, on the spur of the moment, demonstrating the universality of traditional jazz, six players who had never before played together as a group coming together and playing some fine music with no rehearsal.  Recognizing this, and enjoying their music, the audience gave them a big hand after the last number.

Tim and the others got set up on stage and started playing about 1:45 pm.  Matt Perrine settled on using Bob Alexius' string bass, but Ryan Gould had also brought his bass for Perrine to try out, and ATJS owes him a big "Thank you!" for helping out.  Matt Perrine also on one song used a sousaphone brought by your reviewer (blush).  And as mentioned earlier, Hal Smith played on Budge Mabry's drum set.  Thanks to all those folks for bringing their instruments!

The Tim Laughlin New Orleans All-Stars started off with "My Buddy", and exhibited both finesse on the melody and increasing rhythmic and dynamic drive toward the end.  The next tune was one that Tim Laughlin wrote, called "Dumaine Street Breakdown", which is the first song on Tim's CD "The Isle of Orleans".  Of the song, Tim says, "In the summer of 2002,  I moved to the French Quarter. This was the first song I wrote in my new place, reflective of one hellacious move-in experience in the heat of July and recalling my first night without air conditioning." (http://www.timlaughlin.com/isle.htm)  The next tune was "Blues for Faz", 'Faz' being Irving Fazola, one of New Orleans finest clarinet-players (many people had trouble pronouncing and spelling his real name -- Irving Henry Prestopnik (1912-1949) -- so he used his nickname 'Fazola', which reportedly derived from his childhood skill at solfege, three of whose note-syllables are Fa-Sol-La; an alternate story is that Louis Prima used to call him 'fazola', Italian for 'beans').  At any rate, Tim played a great solo on this tune, especially in his low register tones.  Tom McDermott also showed some massive chops in his piano solo.  Connie Jones sang a jazzy version of "Sugar" next, and had many couples heading for the dance floor.  "Gentilly Street" was the next song, also by Tim Laughlin, based on his living in that New Orleans neighborhood as a child.  With a muted trombone Rick Trolsen then played "Indian Love Call" with the rhythm section, with nice ideas paired with a lot of melodic dexterity.  "Avalon" at a fast tempo, kept in strict time by Messrs. Smith, Perrine, and McDermott, started out with just clarinet and rhythm, but then built intensity, with a strong piano solo and a fine string bass solo by Matt Perrine, whose melodic improvisations always seem to exploit unexamined areas of the chord structure.  Quiet.  Almost a silence.  Those were the usually missing aspects of a soft clarinet solo with other bands, but when Tim Laughlin played Sidney Bechet's "Si Tu Vois Ma Mere" (also called "Lonesome") with pianissimo rhythm accompaniment, the room got so quiet you could hear your own breathing.  Connie Jones added a great inventive solo, and Tim finished with his low lovely tone.  Hal Smith pepped things up with a New Orleans-type street beat on Tim's song, "March of the Uncle Bubbys" (New Orleans reference to "any older New Orleans gentleman set out to having a good time"), including a drum solo at the finish that showed why he's one of the best drummers in the world (and why he's played on over 150 recordings).  The last tune of the set was the title track to Tim's "Isle of Orleans", with Matt Perrine on sousaphone, playing an incredible solo with great ideas, high register, fast notes, prompting many in the audience to give Matt and the band a standing ovation at the end of the song (something i've never seen before at any of our concerts).

The second set began with the crowd still milling around, buying the band's CDs, talking, and generally schmoozing, all good things, indicating the level of energy generated in the first set.  The first song was the old favorite, "At the Jazz Band Ball", with a good tempo and a great trombone solo, loud and high, by Rick Trolsen.  Later were another Tim Laughlin tune, "Crescent City Moon", which got many couples out on the dance floor, followed by a rousing rendition of "Lena, Queen of Palesteena", a 1920s Klezmerish song originally performed by the Original Dixieland Jass Band.  It featured Hal Smith on drums for the intro, then a drum solo with toms and later snare, then a duet between the drums and clarinet.  An instant change of pace was next with "Love Sends a Little Gift of Roses" (once played by the Benny Goodman quartet) for clarinet and rhythm, and some beautiful phrasing by Tim Laughlin.  A good two-beat version of "Who's Sorry Now?" generated a number of happy "Awww"s from the audience.  Rick Trolsen had another superb trombone solo in it.  The concert ended about 5 pm (with about 90 percent of the audience still in their seats or dancing) with an uptempo four-beat version of "Way Down Yonder in New Orleans", Connie Jones providing great melody and drive.  The crowd got to their feet and pounded their hands together and whooped and hollered in appreciation of one of the best performances ATJS has ever put on.  Unfortunately, there was not enough time for an encore, as the band had to scramble back to an early flight back to New Orleans.  However, the CD-sales table sold almost all 30 of Laughlin's "Isle of Orleans" CD, plus quite a few of his other CD and also CDs by the other band-members.

For those who would like more information about the band and its members and how to buy their recordings, here are some of the band members' websites:

Tim Laughlin: http://www.timlaughlin.com/
Connie Jones: http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/artist/Jones,%20Connie/a/Connie%20Jones.htm
Rick Trolsen: http://www.neslort.com/
Hal Smith: http://www.rpmwin.com/users/earls/Hals_Angels/nf_about.html
Tom McDermott: http://www.strdigital.com/mcDermott.htm
Matt Perrine: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=42893807

Review of ATJS concert by Band Aid Jazz Band on February 22, 2009

By Dan Augustine


Once again the Band Aid Jazz Band from San Antonio put a tourniquet on our malaise, staunched the flow of fun from our day, and gave us a transfusion of good music right into our hearts. Health-care professionals all, they wisely prescribed an afternoon of traditional jazz, high spirits (fermenti and otherwise), and convivial companionship, hosted by the Austin Traditional Jazz Society on a pleasant Sunday afternoon on February 22, 2009, at the Capital City Comedy Club in Austin, Texas.

The Band Aid Jazz Band claims to have no leader, but Neil Walsdorf on clarinet handled the announcements and other leaderlike duties with skill and aplomb (that's a small purple fruit bestowing calm and professionalism when ingested). He was joined not only by his wife Beverly Walsdorf on piano, but his daughter Linda Walsdorf on vocals. Jerry Lindner conducted skillful operations on his cornet and vocals, Dan Bacon demonstrated a thorough understanding of tubes and sheaths on his slide trombone, and Arthur Richardson promulgated percussive permutations of aortic rhythmic schema on his drums. Bob Black's mastery of the banjo resulted in his promotion to the front line, and we were doubly blessed to have two tuba-players for the occasion with regular Bill Chapman (also on baritone horn) being joined by Jay Thomas (who also plays fine trombone).

Fans began arriving an hour or more before the 2 pm kickoff, especially a busload of celebrants from Sun City who call themselves the Zoomers. Other groups and individuals soon joined them, and by 1:45 pm the hall was at least half filled, with the good and friendly wait-staff scurrying around getting refreshing beverages and food for the crowd.

The first set kicked off early, about 5 minutes till 2 pm, with a rousing rendition of "Washington and Lee Swing", and it did, propelled in part by Bob Black's fine banjo-work. Bill Chapman took another of his 'stratospheric' solos, but on baritone horn this time. Not to be outdone, Jay Thomas played a fine solo on tuba on the next song, "Tin Roof Blues". Then Linda Walsdorf sang "If I Had You" with impressive style, good intonation, and excellent enunciation. (Isn't it nice to be able to understand words when sung, especially when the lyrics are meaningful and there is a great melody with it?) A vocal duet by Jerry and Neil on "Darktown Strutters' Ball" followed, and Jerry (in a glittery tam) further entertained us with a vocal in what to this non-French speaker sounded like French. "St. James Infirmary" with a vocal by Dan Bacon was next, followed by Linda crooning "I Can't Give You Anything But Love". A trombone-baritone duet by Dan and Bill on "Bourbon Street Parade" was followed by a baritone-tuba duet by Bill and Jay, in turn followed by Jerry's vocal accompanied by the duet of Neil and Dan. Neil then told the story about a tricky bar in New Orleans that found a way to double-charge patrons, and this was an introduction to the song "Second Line" (with a vocal by Dan), with the band stepping off the stage and played parading around the room. (Sadly, no one in the audience followed, but maybe next time some folks will remember to bring their parasols.) Linda favored the audience with "Exactly Like You", as Jerry tiptoed behind the piano and mysteriousy began wardrobe changes with his back to the audience. Happily, there was no X-rated "wardrobe malfunction" in the next song, but instead an alternate persona appeared greatly resembling the former Jerry Lindner, but wearing an apron with a female form on it and sporting an accumulation of hair on his head that might scare Medusa. Fortunately, the audience turned not to stone but to a mass of giggles as Jerry-ette sang the old Bessie Smith song, "I Can't Do without My Kitchen Man". The set ended with the more normal "Back Home in Indiana".

During the intermission, ATJS President Tom Straus presided at the CD-raffle and mentioned the big March 15th concert of Tim Laughlin and his band from New Orleans. ATJS Vice-President Dave Stoddard pointed out other local jazz-events. The audience now numbered almost 200 foot-tapping souls.

Highlights of the second set included "I've Found a New Baby", "Take Me Back to New Orleans", "St. Louis Blues", and Linda Walsdorf singing "Bye Bye Blackbird". A number of couples always seemed to be enjoying the dance-floor. Also played were "Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans" (that city's "National Anthem" according to Neil), Linda on "I Ain't Gonna Give You None of My Jelly Roll" and "After You've Gone", and Jerry singing "I Got a Mama Down in New Orleans". The set ended with perennial favorite "That's a-Plenty".

The last set included ATJS Director Scott Bailey on trombone and vocals. Linda sang "A Good Man Is Hard to Find" and Jerry sang the old Turk Murphy favorite "The Curse of an Aching Heart", with dual trombones of Scott and Dan. Giving a temporary dispensation to excess sucrose indulgence, Jerry played the "Sugar Blues", followed by Linda's obvious canard "I Ain't Got No Body". Harking back to his wiggier days, next Jerry waxed wistfully on "I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate". The last songs of the afternoon were Linda's vocal on "Baby Won't You Please Come Home", Jerry's vocal (in French) on "Bill Bailey", and Dan's vocal on "What a Wonderful World". The last song was, of course, "When the Saints Come Marching In", with the audience clapping in rhythm to the beat, and the tune segued into "Mama Don' 'Low", which in turn turned into "Dixie". The crowd came to their feet and awarded the band a standing ovation.

Record Convention Coming To Austin

By Becky Maddox


If you have a vintage record collection that you want to downsize, or if you would like to find some additional albums for your collection, you may be interested in the up coming AUSTIN RECORD CONVENTION. Here are the particulars:

SPRING 2009 AUSTIN RECORD CONVENTION
 APRIL 3/4/5 CROCKETT EVENT CENTER
10601 N. LAMAR BLVD. AUSTIN,TX
CONTACT: DOUG HANNERS
512-288-7288
doug@austinrecords.com
www.AustinRecords.com

FYI: table cost is $150; he will also sell for you for a fee.

Photos from the January 2009 Jam Session

Provided by Tom Straus


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2009 Jam Session A Major Success

By Dave Stoddard


The Austin Traditional Jazz Society staged another successful Jam Session on January 11 at the Cap City Comedy Club before 230 enthusiastic fans. Dave Stoddard managed the event, played trombone and sang the harmony part on a vocal.

A total of twenty-seven musicians took part. One musician played two instruments—Jay Thomas played some fine solos on bass trumpet in the first set, then came back to play some good tuba in the third and final set. Groups ranged in size from eight to fourteen players, as people shuttled in and out. The bands played a variety of jazz standards at tempos which kept the dance floor in constant use the entire afternoon.

The quality of the players was shown by how well they formed up into groups, most assembled in that form for the first time. The jammers played some fine jazz to a most enthusiastic crowd. The Society has now staged seven Jam Sessions beginning with their renewal in 2003. The Jam Session distance award this year goes to clarinetist Ron Newton of Carson City, NV. Ron played some of his numbers with trumpeter son Sean of the Chaparral Dixielanders.

Our thanks go out to all of the fine musicians who helped make this year's Jam Session a hit.

Clarinet: Phil Armstrong, Ron Newton and Sammy Epstein
Trumpet/Cornet: Larmon Maddox, David Jellema, Steve Bauserman and Sean Newton
Tenor Saxophone: Andy Blake and Dan Torosian
Trombone/Bass Trumpet: Dave Stoddard (leader), Jay Thomas, Monte Price and Scott Bailey
Piano: Mike Hess
Banjo/Guitar: Bobby Black, J.D. Pendley, John Huntsberger and Tom Straus
Tuba: Dan Augustine and Jay Thomas
String Bass: Ryan Gould, Robert Carter, Tim Paco and Bob Alexius
Drums: Rob Schmidt, Budge Mabry and Luther Keeler
Vocals: Janis Machado

strauss (2K)

Announcing "Pure Jazz Radio"

Contributed by Tom Straus, President ATJS



For those of you who just can’t get enough jazz, here is a new jazz Internet radio station that will begin broadcasting January 1.

"Just a quick hello to wish you all a Happy Holiday Season.  Where did this year go?"

"I'd also like to announce a new venture called "Pure Jazz Radio".  Please check out our website at www.purejazzradio.com.  The target "air date" is January 1, 2009.  One will be able to access the station easily by clicking a "Listen Live" button on the website."

"Pure Jazz Radio will be a full time Internet Radio Station featuring Jazz and Standards 24/7, including a "Sunday Sinatra" program every Sunday starting at 10am EST."

"My enthusiasm for this project is twofold:"

"First, to be able to program a station that features traditional Jazz and Standards, and appeals to a highly discriminating audience, is very exciting.  Commercial radio (and now even non-profit radio) has seemed to give up on this demographic."

"Second, the world wide reach of the medium (not to mention the sound quality) is mind-boggling.  We will literally be able to reach anyone in the world with internet access....With WIFI, portable radio and car radio access cannot be too far off."

"I'll keep in touch to let you know how we are looking with our January 1st target.  In the meantime, please check out the website and let me know what you think.  As always, your input is always welcome."

"Rich Keith

www.purejazzradio.com


Rich Keith
www.purejazzradio.com

address for music service:
4 Norwood Lane 
Lake Ronkonkoma, NY 11779

DIXIELAND JAZZ CENTRAL TEXAS DISCUSSION GROUP FORMED

By Jim Ivy


One of the things that has been missing on this website is a place where members and others interested in Dixieland Jazz in our Central Texas area can post information and carry on discussions.  Now there is a Yahoo group just for Dixieland fans in Central Texas.  Everyone is welcome to join the discussion.  You can post photos and files there that may be of interest to other Dixieland fans also.  Check it out now - go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DixielandJazz 

Join the group now.   Voice your opinion about Dixieland Jazz in Central Texas! 

ATJS 08-09 Concerts Bring Back Favorite Bands, Areas Newest Dixieland Band, Jan. Jam Session ...Plus Special Concert, All at Cap Citys Cabaret

By Malcolm Rodman


Traditional Dixieland Jazz is alive and well in Central Texas thanks to the loyal fans of the Austin Traditional Jazz Society. This Fall marks our 32nd season of bringing Our Kind of Music to Central Texas audiences. And, we want you and your friends to be part of it! Use this pre-addressed form to renew for the new season!

The 2008-09 Schedule
(Subject to change. Timely information at www.atjs.org)
September 7, 2008 Silver Creek Jazz Band
October 19, 2008 Giant City Jazz
November 16, 2008 Mission City Hot Rhythm Cats
January 11, 2009 ATJS Jam Session
February 15 or 22, 2009 Band Aid Jazz Band
March, 2009 Special Concert (TBA)
April 19, 2009 Easy Street Ramblers
May 17, 2009 Swinging Strings
June 21, 2009 ATJS All-Stars

                
Our Home, Cap City Comedy Club. Musicians and fans alike appreciate the staging and sight lines from every part of the hall and the superior sound system. The room allows musicians and fans to play off one another. Our fans have responded favorably to the suggested two item minimum (drinks and/or food). The burgers and other fare turned out by the kitchen from 1:30 to 4:00 p.m. have been received enthusiastically.

Concerts are on Sundays from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. at the Cap City Comedy Club, 8120 Research Blvd. (US 183) at Anderson Square in North Austin. Admission for ATJS members is free by showing the current (Red) membership card. Guests, Public invited: $10.00. Suggested minimum: 2 items, food and/or drink. Doors open 1:30 p.m. Features: Food (kitchen open 1:30 to 4:00 p.m.), full bar to 5:00 p.m., dance floor, free parking with overflow parking one block south.

Subscribe now to ATJS's 2008-2009 season of Dixieland Jazz concerts at Cap City Comedy Club's Cabaret

Click here to subscribe online with a credit card or PayPal account.
Click here to print a mail-in enrollment form.

The best deal is to join before September, to take advantage of our full years program. To encourage newcomers throughout the year, we always credit your $10.00 single show admission fee toward a season membership and dues are pro rated as the season progresses. See the front desk, or check www.atjs.org for details. 

AllStars 08 (2222K)

** In recent years, ATJS has sponsored Austin appearances by the Jim Cullum Jazz Band of San Antonio, Connie Jones Jazz All Stars from New Orleans and Ed Polcers Jazz Band from New York. The Austin Traditional Jazz Society, a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit society, is dedicated to the preservation and performance of Traditional Dixieland Jazz in Austin and Central Texas / P.O. Box 27694 / Austin, TX 78755-7694 / www.atjs.org / President: Tom Straus / Editor: L. Malcolm Rodman / (512) 795-9112 / E-mail:: mnbrodman@austin.rr.com

Pics from the January Jam Session

Furnished by Ryan Gould


Call for Submissions


Do you have an idea for an article that will be of interest to ATJS members and to the hundreds of others who visit ATJS.ORG each month?  Over the last thirty days, ATJS.ORG has had over 500 visits from 23 different countries!  

Our visitors are looking for timely and up-to-date information about traditional jazz, or as it is sometimes called, "Our Kind Of Music" (OKOM).  We need your help in furnishing the information that will keep ATJS.ORG one of the top sites for OKOM articles and information.  

If you can write new, original articles concerning traditional jazz, especially articles connected to the Central Texas area, and, if you would like to see your work published on ATJS.ORG, please submit it to ATJSWebmaster@austin.rr.com.

While we wait for new articles, you can browse through our previous articles, concert reviews, and photograph archive.  Just select from the menu on the left.

- Webmaster


The Austin Traditional Jazz Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and performance of Traditional Dixieland Jazz in Austin and Central Texas

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