Aunt Ruby's Jazz Babies
By Dan Augustine
Someone came up to me and said, "Tell people in your review that they missed a good one."
What this person was referring to was the ATJS concert on April 15, 2007, by Aunt Ruby's Sweet Jazz Babies, at the Capital City Comedy Club. However, from my vantage point, not many people missed the concert, as the audience was large and very appreciative, clapping in time to the music and dancing (even one of the waiters couldn't resist moving up and down between the tables in time to the music). At the end of the concert the audience gave Aunt Ruby's Sweet Jazz Babies a standing ovation. But i'm getting ahead of myself here. Let me start over.
Aunt Ruby's Sweet Jazz Babies is a fairly new band in Austin, having been formed in the latter half of 2004. And it's a fairly young band (from all appearances) also, at least in comparison with some of the other bands that usually perform for the Austin Traditional Jazz Society concerts.
As their website (at http://www.arsjb.com/) says,
"Aunt Ruby's Sweet Jazz Babies is an Austin, Texas based collection of talent and artistry that seeks to embody, in today's terms, the very essence of the hot jazz and swing music prevalent from the 1910-1940's. Each Aunt Ruby's Sweet Jazz Babies performance is a family oriented event filled with dancing, romance, educated humor, and cosmopolitan sophistication. The Babies are not a retrospective, sentimental group that longs for days gone by. Aunt Ruby's Sweet Jazz Babies is a spontaneous and passionate band that celebrates the sheer joy and treasures of living through song for the enjoyment of everyone."
The leader of the band is a mysterious, albeit humourous, guitar-player named Frank Lee Divine, whose speech suggests much time spent in France, but with a possible birthplace in Romania (either that, or spending too much time consulting with the International Centre for Dubious Accents). He sang many songs with a fine bass voice, accompanying himself on his resonator-guitar.
The other players are General Ryan Gould (double bass and vocals), Ben Saffer (clarinet, usually with Alice Spencer and Her Monkey Butlers, substituting for regular Tartan Purry), King Crazy Oliver Steck (trumpet, accordian, and vocals), Speedy Gonzales (trombone), and Professor Joe Cordi (piano and vocals, who Mr. Divine called a "blonde Italian cupcake"). All of these worthies also play in other fine bands around Austin. The band also has a new CD for sale called "Stompin' Through the Tulips" (see their website for details).
Starting the afternoon off with high spirits and energy, the band played such favorites as "Margie" and "When I Take My Sugar to Tea", followed by Mr. Divine's vocal interpretation of "I Cover the Waterfront". Mr. Gould sang "Up a Lazy River" with fine style and phrasing, and on "If We Never Meet Again" Mr. Steck summoned up a slow muted trumpet solo, backed by bowed string bass, and Mr. Gonzales played a very nice muted trombone solo, followed by Mr. Saffer's warmly resonant clarinet. The first set ended with "Who's Sorry Now?", with a seldom-heard verse by Mr. Divine, followed by Mr. Gould in the chorus.
Highlights of the second set were a group-singalong on "Old Fashioned Love" and Mr. Cordi's vocal stylings on "When Your Lover Has Gone". A fast-tempoed "China Boy" was followed by Mr. Gould's vocal in "Russian Lullaby". The third set began with a song that had even the old-timers and experienced musicians scratching their heads for the name of the song, the almost-never-heard "When the Little Roses Get the Blues for You" (an Al Jolson favorite). Mr. Steck admonished the audience with "It's a Sin to Tell a Lie", and later emulated Jack Teagarden's choice of mutes with a water-glass held to the bell of his trumpet in "Sleepy Time Down South". The concert ended with "I've Found a New Baby", featuring another vocal from Mr. Divine, and some wild and crazy tap-dancing by Mr. Steck. The audience responded with a standing ovation.
Aunt Ruby's Sweet Jazz Babies showed why they are one of the best and most original bands in central Texas. They play frequently around Austin (Tree House Italian Grill, Quality Seafood, among others) and give new slants and great energy to some great old songs. I know that the few who missed this particular ATJS concert would enjoy hearing them at other venues, and we hope to have them back with us in next season's round of ATJS concerts.
