letter from the exec. director jazz...

All Options on the TableFor Annual Jazz Fest #41

JAZZ RAMBLER

AFCDJS is currently reviewing itsoptions, watching the news, keepingup on a l l CDC guidel ines , andcautiously optimistic that the Festivalwill take place Nov. 25 – 29, 2020 at theTown & Country Hotel — 500 HotelCircle North, San Diego.

See the President’s Message onthis page for details regarding theprecautions that AFCDJS and theTown & Country have in mind to ensureour patrons’ well-being, should we beable to move forward as planned.

Just prior to the Covid-19 situation,Pianist John Royen (the subject of arecent article in the Syncopated Timesand severa l pos t s on Michae lSteinman’s JAZZ LIVES blog), wasinvited to return to the San Diego JazzFest in 2020. Royen, who recently re-certified as a Merchant Mariner, willbe leading Capt. John Royen’s NewOrleans Rhythm – featuring Chicagoclarinetist Kim Cusack, plus Katie

Letter From theExec. Director

By Bill AdamsPresident/Executive Director

As summer rolls on and autumnquickly approaches, the reality of thispandemic affects our daily lives withtoo much uncertainty. We are allinconvenienced and troubled by thecoronavirus and the changes it hasforced on our lives. But with time andpatience changes will be coming.Restaurants are continuing to openunder safe conditions; hotels arestarting to book rooms and people areslowly starting to travel.

The Society, which runs our annualThanksgiving Festival, is working withstate and county health officials aswell as the Town & Country Hotel onexisting and future guidelines forproducing events. Some of the ruleswill change as fewer people arediagnosed with COVID-19 and casenumbers lower. When this happens,we can evaluate how to safely bring ingroups of people, manage bandmovement, and provide a festive,entertaining event without riskinganyone’s health.

The Society, Board of Directorsand Steering Committee are committedto and working on the 2020 San DiegoJazz Fest & Swing Extravaganza. Thedetails of how many venues and bands,how to access food and bars, andsafely moving between venues are allunder consideration. Some of theseissues we have control over, some arebeing dictated by the county of SanDiego and the state of California. Weask for your patience as we movethrough these obstacles and discoverand develop new ways of putting on aFestival (something we’ve done a fewtimes in the past!) and work with thehotel and the county to put togethera plan of action for hosting our event.

In the meantime, while we are all athome, our first priority is staying safeand keeping healthy. When we areable to start hosting events again, wewant all of you healthy, able and readyto join us for music and dancing. Asmost of you know we’ve been hostingonline events due to our inability to

Summer (August) 2020

Published by America’s Finest City Dixieland Jazz Society • San Diego, CA • www.SDjazzfest.org

$8.00 Per Issue Vol. XXXVIII No. 2

hold our regular monthly concerts.Our first few were rousing successes,and still available for viewing atfacebook.com/afcdjs/live.

The Board of Directors appreciatesyour continued support as we workthrough this very strange time in ourlives. Rest assured, as of this writing,the 2020 Thanksgiving Festival is stillon the table, and we will continue toupdate everyone as plans develop.Just like everyone else, we are beingextremely cautious, but are also veryeager to provide a safe and healthyenvi ronment to p rov ide en te r -tainment… but more time is needed.

As we navigate these unchartedwaters, we recognize that Thanks-giving weekend plans need to be made.To that end, the Board is committed to

The AFCDJSMonthly Concert Series• See Jazz Alive on p.2 forinfo on who is playingwhere!• See the Virtual Realitystory to catch somestreaming live jazz.

making a final decision on SD JazzFest #41 no later than Sept. 1.

Please stay safe, keep healthy andenjoy a l l the onl ine music andentertainment that is available.

We look forward to seeing yousoon.

John Royen at the piano

continued on page 3

Cavera, Marty Eggers and Hal Smith.Also returning to the program are TheRegulators, performing the music ofJohnny Cash with John Gill on guitarand vocals. Both of these groups werewell-received at the 40th Annual SanDiego Jazz Fest, and AFCDJS is

SUMMER (AUGUST) 2020

The JAZZ RAMBLER is published quar-terly for $20 per year ($25 foreign) byAmerica’s Finest City Dixieland Jazz So-ciety. Address all correspondence to P.O.Box 880387, San Diego, CA 92168-0387.

America’s Finest City Dixieland JazzSociety is a Non-Profit 501 (c)3 organiza-tion. For information about the Society,call (619) 297-5277.Website: www.SDjazzfest.org

Single copy price $8.00. Editorial con-tributions welcome. Contents of JazzRambler are copyrighted © (2020) byAmerica’s Finest City Dixieland Jazz So-ciety and may not be reprinted withoutpermission. Jazz Publications and JazzClub Newsletters may reprint articles pro-vided the following credit is included: “Re-printed from the Jazz Rambler, San Di-ego, California.” The Jazz Rambler andSociety functions are funded in part by theCity of San Diego Commission for Artsand Culture.

BOARD OF DIRECTORSBill Adams, President/Executive DirectorBob Solsbak, Vice PresidentEd Adams, Bob Andersen, TonyConnors, Morgan Day, Claudia Gomez,Joe Jensen, Dean Turney, Susan Turney

AFCDJS STAFFHal Smith, Artistic DirectorCrystal Solsbak, Office ManagerKristin Schulte, Treasurer

RAMBLER STAFFEditor: Jay F. LevineStaff Writers: Hal Smith • Bob SolsbakStaff Photographer: Alex Matthews

(To have events included in the JazzRambler or on the AFCDJS website,submit updates by the 28th of eachmonth to [email protected].)

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GINO & THE LONE GUNMENGINO & THE LONE GUNMENGINO & THE LONE GUNMENGINO & THE LONE GUNMENGINO & THE LONE GUNMENCheck Facebook for upcoming

events and “Gino’s Live HomeShow!”:h t t p s : / / w w w . f a c e b o o k . c o m /GinoandtheLoneGunmen/

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Jazz Alive — Here, There, Everywhere

Advertise in the RamblerAdvertising in the Jazz Rambler is one of

the best ways to reach a large exclusive audienceof Trad Jazz fans. With our circulation ofapproximately 2,000 and an estimated reader-ship of 3,500, you will be reaching thousandsof people who are interested in all aspects ofTraditional Jazz.

The Rambler is published quarterly. Dead-lines are the 5th of the month, prior to the dateof issue. Feb. 1, May 1, Aug. 1 and Nov. 1.

Advertising RatesFull page — $275.00

One Half page — 150.00One Third page — 110.00One Quarter page — 85.00One Eighth page — 50.00

For a rate sheet, write AFCDJS, P.O. Box880387, San Diego, CA 92168-0387 or call(619) 297-5277.

SUE PALMERSUE PALMERSUE PALMERSUE PALMERSUE PALMERCheck out KSUE Radio & other

new content at: suepalmer.com

UPTOWN RHYTHM MAKERSUPTOWN RHYTHM MAKERSUPTOWN RHYTHM MAKERSUPTOWN RHYTHM MAKERSUPTOWN RHYTHM MAKERSBusking Sundays on the

Embarcadero (by the Midway)Check Facebook page for more info:facebook.com/URMjazz

JAZZ RAMBLERSUMMER (AUGUST) 2020 VOL. XXXVIII - NO. 2

PAGE 2 JAZZ RAMBLER

* Curren t CDC guide l inesregarding COVID-19 preventionwill determine the ability to holdworkshops, and will be decidedon a month-to-month basis.

AFCDJS-sponsored workshopsare held the second Thursday ofevery month (except December)from 7 to 9pm at the San DiegoMusicians Hall, 1717 MorenaBlvd., San Diego.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~Requirement:Desire to play

Traditional Jazz!~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Furnished:Drums, piano and a core

group of instructors.~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

ALL AGES & TALENTLEVELS WELCOME!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~(619) 297-JASS (5277)(619) 297-JASS (5277)(619) 297-JASS (5277)(619) 297-JASS (5277)(619) 297-JASS (5277)www.SDjazzfest .orgwww.SDjazzfest .orgwww.SDjazzfest .orgwww.SDjazzfest .orgwww.SDjazzfest .org

The personnel of many localbands who have appeared atour Festivals have beenparticipants in the AFCDJS freeJazz Workshops.

AFCDJS PRESENTS FREE 2020

JAZZ WORKSHOPSTentative ScheduleTentative ScheduleTentative ScheduleTentative ScheduleTentative Schedule

See website for detailsSee website for detailsSee website for detailsSee website for detailsSee website for details(2nd Thurs. of month, 7-9 pm)

Aug. 13* • Sept. 10*Oct. 8* • Nov. 12* • Dec. (Dark)

SUMMER (AUGUST) 2020JAZZ RAMBLER PAGE 3

continued from front page41st Still on . . .

Virtual Reality

delighted to include them in theprogram for 2020.

Longtime leader of the JazzSeaJams, Dick Williams, has announcedhis retirement. Everyone who listenedto (or participated in) these organizedjam sess ions wi l l miss Dick’spresence. However, we plan on havingthe jams continue at Festival #41, ledby sousaphonist CJ Sams. Restassured tha t the “aud ienceparticipation” portion of the Festivalweekend will be as enjoyable as everwith CJ Sams’ Jammers!

In addition to the bands mentionedabove, Stephanie Trick and PaoloAlderighi, Cornet Chop Suey, DaveStuckey and the Hot House Gang, andmany other first-class bands andmusicians are scheduled to appear atthe Fest ival . Hotel management

By Kayla Solsbak

Let’s just get right out and say it —we miss concerts! The surprisingsolos, the wall-to-wall energy, ourbeloved friends, all of it. But whilethere’s no rep lacement for theparticular thrill of the dance floor, ourfavorite artists are working hard totide us over. We checked in with someof our 2020 Jazz Fest lineup to seewhat they’ve been up to in quarantine.

Dave Stuckey of Dave Stuckey &The Hot House Gang admits the rugwas pulled out beneath him. But thefinancial loss is only part of the story.“What you do in life is be around a lotof people,” he said. Since we enteredquarantine, it has been “weird to notget that fix.” But while he may miss thecrowds, Dave is certainly keepingbusy. He hosts and plays his ownweekly Facebook Live show entitled,“Ten Tunes on Tuesday at Two,”which is exactly what it sounds like. Amix of Western Swing, belovedstandards, original songs and a fewrequests along the way, Dave’s showgarners viewers from around the globe.“It’s a different experience, but there’sa connection there,” he said. He lovesthe opportunity to discuss the musicmore deeply, free from the structure ofa traditional concert. You can find theshow each week at www.facebook.com/dave.stuckey.

For “The Queen of Boogie Woogie”Sue Palmer, quarantine has meant moretime for her podcast, “The Motel SwingHappy Hour,” with Radio KSUE SanDiego. She has used the show, in part,to explore the music she might haveplayed at canceled shows throughoutthe spring. Episodes of her radio showusually center on a theme, from early’30s cabaret and ’70s rock to the bestsongs for dog-walking. Like Dave, Sueuses the online medium to dive deeperinto the people behind the music,particularly local jazz and blues artists.You can f ind the podcas t a twww.suepalmer.com as well as Spotify,Google Play and Apple Podcasts.

If it’s Rock n’ Roll you’re after,Gino & The Lone Gunmen have asteady stream of content on their

Monthly ‘Virtual’Jazz Concerts• Refer to Jazz Alive on p. 2 for bands and websites to getup-to-date information on who is playing where and when.

• See Virtual Reality story on this page to see where to streamlive Jazz! Upcoming concert dates: Aug. 16 • Sept. 20 • Oct. 18

Tune in online at www.facebook.com/afcdjs/live

CJ Sams to continue Jazz Jams

promises that all of the constructionon-site will be finished long beforethe Festival weekend. Also, theballrooms utilized in the past will beavailable for our use, and there will bemore parking spaces for our patrons.

For a comple te l i s t o f theper formers a t Fes t iva l #41 ,instructions for ordering badges,information regarding sponsorshipopportunities and reservations at theTown & Country – please see the adon page 5. Also be sure to check ourwebsite: sdjazzfest.org for statusupdates on Festival #41 as well asinformation concerning AFCDJSmonth ly concer t s , educa t iona lprograms, small band archives andmore.

Fingers crossed, we will see youall in November for a Thanksgivingweekend fu l l o f ou ts tand ingTraditional Jazz, Swing, Piano Jazz,Ragtime, Rockabilly, Boogie Woogieand more!Facebook page, www.facebook.com/

GinoAndTheLoneGunmen. FrontmanGino Meregi l lano plays regularFacebook Live shows from home, butthe band has also started to livestreamperformances together. It’s just thekind of high energy fun we’re starvedfor these days.

Though we are excited to ventureback to our favorite clubs and venues,for some musicians, live streaming maybecome a longtime habit. “I think thatan element of that is going to stay,”Dave Stuckey said, reflecting on howfun it has been to connect with farawayfriends. There may be opportunity here— for access ib i l i ty , g loba lconnections or deeper explorations ofmusic history. After all, jazz thrives onexperimentation.

SUMMER (AUGUST) 2020PAGE 4 JAZZ RAMBLER

Fest #41 Can’t HappenWithout Your Help

Thanksgiving and SD Jazz Fest #41are sooner than you think, and weneed your help. Our Festival continuesto be one of the most popular in thecountry, thanks in no small part to allof you who have chosen to be band ormusician sponsors in previous years,as your support has helped to bring insome of the best musicians in theworld.

We’re very excited about our 41stevent and have a jam-packed lineupfor you. Cornet Chop Suey will bemaking its long-awaited return alongwith favorites like High Society andthe Memphis Speed Kings as well aspopular acts from last year, like theBig Butter Jazz Band. As usual we’llhave plenty of Trad Jazz, BoogieWoogie , Rockabi l ly as wel l assomething for dancers at our SwingDance Extravaganza.

It is easy to become a sponsor,with the following perks available. Atthe $300 level you receive:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~• 5-Day All Events badge & Sponsorribbon (The difference of the badgeand sponsorship is tax deductible!)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~• Invitation to the Sponsors’Reception

~ ~ ~ ~ ~• Reserved seating in all venues

• Web and Program listing~ ~ ~ ~ ~

• One-year AFCDJS membership

The $600 level includes two AllEvents badges and selection of twobands or musicians plus the otherperks listed above.

Start the process now by decidingwhich band(s) or musician(s) youwant to sponsor, decide on one badge($300) or two badges ($600), and senda check to AFCDJS, P.O. Box 880387,San Diego, CA 92168-0387 with yourname/address and the name of theband(s) or musician(s) you would liketo sponsor. You can also do this onlineat www.SDjazzfest.org .

Note: In order to have yoursponsorship acknowledged on ourwebsite, in the Festival program andon the band signs, we must receiveyour sponsorship by October 31,2020. Also, we understand these aretrying times, and this year’s Festivalis still very much in flux. Restassured that if this year’s eventdoesn’t happen, for any reason, thatyour donation will be fully refundedor applied to the 2021 Festival, shouldyou so choose.

Thank you so much, and we hopeto see you in November!

Things To Do Online:• Make Hotel Reservations

• Sponsor a Band

• Join the Society

• Read the Jazz Rambler

• Make an Educ. Donation

• Enroll in Jazz Camp

• Get Volunteer Info

AFCDJS Elects NewBoard of Directors

America’s Finest City DixielandJazz Society elected its 2020 Board ofDirectors at i ts March meeting.Claudia Gomez and Dean and SusanTurney will be joining the Board forthe first time. Returning membersinclude Bi l l Adams (Pres ident /Executive Director), Bob Solsbak(Vice-President), Ed Adams, BobAndersen, Tony Connors, MorganDay and Joe Jensen. Current Societystaff consists of Crystal Solsbak asOffice Manager, Kristin Schulte asTreasurer and Hal Smith as ArtisticDirector. Board of Director meetingsare held the second Tuesday of themonth (location TBD), and AFCDJSmembers are welcome to attend. Formore information contact us [email protected].

Education OutreachFor more info about our

youth program includingJazz Camp scholarships,check the Society websiteunder Education.

AFCDJS is a member of:• San Diego Regional

Chamber of Commerce

• San Diego Convention &Visitors Bureau


Adding to our ever-growing Boardof Directors is San Diego native ClaudiaGomez. Claudia has attended the SD JazzFest for years, and having been a dancersince age five, particularly enjoys ourSaturday Night Swing DanceExtravaganza!

Claudia’s roots within the San Diegocommunity run deep. She starts her dayas a K-8 performing arts dance teacher atKeiller Leadership Academy, a charterschool in South East San Diego whereshe has had the pleasure of being onstaff since 2013. As a professional jazztap dancer, she has been a teacher andperformer both nationally andinternationally.

She also literally dances to the beatof her own drum as she is currently thedrummer and tap dancer for local artists,the Besos Jazz Trio. She also performsregularly with the Django Rheinhardtinspired band, Trio Gadjo. For anyonewanting to take a listen, check out hertap and percussion work with thepopular, eclectic, world jazz band Besosde Coco on their eponymously titledalbum, available on Spotify and iTunes.

As if all of that does not keep herbusy enough, Claudia also lends herextensive skills to the theater world. Sheis an accomplished choreo-grapher,having leant those talents as well as heracting chops to the role of “Tiuana” inRichard Montoya’s “The Federal JazzProject” with acclaimed jazz trumpeter,and local hero, Gilbert Castellanos. Thevintage jazz cabaret show “The CherriesJubilee” and “Olio the Show” (about theevolution of jazz music and dance inAmerica) also has the benefit of havingClaudia as i tsartist ic director,choreographer and producer.

With all this activity you must bewondering where Claudia gets all herenergy! To keep herself centered sheactively practices yoga and is not onlyan instructor but a reiki/energy therapist.She is in the process of opening “TapInto Yoga & Reiki by Claudia Gomez” inthe North Park community of San Diego,where she will host live, unplugged jazzperformances as well as yoga, danceand art classes. These will be livestreamed for anyone to see over socialmedia and her website(tapintoyogaandreiki.com).

As busy as she is, Claudia hasdecided to join our Board of Directorsand help make AFCDJS and the SD JazzFest the best it can be. Please join us inwelcoming her aboard!

Welcome New Society Board Members:Claudia Gomez and Dean & Susan Turney

AFCDJS is delighted to welcomehusband and wife team Dean and SusanTurney to its Board of Directors.Lifelong swing dancers and longtimeattendees of SD Jazz Fest, we lookforward to what they’ll bring to yourSociety’s leadership.

Susan hails from New York State,born in Brooklyn and grew up on LongIsland. She spent her career in financeand sales as a small, independentbusiness owner as well as working fortech giant Hewlett Packard. Today she’sstill active in the business world, servingas a freelance consultant. As mentioned,she’s an avid swing dancer, attributing

Claudia Gomez

Dean & Susan Turney

her love for the activity (and the music)to the ever-popular Lindy Hop.

Dean is a California native, born andraised in the town of Porterville, justwest of the Sequoia National Forest. Hislove for dance came early, while spendingmany of his high school and juniorcollege years in a ballroom danceperformance group.Serving in the U.S. Navy brought Deanto San Diego, where he decided to putdown roots. After graduating from SDSUwith an art degree, he spent the next 30years in the aerospace engineeringindustry. In 1996, upon seeing an ad forswing classes at a local bar, he decidedto rekindle his love for dancing, and haskept up with it ever since.

Dean and Susan first attended SDJazz Fest in 2002 and have danced up astorm at every one since. When notdancing (or helping us plan Festival#41!) they both keep busy with multiplehobbies. Susan enjoys her sewing…Dean loves his plants. The recentquarantine sees them enjoying thesethings as well as binging on Netflixshows and cueing up their favorite tuneswhile cutting a rug on the living roomfloor!

The Society is honored to welcomeSusan and Dean to the Board, and wehope you’ll take the time to say hello tothem at the next Festival.


Education DonorsEducation DonorsEducation DonorsEducation DonorsEducation Donors

Jazz Society Continues EJazz Society Continues EJazz Society Continues EJazz Society Continues EJazz Society Continues Education Emphasisducation Emphasisducation Emphasisducation Emphasisducation Emphasis

Dawn ClubDawn ClubDawn ClubDawn ClubDawn ClubFrank & Jane SigonaFrank & Jane SigonaFrank & Jane SigonaFrank & Jane SigonaFrank & Jane Sigona

The 2020 Adult Traditional JazzCamp was once again a rousingsuccess . Our facu l ty o f seveninstructors demonstrated vintageins t rumenta l t echniques andsupervised sessions played by closeto 70 students . Instruct ion also

Trad Camp Once Again a Rousing Successincluded sectionals for front line andrhythm, and additional classes wereoffered on jazz history, music theory,stage presence, as well as advancedensemble topics. See our ad on page11 to secure your spot at the 2021 JazzCamp!

NAMM awards Mission Bay High School with prestigious award!

The Support Music Merit Award (SMMA), given to schools across the country that have made a commitment to musiceducation, was awarded this year to San Diego’s very own Mission Bay High School. The SD Jazz Fest favorites wereone of only 148 schools to receive this award, given every year by the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM).A full list of winners for the 2020 Best Communities For Music Education Districts can be seen at www.nammfoundation.org/articles/bcme-2020-schools. Also, see the full SD Union-Tribune article at www.sandiegouniontribune.com/north-county-community-news/story/2020-04-16/namm-foundation-honors-districts-schools

“Mission Bay High School is honored to have received this recognition! We could not have done it without the amazingsupport of our community, parents and staff at MBHS. We have always known that we have something special in ourcommunity but now the rest of the country will see it as well!”


**

February Concert ReviewHeliotrope RagtimeOrchestra - Feb. 16

Seems like ages ago, but live musicwas played and enjoyed earlier thisyear! As many of our members andpatrons will recall, our first monthlyconcert at popular hot spot Tio Leo’soccurred in February. HeliotropeRagtime Orchestra was the featuredband, and a good time was had by all.

A new venue is always a scaryproposition. Although the LafayetteHotel (still home for the annual AdultJazz Camp) took good care of us, wefelt a need to expand and a need toensure a better level of continuity. TioLeo’s gives us this with better foodoptions and a full bar as well as thesecurity of locking in the third Sundayof the month time slot we so enjoy.

How was the show? A rousingsuccess! Concerns over location,parking, accessibility, food, etc., werequickly quelled. The staff was great,the dance floor hopping, and of course,the music was great. Heliotrope playedits inimitable style of Ragtime and1920s favorites, putting a tap ineveryone’s step and a smile on theirfaces. The band seemed to enjoythemselves, with leader Bob Pinskereven commenting on the quality of thebrand new house piano.

Despite the strong start in a newlocation, world events put our monthlyconcert series on hold… sort of.Thanks to modern technology we’vemanaged to continue on with our wildlypopular “virtual” series (if you haven’thad the pleasure, check them out atwww.facebook .com/afcd j s / l ive ) .We’ve had a blast putting them on(thanks to the Baker family, The MadHat Hucks te rs and o thers fo rparticipating), but are definitelylooking forward to getting back to ournew home, seeing all of your smilingfaces in person and getting back onthe dance floor!

Tio Leo’s Mexican Restaurant(Morena District) is located at 5302Napa St., San Diego, CA 92110. Checkthem out online at www.tioleos.com.


Jazz Camp Faculty — January 19

Holy Crow Jazz Band— August 18

Jazz Jammers— July 28

Clint Baker & Family — May 24

Mad Hat Hucksters — June 28


Answers are on page 15

The AFCDJS Board ofDirectors holds itsmeetings on the secondTuesday of the month. Forvenue and time, contact us:[email protected].


Some of our members haveupdated or changed their emailaddresses. We are unable to sendconcert notices or even the JazzRambler password to those whohave requested it.

If you have changed your emailaddress within the past year, pleaseemail the AFCDJS Office Manager,Crystal Solsbak, with the new e-mail address to crystal [email protected].

If you want to start receiving theRambler online, you may indicatethat as well.

Online subscriptions help to cutpostage costs so we can use thatmoney for promoting “The Music.”

Update AFCDJSWith New Emails

Small BandMusic Archives

AFCDJS maintains an archiveof over 2,600 small band musicarrangements, which we makeavailable to school and youthbands , communi ty , church ,start-up, and non-profit musicgroups.

Ask about the Top Thousandmost- requested smal l bandmusic arrangements, on a DVDdisc.

Go to www.sdjazzfest.organd click “Small Band Music” at

the bottom of the page orcontac t Bob So lsbak a tarchive@ sdjazzfest.org.

2020 Festival SurveyWinner Announced

AFCDJS would like to thank all ofthose who attended the 2019 San DiegoJazz Fest and completed our surveyquestions online. Your input is sincerelyappreciated. Ira Meislik from La Jolla,California, was selected at random fromthe surveys completed and will receivetwo all-events badges for the 2020 SanDiego Jazz Fest. Thank you again to allwho participated in the survey!

Updated Website!If you haven’t been on our

website lately, it’s time to takea look. A more streamlineddesign, with better function-ali ty and a more visuallyappealing look are what you’llfind. Direct links to everythingyou need, from membershipand education programs toFest ival info and concer titineraries can be found on thehome page. Be sure to checkout our new and improved lookat www.sdjazzfest.org.


Warren Smith . . .Continued from back page

most important association of hiscareer when he joined the Bob CrosbyOrches t ra . In add i t ion to theOrchestra, Smith also played andrecorded with the Bob Cats – the octetdrawn from the larger group. The BobCats soon came to be recognized as“The Best Dixieland Band in the Land.”Their DECCA recordings becameinstant classics, and Warren Smith’strombone playing was an importantpart of the Bob Cats sound. He was askilled part-player in the ensembles,using “tailgate” phrasing at just theright times. On solos, the JackTeagarden in f luence i s read i lyapparent – but Smith still had a distinctstyle of his own.

When the Crosby Orchestra shiftedits operations to California in 1940,Smith handed in his notice. He workedaround Chicago with bands led byWingy Manone and Bud Jacobsenand put in a stint with the Glenn MillerOrchestra. (He was in the trombonesection on one of Miller’s most famousrecordings: “String of Pearls”). In1945, Smith decided to give the Golden

Donate Used Instruments to CCMSAFCDJS and the Council for

Music in the Schools remindmembers that the donation of usedinstruments is not limited to duringthe Festival. Anyone wanting todonate during the year, is welcometo bring the instrument(s) to any ofour Monthly Concerts. Keep themusic alive. Pass the torch to thenext generation.

The Community Council for Musicin the Schools (CCMS), a non-profitorganization, will place theinstruments with music teachers inSan Diego Unified School District(including elementary, middle andhigh schools) for loan to students inschool music classes, bands andorchestras who cannot afford to buyor rent their own instruments. Alldonations are tax deductible.

Dig into your closets, attics, garagesor under the bed, to find your oldmusical instruments — clarinet, guitar,trumpet, sax, trombone, violin, flute (inhigh demand), cello, or even a drum kit— that may be just collecting dustawaiting its next musical maestro.CCMS will mail each contributor anofficial letter for tax purposes.

If you do not have an instrumentto contribute but would like to help, adonation of any amount can helppurchase additional needed instru-ments. (Currently, there is a criticalneed for violins and violas.)

With school budgets as they are,your unused instruments (orcontribution) will allow deservingstudents to enroll in music classes.Who knows, your trumpet may go tothe next Louis Armstrong.

State a try. He recorded with BobAnderson’s Oshkosh Serenaders forthe JUMP label, and worked with PeteDaily’s Jazzmen – one of the mostpopular groups of the DixielandRevival. He also played with JessStacy’s combo at the Hangover Club(no relation to Club Hangover in SanFrancisco). Smith’s abilities as anensemble player caught the ear ofbandleader Lu Watters, and in 1950Smith journeyed to the Bay Area for ashort stint with Watters’ band atHambone Kelly’s in El Cerri to.Fortunately, Smith recorded severalsides with the Watters band for theMERCURY label. It is delightful tohear his strong playing in the frontline together with Watters on trumpetand Bob Helm on clarinet.

Southern California was a hotbedof Traditional Jazz activity in the 1950sand early ’60s. After returning to LosAngeles, Smith played with many ofthe best groups of the era – continuinghis association with Pete Daily andalso working with bands led by RedNichols, Ben Pollack, Nappy Lamare,Joe Darensbourg and Wild Bil lDavison (who lived in California offand on for several years). Smithappeared on television with Davison,

Pollack and Darensbourg; performedwith a Bob Cats reunion group forSnader Telescriptions; made studiorecordings with Bob Scobey and PhilGomez and played on the soundtrackof the Elvis Presley movie “KingCreole.”

When Rock‘n’Roll became thedominant music in American culture,work for jazz musicians was drasticallyreduced. Still, Smith played somedesirable engagements – such as atour of Japan with Red Nichols in1964. He was often heard at concertspresented by the New Orleans JazzClub of California and played privateparties in Del Mar during race season.“Smitty” was a much-admired memberof the jazz community when he passedaway in Santa Barbara on Aug. 28,1975. Almost all of his recordings areavailable on compact disc and manycan also be found on YouTube. It isdefinitely worth a listener’s time tocheck out his fine ensemble playingand hearty solos on such recordingsas the Bob Cats’ “March of the BobCats,” “Coquette” and “Who’s SorryNow” and Watters’ “Shake ThatThing.”

Attention VolunteersAre you interested in being a

volunteer for the 41st San Diego JazzFest, held over Thanksgiving weekend(Nov. 25th – Nov. 29th)? We will bemai l ing ou t l e t t e r s and beg inaccepting applications the first weekof Sep tember . Cur ren t wor ldcircumstances may alter how we usevolunteers this year, but that will bemade clearer as we get closer toFestival time. Finalized assignmentsand volunteer schedules will be mailedby November 1st. We sincerely thankthose who have volunteered in thepast and hope you will be able to joinus again this year. If you do not receivea letter, please check our websiteat www.SDjazzfest.org. For moreinformation contact Crystal Solsbakat 619-316-3393 or send an email to herat [email protected] volunteers are always welcome,so ta lk to f r i ends who mightbe interested in making our 41st SDJazz Fest an event to remember!


January-May 2020

David & Bonnie AustinMichelle BoldenJohn BartonJohn & Tracy BodenmannMargaret BurtonJane CrewsDuane EberleinDiane ErkCynthia Farley & PhoebeAndersonBarbara FeldmanNorma FroschauerJan GilbertPablo GilbertStuart Gross & NikkiSchweitzerTom & Ursula JenningsSteve & Donna KreinickJohn Luxenburg

Welcome New and Renewal Members

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION/RENEWAL /SUBSCRIPTION FORMPlease check the applicable boxes and mail to:

AMERICA’S FINEST CITY DIXIELAND JAZZ SOCIETYP.O. Box 880387 • San Diego, CA 92168-0387 • Phone: (619) 297-5277

NEW RENEWAL Enclosed is $25.00 for a single membership (includes Jazz Rambler)

$40.00 for a couple membership (includes Jazz Rambler) $20.00 for annual subscription / Jazz Rambler only $25.00 — foreign

SUPPORT THE EDUCATION FUND $1,000 Cotton Club $250 Storyville Club $100 Dawn Club Please contact me regarding volunteer work for the AFC Dixieland Jazz Society

NAME ___________________________________________________________

MAILING ADDRESS _________________________________________________

CITY _________________ STATE _____ ZIP _______ PHONE_____________________

EMAIL ___________________________________________________________

Bob & Sally MarstellerDennis& Heidi McKinleyJim & Barbara NagelEstela OlivasChristine OhrmundCarolyn OnkenJoseph S. PribiloMarie PumaTed & Mary Ellen RaskinRobin & Janine RyderRob SawyerCharles SchroederCarl & Katherine ShafferNorm ShoemakerFrank & Jane SigonaGeorge & Richelle SmithRobert SmothersBev & Wally TurnerCarl WarrenMaureen Wilson

Traditional Fun Answers

ACROSS:4. Gino5. High Society8. Jam10. Sue Palmer11. T.N.T.13. Boa14. Cavera17. Champagne Dixie21. Dance22. Tap23. Trad25. Octet27. Sonny29. AFCDJS30. Cornet Chop Suey

DOWN:1. NBJ2. Royen3. Gill4. Grand Dominion5. Hot6. Stephanie And Paolo7. Yerba Buena Stompers9. Mad Hat Hucksters12. Titanic13. Baker15. Jazz Jammers16. Big Butter18. Bennett19. Hearts20. Uptown24. Dance26. Tio28. Yes


TTTTTraditional Jazz: A Quick Lraditional Jazz: A Quick Lraditional Jazz: A Quick Lraditional Jazz: A Quick Lraditional Jazz: A Quick LookookookookookWarren Smith — Trombonist for All Seasons

AMERICA’S FINEST CITYDIXIELAND JAZZ SOCIETYPost Office Box 880387San Diego, California 92168-0387

NON PROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE

P A I DP A I DP A I DP A I DP A I DPermit No. 821San Diego. CA

(This is the 12th mini-biographyin a continuation of a series ofbiographies of great traditionaljazz mus ic ians . The ser iesstarted with the March/April1991 issue and was developedby Rambler founding publisherand Board Member, the late LenLevine.)

By Hal SmithAFCDJS Artistic Director

Clar ine t i s t Joe Darensbourgdescribed trombonist Warren Smithas “an underrated player. He could

Teagarden and Georg Brunis.” Jazz writers have not been ascomplimentary, but Warren Smith’splaying worked well for just aboutevery style of jazz. Born in WestVirginia in May of 1908, Smith wastutored on cornet and piano by hisfather, and also learned to playsaxophone. He doubled on tromboneand sax with the Harris Bros. Texans,then spent some time in Chicago wherehe recorded with Thelma Terry andher Playboys. From the late ’20sthrough the mid-’30s, he concentratedon trombone as his main instrumentand worked wi th Abe Lyman’sOrchestra. In 1936 Smith began the

continued on page14really play, just as good as any ofthem. I put him up there with Jack

Warren Smith – Trombonist for All Seasons

letter from the exec. director jazz...

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