The 2016 Ruby Jubilee By the Sea: Video/Audio Highlights

Below are some links to some cool moments at this year's festival. Liner notes on YouTube, Enjoy!

Crescent Katz. Opening Parasol Parade at Seacrest Banquet Hall

Pat Yankee & Friends. Be Happy: Featuring Bob Draga, Bob Ringwald, & Danny Coots

Night Blooming Jazzmen feat. Noelle Roth. After You've Gone (w/ video tap dance!

Jeff Barnhart: Improvisation: "Sarah." Pismo Jubilee (10/29/16).

Three Guitars feat. Larry Scala, Katie Cavera, Brad Roth. "Avalon."

Dick Williams' Jazz Jammers: When the Saints Go Marching In

Creole Syncopators feat. Valerie Johnson. Lead Me On. Gospel Set.

Creole Syncopators feat. Valerie Johnson (Audio Only). Gospel Set.

High Sierra Feat. Brandon Au (High SierrAu). Pretty Baby. Part 1

High Sierra. "Pretty Baby" (Part 2). Feat. Brandon Au. Pismo Jubilee

Link to YouTube Playlist:

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLybUGSUQOHr3zcnvfeoui8rWmaIXPMMN

The Roth Ruby Jubilee Vacation (10 min)

Below is a link to a cool video that the Roth Family made at our Ruby Jubilee, where the whole family had fun. My favorite part was the "Nana Shimmy." It is rewarding when what you do makes everyone feel young...and bust moves. Check it out if you can. Who needs ads when you have this?

https://youtu.be/cdcG7X_TJTQ

Washboard Steven Saavedra Solo

Check out Steven's solo (30 sec). Very moving...I never thought a washboard could sound so beautiful. http://youtu.be/6nVAR5Jc4aY

Night Blooming Jazzmen, "Basin Street Blues" featuring double sax harmony

http://youtu.be/7CSsPxGhnr0

The Ever-Popular Night Blooming Jazzmen at the Basin Street Regulars Sunday Session 6/26/16. Pismo Beach, CA. That's Jim Richardson on sax. He gives me hope as a sax player. What lungs! Great work Jim (at any age), always my favorite Sunday session solo.

Judith and the Jazz Crewe. Drop Me Off in New Orleans.

http://youtu.be/317V948v0Ss

Judith and The Jazz Crewe. featuring Del Gomes on Piano, David Shanks on Trumpet, and, of course, Judith Bean on Vocals. Great rendition! Makes u wanna go to NO!

Goody Goody. Sandy Smallwood's signature tune w/ Basin Street Regulars (Set 2)

http://youtu.be/FTygLyYLeXs

6/26/16 BSR Sunday Jam Set # 2. I was happy to get this recorded. My favorite BSR tune! Sandy Smallwood w/ band & audience participation. Btw: Goody Goody was written in 1936 (lyrics by Johnny Mercer) and made popular by Benny Goodman & Frankie Lyman (peaking at #20 on the popular music chart. It was good to get the band on video, but I had to play at some point.

Prez Says June 2016

5/22 2016 Jam Sets: Set 1 included Chris Edwards on trumpet.   Rhonda played alto sax. Other musicians included Miguel Enciso on bass, Dean Krikorian, tenor sax, Jeff Cardinal on trombone, Frank Coop on guitar, George Smith on piano, Richard Woodworth on soprano sax, John Nye on drums and Anne Abler and Steven Saavedra on washboard. We also had a number of Tevis Jr. High Rangers playing, who were introduced on stage but whose names were not recorded. Richard conducted admirably. Featured songs included “Midnight in Moscow”, “Slow Boat to China” with Richard on vocals, and “Undecided” with Sandy on vocals.  

Set 2 included these changes: George Smith, trumpet, Judy Lindquist, alto sax, Richelle Cross, piano, Matt Barcus, drums, Don Gugeler, soprano sax.  Jim Borland ran sound. Featured songs included: “I’ve Found a New Baby”, “Bring Me Sunshine” with Barbara Knoblock on vocals, “Exactly Like You” with Sandy on vocals, and “Doctor Jazz”, with Richard on vocals.  Jim Borland ran sound.

Set 3 included these changes: Jim West on trumpet, Kevin Willey, drums, David Farber on alto sax, Tom Dutart on tuba, Richard Woodworth, tenor sax. Featured songs included “April Showers”, with Barbara on vocals, “Paper Moon” with Sandy on vocals, “On the Sunny Side of the Street” with Richard on vocals, and a patriotic medley featuring Richelle Cross on piano and vocals and Tom Dutart on tuba.

OffBeat is Accepting Advertisements:

The Offbeat is accepting and publishing advertisements.  Prices are as follows: Business Card size: $15.00; 1/4 page $25.00; 1/2 page $50.00.  We will give a 50% discount if you buy an ad for six months.  You can purchase a business card sized ad for one calendar year for $120.  Mid-year purchases will be pro-rated.

We Need Raffle Donations in June

We’ve had a great response on our raffle donations but we continue to need more.  Please donate CDs, bottles of wine, bottle of olive oil, music related memorabilia or anything else you think the members would like to pick up at the raffle table. Thanks!

Jubilee Corner

The Sacramento Jazz festival was held over Memorial Day Weekend.  Several of our members went and reported lower turnouts and more diverse band programming than in the past. The SLO Jazz festival also happened in May and was a big success by all accounts. We advertised in their program and also had a banner on display.

Maria Muldaur is putting together her list of musicians that will form the Jazz Quintet. We know two of them- Danny Caron, the hot guitar player from Tom RIgney and Flambeau.  The second name we know is Otis Mourning on reeds. Otis plays with Titan Hot 7 and was also our guest at the April Sunday session playing with the Black Tuesday band. So- we know that Maria is getting the best musicians she can find to back her up at our festival and that she is going to Bring It!  You will not want to miss her performances on Friday night and Saturday early afternoon.

In May, we continued our focus on advertising and grant applications. We also went on-line with our ticket sales, and they are starting to take off.  We are sponsoring the Grover Beach summer concert series at Ramona Park. We can therefore put flyers out at this event and our name is mentioned during the announcements. We may set up a booth as we get closer to Jubilee.

We are still looking for someone to take notes at our meetings, which typically occur twice a month on Tuesday afternoons. If you can help with this task, please call Rhonda at (805) 937 8402. Sandy Smallwood has graciously agreed to organize our volunteers this year. Our next upcoming meetings are listed below:

June 14th NEW DATE- Program, Evaluations

June 28th- Cancelled

July 19th- Hospitality, Sound, Post Festival Party

 

Need Help Setting up For Sunday Sessions

We have lost some of our stalwart volunteers that helped us set up for the Sunday sessions.   We typically set up around 9:30 on the morning of our events. Set up includes chairs, tables, stage equipment and the bar. If you are able to come in the morning and help us, you would be most welcome.  As an added bonus, you will be there to hear the whole jam session. It’s an often overlooked gold mine.  Please come and help us set up the next Sunday session.

 

Help Wanted

Needed - one or two people willing to manage the front door incase Fran or Eileen are unable to work at the last minute. Hopefully this occasion will never occur but in case it does we need to be prepared for someone to take over. These people need to be reliable and able to come and work at the last minute. We will show them what needs to be done, plus we have step by step instructions written up. It really is not hard, and you get to meet a lot of people. Those interested please call Fran Willey at 805-772-2652.

Come

Come Back to BSR!

We know that the new membership structure has been difficult for some people and our membership numbers have dropped.  Also, many newsletters are going out via e-mail and sometimes people forget to check them and attend a Sunday session. We want you back!  In June, we will be mailing newsletters to all of our members. We will not do that every time, but this is a push to make sure that everyone remembers to be members and to come see our professional bands!

Also, with the grant money that we received from the SLO Community Foundation, we will be instituting hard-copy reminder Sunday session post cards every month after June.  That way, everyone will have a reminder they can stick on their refrigerators and bulletin boards so that they don’t forget to attend a Sunday session.  We want to see all of our seats filled! Remember- we have comfy chairs now and a great line-up through the end of the year!

BSR HOSTS NIGHT BLOOMING JAZZMEN JUNE 26

Who is the oldest Traditional Band leader in the US? It is 91 year-old Chet Jaeger of the Night Blooming Jazzmen from Claremont California. Basin Street Regulars of Pismo Beach welcome this favorite band for a Sunday afternoon concert the 26th of June. BSR promotes and encourages Traditional Jazz on the Central Coast. They provide live music at a reasonable cost while providing a venue and mentor young musicians in traditional jazz. It will be held at the Pismo Veteran’s Hall, 780 Bello St, Pismo Beach, CA, Sunday June 26th. The featured band starts at 1 and 3:30 PM and the second band starts at 2:15 pm. Jam session with the experienced players teaching the next generation of musicians starts at 11AM. Chet formed the band 1975 to represent the Society for the Preservation of Dixieland Jazz at the third Sacramento Jubilee. There were very few jazz bands in existence then – not enough to put on a festival. The NBJ was not expected to survive – but the NBJ were so well-received and had so much fun that they stuck together. Since then, they have played thousands of concerts, church services, funerals, house parties, grand openings, jazz clubs, wedding receptions, dances, etc., AND several dozen cruises and land trips to China, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Alaska, Hawaii, the Caribbean, the Panama Canal, the Amazon, the Mediterranean, and many other parts of Europe. The Night Blooming Jazzmen is one of the busiest bands in the nation. They have a lot of fun with their audiences and each other and despite this their music is top-quality. They play well and put on a great show. “The band's Sunday morning "hymn-a-long" often has the largest attendance of any event at a festival.” said George Smith, Pismo Jubilee by the Sea Chairman. Currently, the band personnel is: Chet Jaeger - Cornet and leader; Jim Richardson – Clarinet and Saxophone; Dick Doner – Trombone and Baritone; Les Deutsch - Piano etc.; Lance MacLean - Banjo and Guitar, Brad Roth, banjo and guitar, Mike Earls– Bass and Nick Scarmack – Drums. The intermission band this month will be “Judith & the Jazz Krewe” from the Central Coast! United by a love for making music and an appetite for good times, this lively group of local musicians features vocalist Judith Bean, Del Gomes on clarinet and keyboards, Gary Thompson on tuba, Bill Fortin on guitar and electric bass, David Shanks on trumpet and Fernie Monreal on drums. There's nothing this group likes better than to put a little bit of Mardi Gras in the soul of their listeners with some traditional and not-so-traditional tunes. The Krewe will put a smile on your face and a tap in your toe, as you travel with them down to New Orleans. Laissez les bons temps rouler! Both bands are scheduled for Sunday June 26th, 2016. Music starts at 11 AM with a Jam Session which includes students and BSR members. The next two sets are the invited bands. The Night Blooming Jazzmen play at 1 and again 3:30 pm. The intermission set is by Judith and the Jazz Krewe at 2:15. Food and drink are available. Pismo Vet’s Hall, 780 Bello St, Pismo Beach, CA. BSR NBjazzMen picture is of Chet Jeager who was the "King" of Mardi Gras in Fresno. Thank your for all your past promotions. Linda Shorb: 772-5367

June 26 Session Announcement: Night Blooming Jazzmen

Pismo Beach, June 26 2016: “Hot Swingin' Jazz” presented by the Basin Street Regulars Jazz Society. Jam session starts at 11:00, (bring your instrument and join in). Two professional bands start at 1:00. At the Veterans' Memorial Building 780 Bello Street Pismo Beach, 93449. 11:00 AM-4:30 PM. $5 members, $10 non-members. This month’s Guest band is Night Blooming Jazzmen (of the greater LA area) who have played to sell out crowds for the last 40 years. Also Judith Bean and her Jazz Krewe from Arroyo Grande specialize in high energy music with fantastic vocals.  Parasols, food, drinks, and dance floor on site. For more information call: (805) 481-7840 or go to pismojazz2015@gmail. www.pismojazz.com

Shining Trumpets: A History of Jazz (1946) - Book Report

A few Sunday sessions ago, I checked out this book lent by Connie Richardson and promised a book report. As a side referent, I did 151 book reports in the 6th Grade and wrote a 50-book annotated bibliography to win 1st prize ($250) as a grad student at UCSB for best book collection. I read a lot. 400 pages later, here is my report...a book summary of "Shining Trumpets" by Rudi Blesh (1946).

Considered even today as one of the best books ever written on jazz, "Shining Trumpets: A History of Jazz," was written in 1946, chronicling the history of jazz at an early age, prior to bebop, cool jazz, modal jazz, free jazz, and other variants. I wondered what author Rudi Blesh would have thought of Mingus, Coltrane, or Eric Dolphy. The book was filled with song references and comparisons, written music, and some harsh commentary on the state of jazz in America...far better than the Ken Burns documentary (IMHO). 

What I found most interesting was the distinction of traditional (or trad) jazz made by Blesh. Jazz is not swing. Jazz is not the blues. Jazz has a lot to do with New Orleans and can best be differentiated by two main factors: (1) polyharmony; and (2) polyrhythms. In other words, traditional jazz is exemplified by dynamic melodies and rhythms.

Polyharmony reflects multiple lead instrument parts, usually a clarinet & trumpet in the traditional sense...Imagine two melodies going on at the same time.  For example in Dixieland music, the clarinet often plays the role of a countermelody, often down a third, in conjunction with a stated main melody. This contrapuntal effect can be seen as a main differentiation in traditional jazz. According to Jelly Roll Morton: "You've got to keep the melody going somewhere at all times" (p. 255). Good advice.

The second factor, polyrhythms, stems from African beat and can be heard via rhythm shifts or stop time in a tune, as led by the rhythm section with a key linking role in the piano. Ferdinand "Jelly Roll" Morton was a key founder in jazz and his music personifies Blesh's ideal of what jazz should be. Morton learned and played piano in the brothels in NO from the early greats from the origins & heyday of Storyville. His style was lewd and bawdy, but he orchestrated tunes that reflected jazz chords, voicings, rhythms, & countermelodies. He purportedly wrote the first published jazz tune, "Jelly Roll Blues," in 1915. As a pianist, Morton deftly drove the rhythm and harmony with his left hand with a very clean stated melody in his right hand. His frequent use of stop time allowed for rhythmic breaks in a tune, allowing the soloist(s), usually the clarinet, to shift the pace of a tune.  The role of Jelly Roll and Fats Waller, according to Blesh, "...kept the piano subordinate in the ensemble; in their hands it became sort of a liaison agent between the rhythm section and the polyphonic melody section" (p. 318). Cool.

On the other hand, Blesh was extremely harsh in his criticism of some jazz greats such as Duke Ellington, Fletcher Henderson, later Louis Armstrong, and (insert) any white jazz musician. He particularly disdained Ellington, of whom he claimed wrote syrupy European riffs that set back the development of jazz 10-20 years. Henderson's brand of Manhattan Swing was inferior in its orchestration & arrangement and noted for its butchering of traditional jazz tunes.

One of the best ways to read the book, 70 years after it was first printed, is to compare the music cited on YouTube (lucky us). In the following two examples, Blesh illustrates the difference between Manhattan Swing & Traditional Jazz:

(1) Fletcher Henderson vs. Jelly Roll Morton: "The Chant:"

https://youtu.be/rZR5JRLODUs

https://youtu.be/_oBwSOBU9Hw

(2) Fletcher Henderson vs. King Oliver: "Sugarfoot Stomp/Dippermouth Blues:"

https://youtu.be/hjEiyhESlh4

https://youtu.be/PwpriGltf9g

In comparing two such tunes, Blesh distinguishes the countermelody effect, the use of sections to state one melody, and the stark difference in rhythm shift. This illustrates a shining instance where, Blesh claims, Jazz African roots are shunned - where the rhythm and melodies become relatively static. Compare the above two YouTube examples if you have the time...a tune can tell a thousand words. 

While documenting some of the classics, Blesh demonstrated with music examples of how traditional jazz was defined in its historical context. He concludes: "Jazz music relates equally to the concepts, the discoveries, the motivations of our time. For one thing, its ceaseless movement and it's free melodies in combined variation are analogous to pure movement in time and space. Like a natural process, jazz has no real beginning, no real end" (p. 340). :)

A great, yet laborious, read...I can now turn the book in for someone else to explore. Very educational! As the new newsletter editor, I plan on writing a jazz book report every month because I read fast. Stay tuned! Long live (trad) jazz!

Tevis Junior High Jazz Band: Kelly Willey, Director. 5/22/16.

http://youtu.be/eCsAtbhKaN0

If you closed your eyes, you would never think these kids were in junior high. Clearly professional, better than most live local acts, IMHO. Truly a shining moment for Director Kelly Willey, daughter-in-law of Fran & Gordon Willey, longtime supporters and Board Members of the Basin Street Regulars & Pismo Jubilee. Fran had great reason to be proud!

Midnight Rose: Great Trad Jazz Example Clip. 5/22/16.

http://youtu.be/GGbqYxkxnpw

Midnight Rose was our headline act this Sunday, playing two very professional & crowd-pleasing sets. This solo round example features these talented musicians hailing from near Stockton: Nancy Kreis: Clarinet; Tim Kreis: Tenor Sax; Jeff Kreis: Trombone; Bonnie Otto: Piano; Carl Warmdahl: Drums; Reuben Smith: Tuba, usually; Jan Buhlert: Banjo & Guitar; & are led by Dannie Balser~Singinghawk: Trumpet & Vocals. Our own Tom Dutart is representing on Sousaphone (or is it a Tuba?). I love to hear Tom play (I'm a Dutart Groupie): "...you never know what to expect from Tom," as Linda Dutart agrees. He adds a bit of fun to any group. This time he played it pretty straight, but he'll keep u own ur toes.

Pismo Beach: Trad Jazz Jam Tradition

http://youtu.be/EPtKes9ayio: On the last Sunday of every month, for the past forty years, Pismo Beach has hosted a friendly jazz session. The above YouTube Link is an audio example of our jam band, The Basin Street Regulars. We had never rehearsed this song before and features four members, two in the sax section, from Bakersfield's Tevis Junior High Band. "South" is a tune co-written in 1924 by Bennie Moten, his greatest hit and the most popular of tunes in its day. The tune exemplifies our (non-profit) goal of preserving traditional jazz and sponsoring youth to learn more (and play more) of our music. Dig the contrapuntal & harmonic effects of collective improvisation here: It is a signature of our style of music. This tune goes out to one of our many tireless volunteers, Gail Lightfoot, who's running for 2016 US Senate...and likes reed instruments. :) Our 40th "Ruby" Jubilee is set for October 27-30 in Pismo. This will be our best line-up ever, headlined by Maria Muldaur and over 40 talented acts in the style of traditional jazz, swing, and the blues. Come join us if you can! For more information about our mission:

http://pismojazz.com/

March 20 Sunday Session @ A.G. Hall

This Sunday's jam/swing/blues/dance session is at A.G. Hall, 707 Huasna Rd,, Arroyo Grande. So don't goto the Pismo Vets Hall this Sunday! Else, the schedule is the same. 11AM: 3 Jam Sets; 1PM: Main Act Set 1; 2:30PM Intermission Act; 3:30PM Main Act Set 2.

This month's session will be a crowd pleaser. The Intermission Act is The Creole Syncopators, featuring Valerie Johnson. Their traditional jazz feel includes washboard. The Creole Syncopators are the main reason we won first prize in the 2015 Pismo Beach Clam Parade. Formerly of Big Brother & The Holding Company (after Janis Joplin), Valerie Johnson provides an old-school bluesy feel...you will think you are in New Orleans, not Arroyo Grande. Our main act is the ever-popular Dos Pueblos High School Band from Goleta, CA, directed by Les Rose. A truly professional act with a swing band feel. They played to rave reviews and standing room only at last year's Jubilee. This year we booked them for another set (last weekend in Oct. 2016!). Les Rose is a Grammy-nominated jazz educator in the Santa Barbara area for the past 23 years. Come to hear the music! At the Arroyo Grande Hall, 707 Huasna Rd.

https://www.facebook.com/events/600000626819616/

February 26 Sunday Session Summary: Double Bell Euphoria!

This month's sunday session provided a rare treat for us Basin Street Regulars. Cell Block 7 from Lodi brought three double bell euphomiums (or is it euphonia?). Here is an example of one of their tunes, a rather beautiful, unique sound. 

http://youtu.be/Bp8ZrWpEzdE

Our local Rag Bag Saints were the intermission act, entering from the crowd. Here is a link to Scott Andrews' video of this event. https://www.facebook.com/d.scott.andrews/posts/10154010454502059. Great show, great time! Hugh Robinson was back in action. He did $60 better than me from last month's raffle. God Bless Hugh!

January 31st Jazz: Jammer Extravaganza

This month's session on the last day of the month will surely entertain. Bye Bye Blues from Monterey is our headliner act. Cal Poly Jazz Band is the intermission act. The 1st Jam set begins at 11am. Bye Bye Blues from 1-2:15PM & 3:15-4:30PM. Cal Poly Jazz from 2:15-3PM. Raffle at 3PM: Hugh Robinson back in the saddle after his recent mishap?

Don Irving is the Leader of the Bye Bye Blues and has some very special ties to Pismo. The Stage Director of Bye Bye Blues is Dick Williams, who leads the jam sets for the Pismo Jubilee. Dick personifies our mission of encouraging young jazz people to play with a group of jammers. A great emcee, harkening back to the days of Vaudeville, Dick will also recognize veterans in the audience (appropriate at any Vets Hall). When Dick directs a group, I take careful notes. He also can play a mean cornet & sing lead. Here is an audio example of "Shake That Thing" from this year's Pismo Jubilee: 

http://youtu.be/odIOM56Ivvw 

This 9min jam features a stellar washboard solo (2:55) from scholarship recipient Steven Saavedra (wannabe architect and student of the wonderful "Washboard" Annie Abler) & Tom Dutart's infamous tuba solo (6:10, a personal favorite of mine). 

The Cal Poly Jazz Band is our intermission act, so Dick has a broad range of potential student jammers. Hence, the jam sets should be rather entertaining. If u r a Basin Street Regular jammer or a jam newbie, contact Rhonda at jwcardinal@msn.com Our goal is to preach the message of collective improvisation. We can jam if we want to...

The Bye Bye Blues Boys Band was founded by Don Pellerin, a Monterey Peninsula area music teacher, in the 1970's. Don was very active in the local music scene and had his "BBBBB" playing lots of local gigs. The band would vary in size and players as the engagement dictated. In the late 1990's Don was on the Board of Directors of the Dixieland Monterey Festival and the Festival found themselves in the position of having scheduled an out of town band for a Friday evening performance and the band's travel arrangements did not allow for the group to make it to Monterey in time for that Friday evening set; the Board asked Don if he could provide a group for that Friday evening performance and that group is the BBBBB. They played that one set and gave it everything they had as it was the only set for them during the Festival. After the set was complete, people were asking where they were going to play next - well, the next year the BBBBB had 8 sets at the Festival. They played for the Festival a total of 9 years and also some jazz club dates, private parties and even a couple of "Hot n' Cool" Festivals. Around 2008, Don Pellerin moved to Paso Robles to be closer to family and locally Don Irving kept the BBBBB alive by continuing the tradition of providing music for the Jazz Mass at the San Carlos Catholic Church on the Saturday of the Festival which had now changed it's name to "Jazz Bash By-the-Bay". The Festival asked Don to put the band back together for the March 2015 Festival and the result of that effort is the band we present for your dancing and listening enjoyment. This band is playing at a few of Northern California's jazz clubs and will once again be featured at the Jazz Bash By-the-Bay Festival in Monterey next March. The players are: Dick Williams, Cornet, Vocals, and on stage leader; Rich Owens, Piano and Vocals; Dr. Carl Reiley, Trombone; Don Irving, Soprano and Bass Sax, Leader; Carl Lunsford, Banjo, Guitar, Vocals (veteran from the Turk Murphy Jazz Band); Debera McIrving, Drums; Bert Robinson, String Bass, 

From George Smith: MATRIMONY ON STAGE AT THE VETS BUILDING! The January 31st Sunday Session Guest Band will be the Bye Bye Blues Boys Band from Monterey. The leader of the band, Don Irving, reeds, married the drummer, Debera McIrving, on stage at the Pismo Beach Vet's Building at a Sunday Session, so many, many years back that I don't remember which year it was. I first met Don and Debera at the Sacramento Adult Jazz Camp, again, long ago. So now they return for yet another joyous, if not matrimonius musical encore. Wow. And isn't it timely that Don, a Cal Poly graduate, will be able to hear the Cal Poly University Jazz Band at this same session? Don is an alumni from this band. Dick Williams will be the on stage leader of the band. Dick is here every year at the Jubilee conducting the jam sets and has been here with the Mission Gold band from the Bay Area. Don runs the jam sets at Monterey's Bash By the Bay in March.

The Cal Poly Jazz Band program combines the professionalism of a working big band with the academic rigor of cutting-edge big band repertoire. The University Jazz Band #1 has been professionally contracted to perform at the world’s largest jazz festival (the Sacramento Jazz Jubilee), the San Jose Jazz Society’s Sunday jazz series, a swing dance series in Santa Barbara, the Morro Bay Jazz Festival, the Jazz Jubilee in Pismo Beach, and as an opening act for Don Byron and comedian Bob Newhart. The band also regularly performs at swing dances on the Cal Poly campus. The Cal Poly jazz bands perform specialized repertoires, including modern big band concert compositions, swing dance, world music (including Ethiopian pop), heavy-metal (music from Pat Boone's In a Metal Mood big band album), TV themes, and jazz for cartoons. Guest artists that have performed with the University Jazz Bands include DJ Logic, Taylor Eigsti, Mary Fettig, Arturo Sandoval, Bill Watrous, Mel Martin, Bobby Shew, Clark Terry, Red Holloway, Louie Bellson, Billy Childs, Kevin Mahogany, Thelonious Monk, Jr., Bruce Forman, and James Carter. The University Jazz Bands have received unanimous superior evaluations at collegiate jazz festivals, and was rated as the best four-year collegiate big band at U.C. Berkeley's Pacific Coast Collegiate Jazz Festival.