December 13 Sunday Session - Mark ur Calendars!

Hot Swingin' Jazz presented by the Basin Street Regulars Jazz Society. Jam session starts at 11 AM (bring your instrument & join in!). Two professional bands start at 1 PM. @ Veterans' Memorial Building 780 Bello Street Pismo Beach, CA 93449. 11 AM-4:30 PM. $5 members, $10 non-members. Food for everyone! Drinks & dance floor onsite.

 

December 13 Bands: 

Royal Garden Swing Orchestra

http://rgso.net/2.html

Pacific Swing Band

www.reverbnation.com/pacificswing

The Royal Garden Swing Orchestra is made up of professional musicians from the San Luis Obispo County area and is celebrating its 28th year performing the swinging sounds of the Big Band Era. This nine-piece band sounds bigger than the average big band. Over 200 special arrangements make up their library of memorable tunes from the Swing Era to modern classics. One newspaper reviewer stated, “This is an orchestra that harkens back to a bygone era when musicians wore tuxedos and had an air of elegance about them. They are true professionals who really understand group synergy.”

Pacific Swing has been jazzin’ it up on the Central Coast of California since 2008. These local, accomplished musicians have joined forces to have a fun time while sharing their love of the jazz genre. Whether it’s traditional, swing, bee bop, Latin, you will want to be on the dance floor. They were a swingin' hit @ the Jubilee this year.

CU there, don't be square. Bring your swingin' shoes...

Nov. 22 Session Summary

Our pre-Thanksgiving session had a smaller turn out, but did not disappoint! The Basin Street Regular Jammers set the stage, led by our venerable Jazzmaster, Del Gomes. We introduced a new tune, Jeepers, Creepers. It went surprisingly well, even with me on vocals (lol). Sandy Smallwood represented on Blue Moon, Goody Goody (her signature tune), & Georgia (audio clip below). George Smith and Richelle Cross-Smith closed the last set w/ a stirring rendition of "Old Man River." We need more like this...onto the featured acts...

Ulysses Jasz Band from Santa Barbara showed us the style that makes them popular at The James Joyce. A very upbeat traditional jasz group, they played many popular favorites to the delight of our audience. Rhonda Cardinal provided a nice video on their story (see below link). And yes, we did have a participatory parasol parade! (even w/o Linda Shorb, who is on vacation). We can dance if we want to...surpassing the parasol parade critical mass. Thanks to all of our paraders...we needed every one you!

The Cool Notes from nearby Cuesta College really wowed the crowd, a surprisingly effective intermission band. Great energy, great music. They chose their set with us in mind. Personally, they made me proud of our mission in helping kids pursue jazz. They were stoked to get some of our spare music books. Local sensation Talia Ortega, their senior member at 21, said it best: "We love and live jazz, thank you so much for having us." Many of the regulars expressed bringing these kids back. :)

Below are some highlights from the show: (1) audio link to Georgia; (2) Ulysses Jasz story; (3) Cool Notes 3-minute video: Don't Get Around Much Anymore; & (4) random fotos & captions. Next show = 12/13. Mark ur calendars. Royal Garden Swing Orchestra & Pacific Swing! Bring ur dancing shoes...

Georgia

http://youtu.be/O12uzZVLGco

Ullyses Jasz

http://youtu.be/XzJ7dmI-61o

Cool Notes

http://youtu.be/zTUCTVrQ5VQ

Random Fotos & Picture Captions:

Got my axe, got my jazz hat!

Ulysses in the house!

The line up...

Once again, we got first place in the Clam Festival Parade. Special parade kudos go out to The Creole Syncopators,  Hugh Robinson, Rhonda Cardinal, & your truly. I wanna be like Hugh when I grow up. God Bless.

 Next show. C u there.

November 22 Jazz Session

Basin Street Regulars Sunday Afternoon Session Presents Ulysses Jasz from Santa Barbara
November 22^nd 1:00 pm to 4:30. Jam session starts at 11:00 am

ULYSSES JASZ is the Basin Street Regulars featured band on November 22, at the Pismo Vet’ Hall. Ulysses plays spirited New Orleans Jazz and pop songs from the 1920's and 1930's that are largely selected from the compositions of Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Jelly Roll Morton, Jerome Kern, Irving Berlin, Johnny Mercer, Kurt Weill, and Hoagy Carmichael. 

ULYSSES plays this material with an infectious rhythm and spirit, characteristic of the Golden Age Jazz.  Traditional Jazz lovers love this unique Santa Barbara band.

The band consists of seven instrumentalists, a vocalist, and their own sound-man. CURT SLETTEN plays lead cornet and reminds audiences of the big bands like those of Glenn Miller, and Harry James with whom he has played. LARRY JONES is well known in jazz circles as one of the best trombonists around. BOB EFFORD on clarinet and tenor saxophone plays his clarinet weaving in and out with incisive counterpoint harmonies. DEAN DODS is on string and tuba bass.  Swinging keyboardist JOHN LEONARD has carefully acquired early styles such as Harlem Stride, and a vast repertoire of ragtime and popular pieces.  HANNA, is their jazz vocalist.  She has developed her own dynamic style from Bourbon Street to Broadway with a fresh approach.

This month’s intermission band is the Cool Notes who started as part of the award-winning Cuesta Community College Combo Program, like many popular groups in the area. They are a very adaptive group of jazz musicians and with musical stylings ranging from Jazz to Blues. The Basin Street Regulars regularly supports groups like the Cool Notes, who all grew up in the area.
 
Cool Notes features Flutist/Vocalist Talia Phillips. Duncan Green plays Tenor Sax, Matthew J. Evans on Upright Bass/Vocals, Madison Scott on Keyboard/Vocals. The drummer, Tom Brown, was sponsored by the BSR at the 2015 Cuesta College Jazz workshop.
 
Check out the Cool Notes from 2-3 pm and discover a very sophisticated, toe-tapping, brand of jazz that will leave you wondering, "How old are these kids?"

Pismo Veterans' Memorial Building, 780 Bello St. Pismo Beach CA 93449.

$10 or $5 for members.

Sandy Smallwood 773-3750 

2015 Jubilee By The Sea - Audio/Video Playlist

Below is a YouTube (unlisted) playlist link to some tunes I recorded at the Sea Crest Banquet Room (Jubilee by the Sea Crest, lol). So this is the first place to hear these tunes. Email me w/ comments. Next time we will try to record better, but it still sounds surprisingly good. Enjoy! 

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNK8XalJqI-by-jcYC0YMqFQWvW7UM_c4

August 30 Show Recap

Let's hope you got to see this show! Blue Street Jazz Band did not disappoint, to a near-capacity crowd. Pacific Swing really swung and a fine time was had by all. Blue Street called us the best jazz club in the universe! How touching, but there is a lot of history between us, we kinda grew up together. Kudos goes out to our own Kenneth Davis, who filled in admirably on drums for Blue Street, never skipping a beat. Our gang of locals, Pacific Swing put on a great intermission show. I was so impressed!  Maybe we all ought to go to jazz camp, then we can play like Jazzmaster Del! 

So I put some short clips of videos on YouTube and linked them below. Sorry I missed the Parade Dance, but we had a line of about 25 or so, of course led by Linda Shorb. We represented on that dance, Blue Street was impressed (and they have seen over 1000 of them in New Orleans). To me, the key is in simultaneously spinning the parasol and dancing, like a fun groove exercise. (Update: We got it! Thanks Susie!). In any case, Blue Street will be back for the Jubilee. We'll get a really long line going then! 

So check out the brief videos below to view/hear the fun. See if you can spot Hugh tirelessly selling raffle tickets (ala "Where's Waldo") and see if you can find yourself or your friends enjoying the show. It seemed everyone was tapping their feet! See you next time!

Blue Street: Sweet Georgia Brown (1:24)

http://youtu.be/z9qZcXOsRsA

Blue Street : Kenneth Davis drum solo (0:20)

http://youtu.be/yELXCno0LeE

Pacific Swing: I'm Beginning to See the Light (1:25)

http://youtu.be/7sCkCJUABDg

Pacific Swing: Dueling reeds (1:20)

http://youtu.be/rAW1f-9cuxs

Blue Street & Us! Parasol parade (1:23)

http://youtu.be/K--zhh2xgXU

Sunday, August 30 Show: Dancing Day

Greetings Jazzy Enthusiasts: It will be difficult to top last month's session (those crazy Crescent Katz kids from Sacramento), but we aim to step up our game. Jazz has many flavors, sometimes you feel like Rocky Road, other times Butter Pecan. This month will be more dance-friendly, so bring some comfortable shoes...

Our featured group this month is a longtime favorite, The Blue Street Jazz Band. 2015 marks their 32nd anniversary, a true force of musicality, integrity, stability, and professionalism in the performance of Dixieland Jazz. Founded in 1983 by trumpet player Forrest Helmick and currently under the leadership of trombonist Dave Ruffner, Blue Street continues to be one of the most innovative groups in traditional jazz. Original songs and creatively conceived arrangements have been the hallmark of the band along with each member's unique musical prowess. The band features the singing of Sherri Colby. While traditional jazz is the cornerstone of Blue Street, they are also known for their eclectic tastes in music. Musical styles performed by the band also includes Swing, Mardi Gras, Folk Songs, Marches, Waltzes, and Gospel Music. In any genre, beware of tapping feet!

The Blue Street Jazz Band

Our local band this month is Pacific Swing, a five piece band comprised of active professionals from the Central Coast music scene. The crowd will surely "move it more at intermission" with this fantastic blend of fastpaced swing, Dixieland, Latin, or a nice danceable mixture of it all. This band has appeared many times at our Sunday sessions and is always a hit, especially for our dancing crowd. Bring your dancing shoes!

Pacific Swing

Oh, and let's not forget about our preliminary Jam sets, always fun and surprisingly musical, even if unrehearsed. ;) We all try to represent what it means to be a "Basin Street Regular:" (1) have fun; (2) play ur heart out; (3) give the kids their showcase; and (4) collectively improvise, whenever possible. This month's sets are led by our stunningly effective Jazz Master, Del Gomes (JazzMaster Del, lol), fresh back from jazz camp. Here is a list of this Sunday's jam set tunes, as well- and aptly chosen by Rhonda & Jeff...so-called "Cardinal numbers:"

Set 1 (11-11:30AM): Wabash Blues; Ballin' the Jack; Paper Moon; Tiger Rag; Just a Little While; (South)

Set 2 (11:45-12:15): Dinah; Bourbon St. Parade; When You're Smiling; Goody Goody; Nobody's Sweetheart; Exactly Like You

Set 3 (12:30-1:00): Muskrat Rumble; Ice Cream; Sheik of Araby; Sweet Lorraine; Big Butter & Egg Man

As ever, the jams start at 11AM. Blue Street has different sets at 1 & 3:20PM. Pacific Swing time from 2:20-3:10. Food and drinks available (I am a sucker 4 the Frito boats!). And don't forget about the raffle at 3:15. Last month I won the below priceless painting,"Save the Octagon Barn," by Joan Karlie Goodall (I Love it!). This time I'm buying extra tix from Hugh, targeting the new Crescent Katz' CD (b/c it has the Shakey's Pizza Theme Song). Ok, cu there, don't be square. Prepare to swing...I am personally treating the show as a 2-day-belated "birthday party dance" for Linda Shorb (b/c she moves the most amongst us, lol). Long Live Jazz!

July 26 Show Recap...in case u missed it

7/26 Show Recap: Yesterday's show did not disappoint. The event was well attended and featured much dancing by the crowd. I attached a few pictures and a link to a brief 36 sec. video of the Crescent Katz at the end if this post.

Crescent Katz, a newly formed group with their debut CD out this past January (as Hugh informed me), had a majority of the audience tapping their toes. Watch out for this group in the near future. I highly recommend their CD. All of the members attended band camp in Monterey and were sponsored in some way by BSR. My friend at the snack bar commented that she used to babysit the trumpet player when he was in diapers. Great music, great talent, proud to support. I was waiting for their surprise tune and glad I waited until the end, when it came with an unexpected bang in the form of the Shakey's Pizza Theme Song. They left a hint in their official bio about Sherwood "Shakey" Johnson and paid tribute to this Sacramento jazz legend. I left the show singing "Go to Shakey's..." Perhaps one of the greatest jingles of all time, I was happy that those crazy cats brought it to my attention. But now I can't get that jingle out of my head.  ;)
Creole Synocopators drew rave applause from a near-capacity crowd. Clearly a professional cast of characters, they played and the audience dug. Nothing like a little New Orleans in Pismo Beach. I had the feeling that if they opened up the Vets Building then it would have drawn a streaming crowd up the hill from the beach. Great music, special treat. This is why BSR is here. The music is top notch. Everyone seemed happy.
Kudos to the Basin Street Regulars Jammers for representing and warming up the crowd. Several members were off to band camp and the remaining crew had to operate with a thin, but mighty group of jammers. The singers stepped up big. Sandy Smallwood ended the jam with a gripping and highly effective version of "Georgia." It felt the crowd wanted more, but, alas, onto the main acts. My favorite part was when Jeff Cardinal sang "Route 66." He really picked up the pace and drove the tune home, like you were taking the curves on Route 66 fast...in a convertible. His trumpet solo was awesome on this tune, seemingly inspired by his own singing. Great work Jeff. You made us proud. Thanks Sandy, u were a singing savior. More jammers next time...
OK jazz friends, stay tuned for next month. It will be hard to top this show, but we aim to please! As always, let's not forget about the Jubilee, October 22-25. 2015 Jubilee Info & Registration Form (shameless promo bit).

Creole Syncopators: Panoramic pic shows few empty seats...

Crescent Katz: The crowd had thinned by the end, but they missed a great end! U go Katz!

https://youtu.be/Igcp7gntuKM (30 Second YoutTube Clip of the Crescent Katz, a jammin'). Here is a link to their debut album. Note: Last tune = "Go To Shakey's!"