Category: Jazz

Podcast #145: 11/23 and 12/7/88

This program starts with the final two selections from November 23, 1988, “I’ll Never Be the Same” and “Runnin’ Wild,” with Jimmy Mazzy (banjo/vocals), Stew Baird (cornet), John Kafalas (trombone), and Don Frothingham (piano). Then, we move on to December 7, 1988, when Fred Lind (cornet) and Paul Meymaris (clarinet) returned to the bandstand, along with Jim, Don, and myself (tuba), for “Fidgety Feet” and “New Orleans Shuffle.” Send questions or comments to podcast@kafalas.com.

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BHJB at the Sticky Wicket, 1989, Part II

Another segment from Stan McDonald’s Blue Horizon Jazz Band at the Sticky Wicket in 1989. The musicians are Stan McDonald (soprano sax and clarinet), Walt Miller (trumpet), John Kafalas (trombone and euphonium), Phil Hower (piano), John Rayworth (banjo), Hans Brack (bass), and Stu Grover (drums). The selections are “Creole Belle,” “The Mooche,” “Maria Elena,”  “Of All the Wrongs You’ve Done To Me.”  This set showcases some of the arrangements the band used to do, with more emphasis on ensemble structure than improvised solos — we had an interesting book, and I hope you enjoy this set from 1989 by the Blue Horizon Jazz Band.

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BHJB at the Sticky Wicket, 1989, Part I

In remembrance of Stan McDonald, who passed away earlier this month, here’s a selection from an appearance by the Blue Horizon Jazz Band at the Sticky Wicket in Hopkinton, MA in early 1989. The musicians are Stan McDonald (soprano sax and clarinet), Walt Miller (trumpet), John Kafalas (trombone and euphonium), Phil Hower (piano), John Rayworth (banjo), Hans Brack (bass), and Stu Grover (drums). The tunes are “I Want A Little Girl,” “At A Georgia Camp Meeting,” “Blue Turning Grey,” and “Yama Yama Man.” Send questions or comments to podcast @ kafalas.com.

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Podcast #144: November 23, 1988 Part V

Some bonus material from November 23rd, 1988, with Jimmy Mazzy (banjo/vocals), Stew Baird (cornet), John Kafalas (trombone), Don Frothingham (piano), Hans Brack (bass), and Stu Grover (drums). The selections are “I’m Coming, Virginia,” “Muddy Water,” and “Dip Your Brush In the Sunshine.”

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Podcast #143: November 30, 1988 Part V

The fifth part of this excellent session. There’s a bit of shuffling, as Hans Brack plays the first tune, then departs (he can be heard to say “I have an 8:00 class tomorrow”), and I switch from trombone to tuba for the rest of the set. The other musicians are Jimmy Mazzy (banjo/vocals), Fred Lind (cornet), Paul Meymaris (clarinet), Don Frothingham (piano), and Stu Grover (drums). The selections are “Doin’ the New Lowdown,” “You’re Lucky To Me,” and “Blue Turning Grey.”

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Podcast #142: November 30, 1988 Part IV

The fourth segment from 11/30/88, with Jimmy Mazzy (banjo/vocals), Fred Lind (cornet), Paul Meymaris (clarinet), John Kafalas (trombone), Carol Moeller (piano), Hans Brack (bass), and Stu Grover (drums). The selections are “Sugar Blues,” “I Need Lovin’,” and “WPA Blues.”

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Podcast #141: November 30, 1988 Part III

Part III of the session from 11/30/88 at Ephraim’s. Jimmy Mazzy on banjo and vocals, Fred Lind on cornet, Paul Meymaris on clarinet, John Kafalas on trombone, Bill Whitcraft on piano (first tune), Carol Moeller also on piano (second and third tunes), Hans Brack on bass, and Stu Grover on drums. Selections: “Cabin in the Pine,” “Anytime, Any Day, Anywhere,” and “I Double Dare You.”

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Podcast #140: November 30, 1988 Part II

This program is Part II of the session of 11/30/1988 at Ephraim’s, with Jimmy Mazzy on banjo and vocals, Fred Lind on cornet, Paul Meymaris on clarinet, John Kafalas on trombone, Bill Whitcraft on piano, Hans Brack on bass, and Stu Grover on drums. There’s also a vocal by Carrie Mazzy.

The selections: Swing That Music, Of All The Wrongs, and You’re Driving Me Crazy. The latter two songs were featured in Podcast #7, way back in 2007, but since I now have a better digital audio converter than I was using at that time, it’s worth processing the audio again.

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Podcast #139: November 30, 1988 Part I

This program begins the session of 11/30/1988 at Ephraim’s. We presented part of that evening in podcasts 6-8, way back in 2007, but decided to go back and produce the whole session in its entirety — using my Apogee Duet audio converter for better sound than in the earlier programs. In any case, the musicians in this program are Jimmy Mazzy on banjo and vocals, Fred Lind on cornet, Dr. Paul Meymaris on clarinet, myself John Kafalas on trombone, Bill Whitcraft on piano, Hans Brack on bass, and Stu Grover on drums.

The selections in this program: Get Out and Get Under the Moon, Monday Date, Don’t Worry Bout Me, and an old Prohibition-era tune called My Cellar.

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Podcast #138: November 23, 1988 Part IV

The fourth part of the session from November 23, 1988 at Ephraim’s. The musicians are Jimmy Mazzy (banjo/vocals), John Kafalas (trombone), Don Frothingham (piano), Hans-Peter Brack (bass), and Stu Grover (drums). The selections are “Doctor Jazz” and “I Could Write a Book.”

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Podcast #137: November 23, 1988 Part III

The third segment from November 23rd, 1988, with Jimmy Mazzy (banjo/vocals), John Kafalas (trombone), Don Frothingham (piano), Hans Brack (bass), and Stu Grover (drums). The selections are “Maisie,” “Just You, Just Me,” and “I Want A Little Girl.”

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Podcast #136: November 23, 1988 Part II

The second part of the session from 11/23/88. The musicians in this program are Jimmy Mazzy on banjo and vocals, myself John Kafalas on trombone, Carol Moeller on piano, Hans Brack on bass, and for the first two songs, we were joined by Eddie Jenkins, a drummer who, according to Stu Grover, our regular drummer, made six recordings with Bunny Berigan in 1939.  For the rest of the set, Stu returns to the drums. Meanwhile, Don Frothingham takes the Steinway for the last tune of the set.  I’m not sure who the cornet player is, on this occasion, because I didn’t write it down! It may have been Stew Baird, who used to come to the sessions occasionally.

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Podcast #134: November 16, 1988 Part III

The third portion of the November 16, 1988 session at Ephraim’s, with Jimmy Mazzy (banjo/vocals), Fred Lind (cornet), Paul Meymaris (clarinet), Don Frothingham (piano), and John Kafalas (tuba). The selections are “Just You, Just Me,” “I Just Couldn’t Take It Baby,” “Wherever There’s Love” and “My Gal Sal,” with vocals by Carrie Mazzy, and “Put ‘em Down Blues.”

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Special edition: Jack Webb Jazz Band, 5/6/2000 Part I (remixed)

This program features the Jack Webb Jazz Band of Flagstaff, Arizona, in a set from May 6th, 2000 at Joe’s Place in downtown Flagstaff.  The musicians are Prof. Guy Senese (cornet), John Sexton (trombone), Dominic Lalli (reeds), myself John Kafalas on tuba, and Frankie on drums — I’m afraid I don’t know Frankie’s last name, but he was an excellent drummer, as you’ll hear.   Playing without a chord instrument, the band took on more of the sound of a New Orleans street band than a typical trad jazz group.  The selections are “Wabash Blues,” “Didn’t He Ramble,” and “Apex Blues.” Some of the material appeared in an earlier program in this series, but this edition was converted with the Apogee Duet digital audio converter, which yields much better sound quality, so I think it’s worth revisiting.

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Podcast #133: November 16, 1988 Part II

The second segment of the session from 11/16/88 at Ephraim’s. The musicians are Jimmy Mazzy (banjo/vocals), Fred Lind (cornet), Paul Meymaris (clarinet), Don Frothingham (piano), Stu Grover (drums), and John Kafalas (tuba). The selections are “Ochi Chornya,” “Beautiful Changes,” “Someday, Sweetheart,” and “Blue Room,” with a vocal by Carrie Mazzy. Send questions or comments to podcast @ kafalas.com.

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Bonus tracks from 11/2/88

A couple of short cuts from the end of the November 2, 1988 session at Ephraim’s, with Jimmy Mazzy (banjo), Fred Lind (cornet), Paul Meymaris (clarinet), Don Frothingham (piano), and John Kafalas (tuba): “I’m Just Wild About Harry” and a tune that I think Jim identified as “Long Lost Love,” just a banjo solo.

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Podcast #132: November 16, 1988 Part I

This program begins the session from November 16, 1988 at Ephraim’s. The musicians are Jimmy Mazzy (banjo/vocals), Fred Lind (cornet), Paul Meymaris (clarinet), Don Frothingham (piano), Stu Grover (drums), and John Kafalas (tuba). The selections are “I’ll Never Be the Same,” “Brotherly Love,” and “Anytime, Any Day, Anywhere.”

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Special edition reloaded all over again: Jeff Hughes Quartet, 8/6/87, Part II

This program is another instalment of the August 6, 1987 session, by the Jeff Hughes Quartet. Besides Jeff on cornet, the program features Rich Giordano (piano), Al Ehrenfried (bass), and John Kafalas (trombone). I owe a debt of thanks to Bob Kitchin, who recorded the session and produced the master tape, which I recently re-mastered using an Apogee Duet digital audio converter.

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Special edition: Jeff Hughes Quartet, 8/6/87 Part I

This program is taken from a session recorded August 6, 1987, at Ephraim’s.  The musicians are Jeff Hughes (cornet/vocals), Rich Giordano (piano), Al Ehrenfried (bass), and John Kafalas (trombone). I owe a debt of thanks to Bob Kitchin, who recorded the session and produced the master tape.  I recently got a better digital audio converter than the one I used to use, so I decided to re-master it; I hope you agree the improved sound quality is worth it!  Send questions or comments to podcast@kafalas.com

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Special Edition: Jeff Hughes Quartet, 8/6/87, Part III

This program presents the third segment from the Jeff Hughes Quartet session at Ephraim’s in Sudbury, Massachusetts, on August 6, 1987.  I recently got a better digital audio converter (an Apogee Duet) than the one I used to use — technology is a lot more advanced in 2019 than it was in 2006 — so I decided to digitize the tape again. I hope you find the sound quality an improvement. This set consists of all Duke Ellington tunes and features Jeff Hughes (cornet/vocals), Rich Giordano (piano), Al Ehrenfried (bass) and John Kafalas (trombone). I owe a debt of thanks to Bob Kitchin, who recorded the session and produced the master tape.

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Special Edition: Jeff Hughes Quartet 8/6/87, Part IV

This is the fourth and final installment of the session from August 6, 1987; the first three were presented several years ago, but it took awhile to get around to finishing up. The good news is that the sound quality should be much better, because we’re using the Apogee Duet to convert the tapes to digital format. In any case, the personnel are Jeff Hughes (cornet and fluegelhorn), Rich Giordano (piano), Al Ehrenfried (bass), and John Kafalas (trombone). I owe a debt of thanks to Bob Kitchin, who recorded the session and produced the master tape. Send questions or comments to podcast@kafalas.com.

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Podcast #131: November 2, 1988 Part V

The fifth segment from 11/2/88, with Jimmy Mazzy (banjo/vocals), Fred Lind (cornet), Paul Meymaris (clarinet), Don Frothingham (piano), and John Kafalas (tuba). Selections are “Buddy Bolden’s Blues,” a tune I don’t recognize, and “If I Had My Way.”

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Podcast #130: November 2, 1988 Part IV

The fourth segment of the session from 11/2/88 at Ephraim’s, featuring Jimmy Mazzy (banjo/vocals), Fred Lind (cornet), Paul Meymaris (clarinet), Don Frothingham (piano), John Kafalas (tuba), and Stu Grover (drums). Selections: Ain’t Gonna Give Nobody None of My Jelly Roll; Someday, Sweetheart; and Brotherly Love.

Send questions or comments to podcast@kafalas.com.

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