Jazz Review titled "Lake Jazz Party Cruisin' Along"
Imagine a furn-of-the-century resort hotel, located on the west shore of Pennsylvania's largest natural lake. A place where Bix might have played. Nearby is a sandy beach, complete with gulls, a well-kept boardwalk and amusement park, a midway, food stands, and boats for hire.
Imagine, also, that on the last week-end of August, seventeen top-ranked jazz musicians, a heady mixture of youth and veteran, plus one sublime female vocalist, descend upon the hotel dining room for three days of the finest jazz to be found in this part of the country.
It all conjures up a jazz buff's dream of paradise.
The Seventh Annual Conneaut Lake Jazz Party, sponsored by the Allegheny Jazz Society, Joe Boughton-President, started right on time, as is usual with Joe's functions, at 5 p.m. yesterday in the dining room of Hotel Conneaut. A magnificent quartet, made up of Keith Ingham-piano; Bob Reitmeier-clarinet; John Goldsby-string bass; and Jackie Williams-drums, played an hour and fifteen minutes for the dinner crowd. Their set consisted of a superior mixture of show tunes associated with dancer Fred Astaire.
After a short intermission, a septet, consisting of Harry Allen-tenor sax and leader; Joe Wilder-trumpet and flugelhorn; Bobby Pring-trombone; Ross Tompkins-piano; Bucky Pizzarelli-guitar; John Goldsby-string bass; and John Von Ohlen-drums, took the stand. They opened the set with a medium-tempo warm-up number, "I Would Do Anything For You," with good solos all around.
"I Found A New Baby" had excellent Allen and Tompkins solos, a plunger-mute solo by Wilder, explosive Von Ohlen, and a wild guitar solo by Pizzarelli.
"Fools Rush In" was melodic, with Allen showing a Hawkins influence, a Teagarden-like solo by Pring, and lyric trumpet by Wilder.
"You're Driving Me Crazy" had some beautiful Allen, backed by Pizzarelli, with Wilder on flugelhorn, and closed with a riff from "Moten Swing."
On "Everything Happens To Me," Pring, ex-Les Brown trombonist, again showed his Teagarden roots, backed by a melodic Pizzarelli.
"Sweet Sue" was next, and the set closed with a very up-tempo "Soft Lights And Sweet Music." This must have been what New York's 52nd Street sounded like back in the good old days.
The next set consisted of a fine duo, Keith Ingham-piano and Bob Reitmeier-clarinet. Their first number was "As Long As I Live," followed by a dreamy "A Hundred Years From Today."
Two very obscure Irving Berlin numbers were done in fine style, "Moonshine Lullaby" and "My Walking Stick."
"I'll Never Be The Same" featured fine Reitmeier, and the set closed with an up-tempo "Hands Across The Table." Another beautiful set of superior songs.
Set three belonged to The Hot Four. Marty Grosz-acoustic guitar, vocal and leader; Peter Ecklund-cornet; Bobby Gordon-clarinet; and the old master, Bob Haggart, composer of "What's New?" and "My Inspiration," on bass.
The quartet opened with "Come Back, Sweet Papa," an old novelty number that, incidentally, was arranged by Bob Haggart for a Bob Crosby big band recording back in 1936. Bobby Gordon's low-register clarinet was outstanding, along with Ecklund's Bixian cornet.
"Save It, Pretty Mama," once recorded by Louis Armstrong, followed, with a vocal by Marty Grosz.
"Little Girl" followed, with Armstrong-like cornet, and excellent bass by Haggart.
Grosz sang the seldom-heard verse to "Emaline," again with beautiful Haggart.
Next came the outstanding number of the set, Jimmie Noone's "Apex Blues," featuring the beautiful, wistful Gordon clarinet, Ecklund's muted cornet, good Haggart and Grosz.
The set closed with "Swing It," featuring a vocal by Grosz, a beautiful stop-time chorus by Ecklund, and walking bass by Haggart.
Set four featured a fine band consisting of Ed Polcer-cornet and leader; Bob Havens, featured for 25 years with the Lawrence Welk Orchestra, on trombone; Bob Reitmeier-clarinet; Keith Ingham-piano; Marty Grosz-acoustic guitar; John Goldsby-bass; and Jackie Williams-drums.
"Clarinet Marmalade" opened the set, with fine solos by all, especially by Ingham.
A bluesy "Mama's Gone, Goodbye" followed, with a rolling rumbling solo by Ingham.
Trombonist Havens was featured with just rhythm on a beautiful "I've Got A Right To Sing The Blues," showing his Teagarden influence.
As this reviewer was leaving to write this review, a quartet of Polcer, Ingham, Reitmeier and Williams finished a stand-out version of "What A Little Moonlight Will Do." Simply wonderful, and what jazz is all about.
The Jazz Party continues Saturday evening at 7. Tickets are still available for Saturday's performances.
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