Jazz Review late August 1992

I have been part of the Allegheny Jazz Society, Meadville, PA for a number of years, have been fortunate to attend and write the reviews of many of the performances. This is a review I wrote during a Conneaut Lake Jazz Party, in 1992. The review was headed in our local newspaper, as follows: `JAZZ BUZZARDS' RETURN FOR PARTY.

Migration is a phenomenon that has puzzled scientists and naturalists for ages. One example is the swallows of San Juan Capistrano.

Hinkley, Ohio, has its annual return of the turkey buzzards.

And Artie Shaw, the celebrated clarinetist, once wrote and recorded, with his Gramercy Five, a nifty little number titled "When The Quail Come Back To San Quentin."

For the past seven years, during the last week-end in August, a form of migration also takes place at Conneaut Lake Park. A select group of jazz musicians, usually accompanied by a lady vocalist, moves into the park's beautiful turn-of-the-century resort hotel, and the musicians, in turn, are followed by a gaggle of knowledgeable, attentive jazz fans from all points of the compass.

This year is no exception. The Eighth Annual Conneaut Lake Jazz Party, sponsored by the Allegheny Jazz Society, Joe Boughton, President, opened on time at 5 p.m. Friday.

The stellar group of musicians attracted fans from such exotic climes as California, Florida, Maine, Maryland and Michigan, as well as southern Ontario and the local area. There are rumors that England will be represented in today's lineup.

All in all, an impressive turn-out for some very impressive music.

The dinner-hour crowd was entertained by a truly international duo. Pianist Keith Ingham, London-born and Oxford-educated, was capably assisted by Swiss-born bassist Isla Eckinger.

The duo pleased the diners with some old standards, and some not-so-familiar items composed by alto-saxist Benny Carter. It was a very pleasant way to spend an hour.

The main concert began at 7 p.m. A truly fine sextet, composed of Cleveland's Ken Peplowski-tenor sax and clarinet; Joe Wilder, a mainstay of Broadway musicals on trumpet and flugelhorn; Bucky Pizzarelli, a lyrical player on guitar; Hollywood studio session man Gene Estes on drums; John Sheridan on piano, and Isla Eckinger on bass, ripped through some swing standards and some Ellington numbers.

"Ring Dem Bells," composed by Duke Ellington in 1928, was outstanding, with Peplowski on clarinet, some lively Sheridan, and ebullient drumming by Estes. A four-star performance by any standard.

Joe Wilder's eloquent muted trumpet added to the natural beauty of "I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face."

And Ellington's "Subtle Slough," re-titled "Just Squeeze Me" was another vehicle for Wilder's muted trumpet.

Set number two opened with a quartet consisting of Keith Ingham-piano; Bob Reitmeier-clarinet; Greg Cohen-bass; Gene Estes-drums. The set was dedicated to the compositions of American popular composer Victor Young, and was a truly beautiful set.

The quartet played beautifully on a whole series of fine numbers, with "Can't We Talk It Over?", "Street Of Dreams" and "Around The World" especially well-done. Ingham and Reitmeier were their usual superb selves, with drummer Estes again sparking the group.

Marty Grosz and His Hot Seven opened set three with "Angry," a number associated with the New Orleans Rhythm Kings back in antiquity. The Hot Seven consists of Grosz-acoustic guitar and vocals; Peter Ecklund with his Bixian cornet; Bob Havens, a trombonist with Lawrence Welk for 22 years, and considered by many to be the finest Jack Teagarden-inspired trombonist now playing; Bobby Gordon on clarinet, the heir-apparent to Joe Marsala and Pee Wee Russell, with his wistful tone; pianist John Sheridan; bassist Greg Cohen; and New Orleans drummer Hal Smith.

The Hot Seven is a joyous group, playing old standards with verve and style, and appear to be having as much fun as the audience is having. Grosz, as leader and programmer, has dredged up a whole library of obscure, seldom-heard numbers that deserve to be heard again. Such an item is Andy Razaf and Fats Waller's "How Can You Face Me?", with vocal by Grosz.

During the Hot Seven's set, trombonist Havens played a lovely intro to "Ida" that earned much applause, and Ecklund followed with a fan-hat cornet solo that brought back memories of Wild Bill.

This reviewer was forced to leave at 10 p.m., due to a dead-line. There was much more jazz to follow, and there will be much, much more today. From what this reviewer heard Friday night, it is apparent that the Allegheny Jazz Society has done it again; brought some of the finest jazz in the land back to The Lake.