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STJS President's Message
STJS President Bob Williams
from the June 2008 "And All That Jazz"
(STJS monthly newsletter)
Well, my reign as president has come to an end. I don’t think I broke anything major.
Thanks to everyone who offered kind words of encouragement. It was neither as easy as I’d hoped, nor as difficult as I’d feared. The fact is, this is a great organization, the best of its kind in the world, as far as I’ve seen—warts and all. This group is run, in the main, by volunteers behind the scenes doing lots of good works, inspired by passion for jazz and the history and culture of our jazz society. I wish I could mention some names, but I know whomever I’d overlook would be hurt. I know that’s a cliché and maybe a cop-out, but it’s also true.
I have a lot of confidence in Jim Roberson as your new president. He has plenty of financial chops, and has been involved in similar boards in the past. He is a staunch ally of the youth and adult "trad. camps" and shares my views on the importance of jazz education. Despite his frightening picture in the June newsletter (he’s lucky he was running unopposed), I can only remember a couple times seeing him without a shirt and tie. He’s a good egg.
We are attempting a difficult thing: trying to encourage the survival and growth of an organization devoted to an art form that’s considered anachronistic. To survive, we have to maintain a balance of a) convincing outsiders that our definitions are relevant, and b) broadening our definitions. Sometimes, when we’re not looking, the expanded definitions become the new standard. This irritates the stalwarts, who often want things to be precisely how they remember them.
But, as I’ve said before, if we want to convince future generations to play (and enjoy) traditional jazz, we have to respect that their influences will be different than ours. Trumpet players today have a lot more players to emulate than Louis or Bix did. Musical influence builds on itself, just as scientific knowledge builds on itself. As far as I’m concerned, the important thing is that the music is alive, not that it sound exactly like a Lu Watters recording. No matter how hard we squeeze our eyes shut and click our heels together, I don’t think guitars are going away.
Let’s keep our heads down and fight the good fight—not just because we want to hang on to remnants of our past, but because this music is happy and good, and because it is art, and because it gives us a chance to laugh and forget our problems for a little while, and lastly, because it helps us make friends and live longer. Much of the responsibility for the future of traditional jazz, whatever it may look like, is ours.
So long and thanks for all the fish.
Bob Williams' message
from the May 2008 "And All That
Jazz"
I cleared my busy schedule of presidenting and child-rearing to attend the “Long Live JAZZ” event on Feb. 26, featuring Ed Polcer's East Coast All-Stars, which happened to be passing through the area on the way to Lake Wildwood.
Nancy Giffin did a great job of producing this event, which was held at the Unity Church and raised $1200 for TJYBF.
The group was outstanding. Perhaps the highlight musician of the evening (besides increasingly-local John Cocuzzi, who is attempting “dual-Coast” status) was Wycliffe Gordon, trombonist. I’m not just saying that because he plays a cool instrument; he was the "buzz" of the event—his playing was imaginative, tasteful, and exciting. I could tell he was making an impression because of all the sad looks, shaking heads, and paucity of eye contact from people walking past me.
And despite all the well-meaning advice from my more vocal acquaintances, I’ve decided after some reflection to continue playing the trombone. I do derive considerable enjoyment from it, and it helps pay the bills.
Nancy did a good job of getting young people to the event by encouraging people to donate tickets to students, and ensuring our TNT band had tickets. Steve Roach, head of Jazz Studies at Sac. State, attended the event and brought a couple of his students to boot. Steve has been a great ally to the Education wing of the STJS, and by helping host the Trad. Jazz Youth Band Festival at the college, is helping us enhance our credibility in academic circles.
What I liked about this concert is that it was a showcase of traditional jazz (perhaps broadly defined) in the hands of competent, professional, full-time musicians. Trad. jazz is very democratic and can be played passably by musicians whose talents traverse a broad range of skill (God bless ‘em—present company included, believe me. Ahem.) It’s encouraging, then, to have young musicians hear classic jazz played enthusiastically by musicians who are also respected in the world of more general jazz. We can more certainly “pass the torch” when it’s held by strong, capable hands.
I want to thank Helen Robinson and the Election Committee for coming up with a slate of candidates for the upcoming election in June. I think it’s time to really buckle down on fiscal responsibility for the sake of the future of the STJS, and I think the candidates being presented will support that end admirably.
Thomas Edgerton with Wycliffe Gordon at Feb. 26 fundraiser,
which raised $1200
for TJYBF.
Bob Williams' message
from the March 2008 "And All That
Jazz"
I wasn’t able to attend as much of the Trad Jazz Youth Band Festival as I’d hoped to, due to some other obligations I’d committed myself to and which, uhh, paid better. Ahem. But I did go to some of the pizza parlor party Friday night to get a sense of what was going on.
Holy moley, what a scene! First of all, there was no place to park! I was about to sign a lease at the apartment complex next door just to get a parking place when something opened up in the fire lane, and I was able to stick my head in.
What a pleasure to see the excitement and hubbub in there! Thanks to everyone who attended, and especial thanks to the tireless Elinor Hackett for setting it all up. The music was great, and what a great opportunity for those kids to play before a full house in the birthplace of West Coast Dixieland, the Pizza Parlor! Also, proceeds from the kitchen will help fund next year’s event.
Kudos, too, to Yvonne Au, who appears to have put on another successful Trad Jazz Youth Band Festival. Yvonne and her volunteer committee work tirelessly all year long to put on this great event, which has become an important part of our youth education efforts, along with the TNT band, our music lesson awards program, and our world-class trad jazz. Thanks to everyone for supporting these efforts, which I believe are the most important things we do. We are showing results, as anyone who’s listened to these youngsters can attest.
Nancy Giffin, who usually won’t let me say anything nice about her in this column (Lord knows I’ve tried), has decided to step back from the great job she’s done editing and compiling this newsletter for 4-1/2 years. She has been a tireless and passionate advocate for quality and professionalism, and has raised the standard for this newsletter to perhaps unattainable heights. It’s a thankless job, more even than the other volunteer jobs. When you see her, be sure and tell her what a great job she’s done, and see if you can make her feel bad about leaving. I really appreciate the hard work she’s done, especially given her busy life, and regard it as a huge personal favor.
In the meantime, we are looking for someone to fill her shoes. If you have any interest and/or experience with editing and print media, please contact me or the jazz office. No really, it’s EASY. I was kidding about the hard work and thanklessness. Ahem.
Bob Williams' message
from the February 2008 "And All That
Jazz"
Well, here we are in 2008. It’s fun to start the year off with the annual Rent Party (our 10th). It was great to see such a nice crowd, and I was happy to see most of the musicians. No, I’m kidding, it was nice to see everybody, I’m sure.
I like seeing young musicians at the jazz meetings, but it was especially nice to see the Barkin’ Dawg Jazz Band, which is one of the “tweener” bands I feel strongly about supporting. These are folks in that tenuous age range between 18 and 60, in which they are neither “cute” nor seasoned. The Barkin’ Dawg is a group of kids who’ve been to our camps and gone to our festivals, and listened to our hype and who have been convinced that trad. jazz is worth learning. Let’s continue to give them our attention and encouragement.
A couple important events are coming up in February that merit mention. The first is the Trad. Jazz Youth Band Festival (TJYBF). This brainchild of Yvonne Au’s is an opportunity for budding players to get feedback from professional academic adjudicators, rub elbows with one another, and know they are not alone in the dark lonely world of the right side of the brain. Yvonne works tirelessly year-round to ensure the event’s success. The TJYBF will run all day on Feb. 9 at CSUS, culminating in a concert in the evening featuring kids, clinicians, and adjudicators. Please spend the few bucks to come encourage the next generation of musicians and fans.
Thanks to Paula Vance for organizing last month’s Crab Feed. We have another fundraiser on Feb. 26 that will directly benefit our Youth Band Festival: a rare concert featuring Ed Polcer’s East Coast All-Stars at the Christ Unity Church on Folsom Blvd. (at La Riviera). Ed Polcer only brings his band around once a year, and this is the first time they’ve been booked in Sacramento. With Wycliffe Gordon, Houston Person, and other greats, this promises to be an exciting musical event that you won’t want to miss. Tickets are $25 in advance, $35 at the door. Or for preferred seating and a chance to meet the musicians in a pre-concert reception, you can buy a Patron ticket. If you can’t make the date but wish to send a worthy young musician, buy a “Send-a-Student” ticket for $25. If you buy online, STJS members qualify for a 20% discount (promo code = stjs).
Mo’betta info is online at sacjazz.org/eastcoastpost.html or, if my powers of predication can be trusted, elsewhere in this periodical. Get your tickets today.
Bob Williams' message
from the Dec. '07 / Jan. '08 "And All That
Jazz"
I recently played at a lovely festival in Chandler, AZ, for the first time. I've been to Arizona before in the summer, when it was intolerably hot, but in the autumn, it's not too bad. Kind of like an endurable summer day in Sacramento.
On Saturday night, 51st Eight played a final set that degenerated into a wild jam session, during which a horde of 20-something swing dancers crowded the bandstand, clapping and jumping and hootin’ and hollerin’ and getting themselves all manner of worked up. There were probably 20 musicians on stage by the end, and the energy in the place was palpable. We don’t get to be rock stars very often.
The better festivals are doing a good job of marketing to this group, which, more and more, is becoming an important audience for 2-beat as well as swing bands.
Part of the mandate of the jazz society is to preserve traditional jazz into future generations. We do this with our camp, youth band festival, and other educational programs, and do our best to counter the trends that make it difficult to create new generations of musicians and fans. But it’s also very encouraging to see the influx of young dancers who are discovering traditional jazz and attending our events and hiring our musicians. We owe considerable gratitude to STJS board member Scott Kaufman, and others from the local swing dance community, for helping us establish an increasingly beneficial relationship with this wonderful group. Scott runs the Midtown Stomp, a weekly event for swing dancers, and heavily promotes the jazz festival and monthly meetings. He also hires local bands and musicians to play at the Stomp, and some are becoming regular celebrities there.
As we did last year, we will devote a large venue at the convention center to bands and events that appeal to this significant and growing audience.
Sadly, we’ve lost another great musician and friend with the passing of Bill Richards. Bill was a wonderfully bright man and a terrific piano player. For many years he helped schedule bands for the jazz festival, which is frightfully complex. He played with the nationally-recognized Buck Creek Jazz Band and was a local musical legend. Please remember his family in your thoughts and prayers. [Read more about Bill in the Nov. issue of AATJ in the "Passing the Torch" column written by Bill Bua.]
Bob Williams' message
from the November 2007 "And All That
Jazz"
As I write this column, hoping it will evolve into something cogent before it’s done, I am reflecting on the Hangtown Jazz Jubilee this past weekend. I played with the Fulton Street Jazz Band in a nice little joint called “Tomei’s” on the Main Drag. Actually, I suspect there’s only one Drag in Placerville, so “Main Drag” is probably superfluous.
The festival is a nice little one-day affair, at which bands are located in a single venue for the whole afternoon. As a result, it’s hard to generalize about the festival as a whole; however, I was impressed with the enthusiasm and youth of the large audience we played to. A tourist event, for sure – “Hangtown” seems to be a tourist destination, especially on the weekend, and certainly on The Drag – but the music blaring up and down the street had to be enticing, even if you think you don’t like jazz. People were sticking their heads in, wondering what all the fun was about. And this was at a festival almost exclusively “Old School” trad.
Once again, news of the death of this music seems to have been greatly exaggerated. In the 20 years I’ve been playing it, I’ve been hearing gruesome predictions of its imminent demise. Somehow, though, it seems to be surviving. Hasn’t this music outlived, by several generations, the critics and wits who have repeatedly declared it dead?
The small-town feel helped, I think. That’s why I’m enthused about our continued consolidation of the Mother of All Jazz Festivals in Old Sac and, this year, down a stretch of K Street that connects Old Sac to the Convention Center. I think the “feel” of a jazz festival is crucial. I know that many people, including me, judge the health of the Sacramento festival by how it “feels.”
I get energized at well-run, festive events like the Hangtown Festival.
It would be naively optimistic to say that live music, and especially traditional jazz, is thriving. But the smart organizations are doing okay. Let’s continue to be one of those.
Incidentally, my great pal Gene Berthelsen just had his 70th birthday. He hired me for his band when he was a few years older than I am now. I never told him this, but I thought he was ancient. My, how my standards have changed. Rock on, GB.
Bob Williams' message
from the October 2007 "And All That
Jazz"
Well, it’s budget time, and thoughts of the budget bring one to thoughts of, well, money.
It’s illuminating to look at the financial responsibilities of an organization that does all that we do. Of course, the costs associated with the jazz festival are enormous, but there are less obvious expenses that go into the day-to-day operations of running the organization all year long – like telephones, utilities, building rental, and – holy moley! – insurance. There are staff salaries and postage and office equipment rental and audits and internet hosting and toilet paper and envelopes. A few bucks here, a few bucks there, and pretty soon you’re talking about real money.
Then there’s Jazz Camp, the youth band festival, and other community outreach programs, of which we should be very proud, but they are not inexpensive.
There are definite advantages to running the club all year long – we have GREAT Sunday sessions with world class artists, a wonderful newsletter, and a permanent presence in the community and the jazz world. But the cost of these is, well, the cost. Historically, most of them have been borne by the jazz festival, but that sure puts a lot of pressure on one event. We want to be about more than that anyway. And it would be nice to be financially solvent despite the weather on a single weekend or the performance of the Kings or any such vagaries. It feels terrible to be a beer-drinking, pseudo-macho Sacramentan while secretly hoping our fabulously expensive basketball team is out of the playoffs by Memorial Day weekend. (Shhhh.)
And, of course, there’s the problem of trying to keep money trickling in all year when our most enormous fund-raising event is on that single, perilous weekend.
There are ways you can help: keep your membership up-to-date (your expiration is on the address label of your AATJ – don’t make us come over there), come to the Sunday meetings, bring family and friends to the monthly meetings, support STJS fundraisers like the Crab Feed (Jan. 26, 2008) and the East Coast All-Stars concert (Feb. 26, 2008 – more info coming soon) and, yes, buy advance tickets for the jazz festival. You can save some money, perhaps win a nice prize, and help us with some of these pesky toilet paper bills that don’t wait for May.
Bob Williams' message
from the September 2007 "And All That
Jazz"
The Jazz Society is in full swing preparing next year’s jazz festival. Mr. Berthelsen has taken the bull by the horns and is busy with sponsorships and contracts, and site selections and negotiations, and the like. He’s looking only slightly haggard. Actually, he looks like he’s having a great time.
The Talent Selection Committee has been meeting regularly and has already selected a number of new and returning bands. It’s a delicate matter, that one. We want to keep the music fresh and stay on the cutting edge, and don’t want to miss out on new, upstart bands that can impact and enliven our scene, and perhaps attract new attendees. At the same time, we have to be sensitive to the loyal folks who come year after year to hear their favorite one or two bands, some of which have been here forever—longer, in some cases. All that said, I think next year’s lineup is shaping up pretty nicely. Mark your calendars for the 35th annual Sacramento Jazz Jubilee, May 23-26, 2008 (Memorial Day Weekend).
One thing we’re looking at emphasizing this year is band sponsorships. For $1000 or more, you or your organization can help defray the cost of a Jubilee band of your choice, and get your name in the program, and some badges and stuff. This amount is nowhere near the cost of bringing and hiring a Jubilee band, but it will certainly help. We work on corporate sponsorships all year long, but there is a lot of competition for that money. Small donations, like membership in the Jubilee Boosters, also help a lot. (Look how they helped Howard Dean. Actually, never mind about Howard Dean.) If you’re interested in helping in this way, please call the jazz office.
Charlie Gehlbach still needs volunteers to help run the “Jazz Sunday” meetings at the Dante Club. Please contact him at drbachjazz@sbcglobal.net, or me at prez@sacjazz.org, if you’d like to help.
All who knew him are saddened by the loss of Washboardist Extraordinaire and former STJS President Bill Gunter. He and wife Bev were also Jubilee Hall of Famers for their many years of dedicated service to our festival. I got to know Bill pretty well over the last few years, and found him to be bright, witty, and enthusiastic. He had a zest for living that I found inspiring. I felt good just being around him. He will be sorely missed.
Bob Williams' message
from the August 2007 "And All That
Jazz"
Well, so much for the post-Jubilee lull. There is a ton of stuff happening at the club these days.
It’s no longer a secret that Jill Harper has retired from her position as Executive Director. As I mentioned in last month’s AATJ, Jill has shouldered tremendous responsibility in the last couple years to run the festival and get the STJS’s financial house in order. She’s done a tremendous job. Jill wants to continue helping as a volunteer, but also wants to enjoy her retirement—and especially her grandchildren—in the years ahead. I suppose that’s reasonable.
The Board of Directors has hired Gene Berthelsen to fill the Executive Director position, as you probably also know by now. Gene has a strong sense of the traditions of our festival and club but also has an eye for the future, and a great ability to think outside the box (as evidenced by his great job on the festival media campaign this year).
Other goings on: the 2007 Youth Jazz Camp will be running from July 29 through August 4 at Sly Park. This is the glittering jewel of our education program and has produced some pretty impressive alumni over the years. All are welcome to attend the evening concerts at the camp. I’ve visited the last several camps for at least a day, and it makes me pretty proud to see what goes on up there. If you read this in time, be sure to attend the final concert at the Dante Club from noon to 4:00 on August 4. There is a $5 donation to get in, and all proceeds directly benefit the camp. Please try to support our next generation of musicians.
Several months ago, Ralph Thompson was compelled by his doctor to discontinue running the Sunday meetings at the Dante Club, which he had done selflessly and with nary a complaint, for many years. Charlie Gelbach, chairperson of the Music Committee, is looking for help replacing him. He’s had assistance from a few people but would like a roster of 6 to 12 volunteers to handle the duties on a rotating basis. It’s not difficult but does require that you arrive a little early and stay a little late to boss people around. If you love “Jazz Sundays,” you can help keep them going by volunteering once or twice a year. Please contact me at prez@sacjazz.org or Charlie at drbachjazz@sbcglobal.net
“THANK YOU” TO ALL OUR VOLUNTEERS!
Bob Williams' message
from the July 2007 "And All That
Jazz"
I don’t know about you, but I had a good time at the Jazz Jubilee this year. I got to play in a couple great bands – I didn’t get to hear as much music as I’d hoped to, but I sure had fun. I saw many friends I’ve made over the years playing jazz. The Sacramento festival is great for that, and it’s why it is many musicians’ favorite festival.
I was especially happy to see the response to the Rebirth Brass Band. I got to hear them on Sunday night, and was quite impressed. They were great with the largely young and ethnically diverse crowd, and very entertaining. I got to visit with a few of them, and they told me they had a great time.
It’s too early to tell how we did. Everyone will tell you the “feeling” he or she had, but feelings are obviously subjective. I thought the streets seemed crowded and festive, but others will say the opposite.
There is no question that we have work to do to become financially stable, but I believe we are on the right track. We need to continue emphasizing the musical diversity of the festival to attract new fans, while continuing to cater to our loyal base by continuing to feature high-quality traditional groups. It’s a difficult balance.
We certainly need to develop better business sensibilities, and we on the board are working hard on that. We have a lot of friends in the business community. They want us to succeed, and are starting to help us while allowing us to maintain the essential integrity of our mission.
I believe we have an enormous debt to Jill Harper. I know few people who have her selfless love of the jazz society. She took over the Executive Directorship at a pivotal time in our history, at what has become a significant personal and financial sacrifice. She has made difficult and unpopular decisions, and learned more than she’d hoped to. I have a lot of respect for her, and I hope you will take a moment to thank her for making the sausage. I’ve seen enough to know it can be a dicey piece of business.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
for the 2008 Sacramento Jazz Jubilee, May 23-26,
Memorial Day Weekend.
Bob Williams' message
from the June 2007 "And All That
Jazz"
As I write this column, under my usual time crunch, we are 1 week away from the 34th annual Sacramento Jazz Jubilee. I’m going to go out on a limb and declare it a musical, financial, and moral triumph.
Occasionally, we (and I’m using the editorial “we,” not the royal “we”) are called upon to defend the number of non-traditional bands at the jazz festival. The fact is, it’s become important to appeal to a younger, broader demographic. Although our mission is to promote and preserve traditional jazz, it’s been necessary to expand and emphasize the non-traditional groups in order to maintain a large audience. It is always our hope that unsuspecting listeners will stumble on a high-quality trad band and be hooked. We’ve acquired new members—and perhaps even lowered the average age at our meetings!—by appealing to the swing dance community, which, it turns out, loves traditional jazz; they just didn’t know it.
Jazz appreciation, it seems, requires music education. If we want to have more young people listening to traditional jazz, we’re going to have to take some responsibility for seeing that music education survives. Much (but not all), of our educational effort is funded by proceeds from the jazz festival. If only for this reason, it is important that our festival be financially sound. To attract sponsors and keep the media intrigued (even with their misguided fascination for banana hats and sequined vests), we need to stay big and popular and make some effort to appeal to the Great Unwashed, God bless ‘em. In doing so, we have gained much-needed favorable publicity from KXJZ, Sacramento Magazine, Sacramento News & Review, and the Davis Enterprise.
On a related matter: the Trad Jazz Youth Band Festival, the brainchild of board member Yvonne Au, is having difficulty finding sponsorship since See’s Candy is no longer supporting traditional jazz. I believe strongly in the value of this event, and see it as being a vital component of our educational cocktail. The Youth Festival, like other festivals, is a pricey endeavor, but assistance from the STJS Foundation is limited to music lesson awards and camp scholarships, not festival funding. So, if you are involved with a company that might like to help sponsor it, or would like to make a personal (and tax-deductible) donation, please contact Yvonne by sending an email to youthbandfest@sacjazz.org. It’s the right thing to do.
Bob Williams' message
from the May 2007 "And All That
Jazz"
It’s been one of my goals as a quasi-professional musician to travel to Europe on someone else’s dime. Well, thanks to my association with the Fulton Street Jazz Band, I realized that goal at the end of March, when the band traveled to Kecskemet, Hungary to play at the Boheme Ragtime Jazz Festival.
The director of the festival, Tamas Ittzes, is an energetic chap in his 40s who used to be a violin teacher at the local university. I was really impressed with his passion. The event was crawling with volunteers in their early 20s, doing everything from guiding bands through the nasty web of language (it seems like they have a different word for everything over there) to selling t-shirts.
I know it’s become a cliché, but it really seems like jazz is more fashionable over there. The festival was largely Ragtime – Fulton Street seemed like a rock band in that context, and I was mildly embarrassed to be playing tunes as modern as “The Mooch” – but it was well attended by sharply-dressed, affluent-seeming folks in the prime of life. The event was held over three days in a beautiful cultural center on one of the nicest stages I’ve played on. Hungary has a rich heritage of music, painting, and probably some other cool cultural stuff too, and we couldn’t help but feel a little fancier than we had a right to.
Speaking of culture (and check out THIS segue), I just found out that there are 5 museums in Old Sacramento that provide free admission, during the festival, with a Jubilee badge: the CA State Railroad Museum, the CA State Military Museum, the Discovery Museum’s Gold Rush History Center, the Old Sacramento Schoolhouse Museum, and the Wells Fargo History Museum. As if the music weren’t enough. They’re not the Louvre, but they’re SOMEthing.
Since this will be my last chance before the festival, I’d like to use my bully pulpit to officially thank the following significant sponsors, without whom survival would be challenging: The Golden 1 Credit Union, Jackson Rancheria, Borders Books, CA State RR Museum, Regional Transit, Coca-Cola, Comcast, PG & E, Capital Beverage, Starbucks, Bank of the West, The Sacramento Bee, and the PennySaver.
I hope everyone has a great time at the Jubilee this year!
Bob Williams' message
from the April 2007 "And All That
Jazz"
Of all the meetings I now attend (and nobody loves a good meeting more than I—ahem), probably my favorite is the Music Committee meeting. This is the group that assumes responsibility for the quality of music at our monthly meetings.
These meetings have three fundamental purposes: to entertain our membership, to educate growing musicians, and to provide a chance for local musicians to play.
I think we have the strongest lineup of guest artists of any traditional jazz club anywhere, thanks to our Talent Coordinator, Bob Ringwald. If you’ve ever been at the business end of his arm twisting, you’d know why we seem to get better talent than we can afford. But you can’t help but love the guy.
Jane Reinmuth has run the Tailgate Room for several years. She has a passion for helping our growing musicians (young and old), and is always looking for ways to provide a fulfilling experience for more musicians.
In April, the Tailgate Room is beginning a mentoring program to give growing musicians a chance to share the stage with, and learn from, more experienced players. Please let Jane know if you’d like to help.
Edd Burhans runs Le Cabaret Room, and this is probably one of the most difficult volunteer positions we have. There are lots of musicians in our membership who are frustrated by the fact that we have limited time and space for them to play. We spend a lot of time discussing this problem. A fourth room would be great, but do you know there is a bridge club that has the temerity to use a room at the Dante Club on OUR Sundays, and seems to think their activity is as important as ours? Evidently their checks clear. (Sigh.)
We are encouraging musicians with constructive ideas to come to our next Music Committee meeting (April 30) and help us brainstorm ways to allow more musicians to play. The meeting starts at 5:30, and the bulk of it will be devoted to this discussion. Please plan to come. And be polite, for goodness’ sake.
April is Jazz Awareness Month! Go ye forth and be aware of jazz!
Bob Williams' message
from the March 2007 "And All That
Jazz"
I am often amazed at the caliber of individuals who drive our organization.
Our crab feed in January was a rousing success. Paula Vance and Tina Lee did an extraordinary job of coordinating food, facilities, raffle donations, and such. We actually made money! Crab feeds are popular fundraisers these days—many grizzled and hardened crab feed veterans said this was the best they’d been to. I don’t remember if they said “ever,” or “this year.” I was having a pretty good time myself. Hmmm. Maybe we were being insulted. I’m going with “ever.”
Thanks to The New Traditionalists for playing, and serving food, and to Black Tuesday and the Fulton Street Jazz Bands for donating their talent. The event was successful enough that we’re already planning for the next one.
I hope everyone had a chance to attend some or all of the Trad. Jazz Youth Band Fest. on Feb. 11. Yvonne Au and her volunteers did an incredible job organizing the 2nd iteration of this annual event. She works tirelessly all year to pull this off and really deserves your thanks and praise. As far as I’m concerned, this is one of the most important things we do.
The Sunday meeting had one of the best crowds I’ve seen in some time. It was great to see so many young people there. (Is it my imagination, or are we starting to attract younger musicians and listeners to our meetings?)
These and similar successes wouldn’t be possible without the dedicated efforts of our jazz society volunteers. It is becoming increasingly evident that we need to encourage younger fans and musicians to become members (if they aren’t already) and volunteer for jazz society activities, like helping set up and run meetings, helping with marketing (using hip new tools like that internet thing, for example), helping plan activities, and the like.
The jazz festival is certainly our sexiest activity, and we get lots of volunteers for that. But the truly critical individuals are the jazz society volunteers—they are the lifeblood of our organization, and we really couldn’t survive without them. They are a happy, fun-loving bunch, and many have become lifelong friends as a result of their happy association.
There are plenty of ways to help our club, which I believe is the best traditional jazz organization anywhere. Please contact Jill at the jazz office, or me, if you’d like to help. We’d love to get you involved.
from the Feb.'07 "And All That Jazz"
First of all, I’d like to wish everyone a very happy and fruitful 2007. Though it’s probably February where you are, I’m writing this in mid-January, and these wishes are therefore appropriate and mostly sincere.
I’d like to encourage all to attend the second annual Trad. Jazz Youth Band Festival (TJYBF) at Sac State on February 10, 2007, from 8am–5pm. This is an event driven with fire and conviction by board member Yvonne Au.
As you may know, this event was designed to encourage band directors and musicians to teach traditional jazz as part of their music curricula, which is a subject I feel strongly about. Please attend the performances in the daytime and/or in the evening, and show these kids and the volunteers who’ve been working all year organizing this event, our support. Information on the festival is available at the TJYBF Web site.
We are the people whom many in our membership (not to mention our community) think of when they want to learn about the history of jazz in our region. Also, many people contact the STJS to donate old sheet music, recordings, and other documents, perhaps when family members have passed on. They are hoping we will preserve the legacy and memory of their loved ones. We should therefore have a great presentation to show people. STJS should be a place to which people come to research music and events from our rich musical heritage. The jazz society is in need of an official historian to organize and compile documents, programs, recordings, and other testaments that chronicle our past. Mike Foley did a great job for a number of years, but ever since he resigned from the position (a year or so ago), there’s been no one to continue his work.
If you have an affinity for history, and have a decent sense of organization, we would certainly appreciate your help getting our historical house in order. Please contact the jazz office if you’d like to help.
Finally, it’s important to recognize the many great people who volunteer to put together our wonderful “Jazz Sundays.” These are people who have stuck through our organization through a few difficult, and occasionally contentious, years. The fact is, we couldn’t run the meetings—or our club—without them, and we are very lucky to have them.
Bob Williams' message
from the Dec.'06/Jan.'07 "And All That Jazz"
I was very pleased to see the turnout for Lena Seikaly at the November meeting. Sometimes I’m concerned that we only appreciate the “stars” of our music, and don’t give adequate support to musicians who are quietly competent, or, especially, to “up and comers” who are on their way to greatness. The fact that so many people came to November’s meeting was inspiring.
I was fortunate to be able to play with Lena on both her sets. The eagerness and energy from stage was evident. Lena was competent, certain, and poised. Most notable to me, though, was how excited she was to be playing for such an appreciative audience. It was quite obvious that she was having a great time, and that she was experiencing something she would remember for the rest of her life.
Although our youth programs are effective, as I’ve mentioned before, Lena is not one of “our” products. We can’t really take credit for her. She didn’t go to our camp, and she didn’t get money for music lessons from us.
I’m certain, though, that our response to her performance will have an effect on her. She will take something from Sacramento, as have lots of other musicians that will have positive repercussions for the future of our music all over the world.
I’ve been to a lot of jazz clubs in my musical journeys. There is no club like ours. As with our festival, the second best traditional jazz club in the country doesn’t even come close to ours in terms of size or enthusiasm. If I’m wrong, please don’t correct me – I’m trying to make a point.
As, in my opinion, the most important traditional jazz club in the country, we should remember that we touch lives everywhere, not just locally. The effect we have on young musicians from everywhere has enormous repercussions for our music. I’m sure we can all think of examples of this. There is an encouraging batch of young musicians, including Lena and others, who have been motivated by our club and are out there carrying the torch. This can’t help but pay off for us in the long run.
And that’s what we’re here for.
Bob Williams' message
from the Nov. 2006 "And All That Jazz"
I played a nice job the other day at Story Winery in Amador County. Most of the wineries in the area, which produce some of the country’s best Zinfandel wines, were celebrating the area’s annual Harvest Festival, and it’s a big deal; people rent limousines and wear wine glasses on chains around their necks, and “taste,” which on that day becomes an intransitive verb.
I was impressed by the number of people who stuck around to listen to music. It was unapologetic traditional jazz, played with passion, conviction, and occasional sincerity. People liked it. Even if they thought they weren’t listening, they were bobbing their heads up and down, and walking along with springs in their step. This crowd included, of course, an adorable 2-year-old girl who wouldn’t stop dancing. She loved the music because no one’s told her it isn’t “cool.” Gosh, where do these kids go? I think they go away until “cool” doesn’t matter as much anymore—when they’re about...well...our age.
People talk about the demise of jazz, and have been talking about it for as long as I can remember. The fact is, it isn’t too difficult to hear jazz in all aspects of our culture. It’s in commercials and movies. When event organizers want music to create a nice mood as they wine and dine, they don’t hire Pearl Jam or Nine Inch Nails; they hire jazz bands. Jazz makes us happy. It’s “cool.” Despite a persistent and unfair association with pizza parlors and feather boas, the music itself has always been cool. We need to find “cooler” ways to present it.
I’m really excited that we’ve hired the Rebirth Brass Band for the Jazz Jubilee this year. This is a group of young New Orleans musicians who play with passion and considerable sincerity. This is raw, brass band style music, very different from what many of us are used to, and some of us might not like them. But I believe they will help us draw the large, youthful crowds that are vital to sustaining our music and festival.
There will be lots of traditional jazz, more than any other festival in the world, and including—I think—better bands than ever before. But let me tell you, these guys are cool, and if we present them well, we’re going to “blow the roof off the suckah” (or whatever the kids are saying these days).
Bob Williams' message
from the Oct. 2006 "And All That Jazz"
My friend, Polly Edgerton, recently gave me a clipping of “Tales From The Tailgate,” written by Ralph Congdon, from the December 1987 issue of “And All That Jazz.” Part of the article introduced several people who had played in the Tailgate Room, for the first time, the previous month. They included Polly (then Polly Morine), Bill Crow, Paul Young, Stanley Jarmolowicz, and me.
I distinctly remember that day, playing downstairs at the Red Lion Inn near Cal Expo, although I can’t recall meeting any of the others, some of whom I’ve come to know well. I only knew a handful of “Dixieland” tunes, and remember being very nervous.
I also remember long-time STJS member Jo Greene making a point of coming up to me after I played and telling me what a nice job I’d done, and that she’s be keeping an eye on me. Her encouragement was strong motivation for me, and has stayed with me to this day.
That was 19 years ago. If my math is correct, the STJS had been around for 19 years in 1987. Boy, a lot has sure happened since then!
I feel like I’ve been around for a long time, but there are many people in our membership who’ve been here since the beginning. That’s a lot of history, knowledge, and in many cases, wisdom.
While much has been said recently about moving our festival and organization into the future, it’s also important that we preserve our history and values; those of traditional jazz, as well as those of our club.
I hope folks know that board meetings are open to all members, and all opinions are welcome. The current board is fairly young, and while a few have been around since 1968, most have not. In our effort to make the right decisions about the directions we are taking, I can’t stress enough the benefit of the experience of our past. Without the input of the people who’ve been there, it’s difficult to make informed decisions but easy to make mistakes that could be avoided.
I believe the board meetings in the last couple years have been encouraging and hopeful. I hope more people will attend and participate each month.
Bob Williams' message
from the Sept. 2006 "And All That Jazz"
For the last few years, the STJS has been conscious of improving its “Web presence”—that is, its visibility on the internet. Most people know we have two main Web sites: http://sacjazz.org for STJS information, and also http://sacjazz.com for Jubilee festival information.
Besides being really cool, presence on the internet has economic benefit. When information is accessible online, we don’t have to devote as much time to answering phones, mailing letters, and other antiquated 20th century communication methods. Also, there is less chance of miscommunication when information comes from a single source.
These days, people have huge expectations about services the Web can provide. We get a lot of email from people wanting scheduling information, online ticket availability, shuttle/parking information, restaurants and lodging, etc. We need to be increasingly responsive to such needs. A group including Nancy Giffin and new board member Scott Kaufman will be working on changes to sacjazz.com (Jubilee site) to make it more appealing and responsive to people’s expectations. Keep an eye on it.
Thanks to Nancy, we have the sacjazz.org site and have established a service that allows us to send e-mailings to folks who have subscribed. It’s called SacJazz-E-News, and you can subscribe by using the link on the home page of sacjazz.org. Please sign up for this service; it allows us to send out reminders, notify folks of new and changed “goings-on,” and is cost-effective. (So far, electrons are still pretty cheap.)
On a personal note: I was saddened by the passing of Erik Kleven on July 15 in a tragic auto accident. Erik was the bass player for the Wooden Nickel Jass Band during all of its 10-year existence. Though quiet and understated, he had a huge impact on the sound and personality of that band, and on countless other local musicians playing all styles of music. He loved new musical experiences, and brought wisdom and experience to every group he worked with. He inspired musicians of all levels in the Sacramento area, and left behind a remarkable number of friends.
Erik had the genuine spirit of a musician, and I’m fortunate to have known him.
Bob Williams' message
from the August 2006 "And All That Jazz"
I think one of the most crucial purposes of our organization is to preserve the future of traditional jazz. I believe it’s one of the defining principles of why we exist.
We do a pretty good job. We have a world-renowned youth camp that is beginning to show real products; witness the high quality of young adult bands that are beginning to appear at the Jubilee, and the camp alumni who are performing in bands at other jazz festivals. Our sponsored youth band, TNT, has become an outstanding performing group that gets stronger every year and has produced capable professional musicians. We have been providing music scholarships for several years that are helping young people get private instruction on their instruments, often when they could not otherwise afford it.
This is at a time when education in the arts is a low priority in our state and country. My own son’s school eliminated its music program the year he started there. I’ve seen many instances of parent groups hiring band directors with their own money just so their kids could be in a band. This may work in economic areas where there is sufficient expendable income, but what about low-income areas where that cannot be done?
Music and arts education is important because art is not frivolous. Art nurtures us and helps us communicate thoughts and ideas that can’t be expressed in words. It makes us smarter and live longer.
We are in a position to see that music and art are preserved. We’re having an impact, but we can and should do more.
The STJS Foundation, for one, is a group whose primary function is to ensure we have money to support youth education programs well into the future. They are doing a very good job of managing bequeathed and donated funds to support camp and music lesson scholarships, and other educational activities of the STJS. If you have a desire to ensure we have future generations of musicians and jazz lovers, this is a great place to help.
I look forward to a time when the STJS is regarded as an authority on music education, and has a broad and widely-respected impact in this and other communities. We have the people and passion to accomplish this.
You may always email me at prez@sacjazz.org. I welcome your comments and suggestions.
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