Kid Simmons' Local International All Stars
The fairgrounds opened a half hour late this day because of rain the previous night - they had to get rid of as much water as possible and put sod down on the puddles. As a result, I didn't see all of this band's set, which included The Old Rugged Cross, Baby Face, Ain't Misbehavin', The Entertainer (a solo by pianist Marie Watanabe), What a Wonderful World, Darktown Strutter's Ball and Joe Avery's Second Line.
Don Vappie and the Creole Jazz Serenaders
Don Vappie is one of my favorite bandleaders. He usually plays guitar and banjo, although I've seen him on string bass and I've heard he also plays tuba. His band, the Creole Jazz Serenaders, plays a lot of Carribean/Creole flavored jazz, and also what I call proto-swing: the big band music by groups such as McKinney's Cotton Pickers, Luis Russell's Orchestra, Duke Ellington's Orchestra and the Mills Blue Rhythm Band from about 1929 through 1932, just before the swing era hit. I have given Don Vappie several CDs that I burned from my collection of 78s, and he incorporated one of the tracks - Blue Rhythm by the Mills Blue Rhythm Band - into his band's repertoire. He recorded this on his latest CD, Swing Out.Don Vappie's set included Baby Face, Short Dress Gal, Flying Horses (a Vappie composition), Blue Rhythm and Joe Avery's Piece (with Katrina, Katrina sung to the tune of Corrine, Corrina).
This is Don Vappie's grandson Jordan Vappie doing the vocal on Baby Face.
Walter Payton and Gumbo Filé
Walter Payton is one of those people who seems to know everyone. Before his set he was down in the aisles saying "hello" and giving hugs to the folks he knew, which seemed to be half of the audience. The trombonist for this set was a guy named Jacques who comes to Jazzfest every year from France. Jacques doesn't speak a word of English, but he and Payton can communicate well enough to play together. Walter Payton and Gumbo Filé performed a mixed set of traditional jazz and R&B, including St. Louis Blues, Mardi Gras in New Orleans (the Professor Longhair song), My Girl, Just a Closer Walk with Thee and Shout!By the way, Walter Payton is the father of Nicholas Payton, the modern jazz trumpet player.
Here is Marie Watanabe on piano and Walter Payton on string bass. Payton is a chatty bandleader - he likes to talk to the audience between numbers. At one point he explained that he and Watanabe used to be neighbors. He followed this up with, "She could have been my wife!" Ms. Watanabe was not expecting this - she gave him a look halfway between incredulity and cold anger. I'd have loved to have been nearby the next time they had a chance to speak once the set was over.
This is Albert "Dogman" Smith, who did the vocals on a lot of the R&B numbers. The guy is a performer - he really had the audience with him.
Gregg Stafford's Jazz Hounds
Gregg Stafford plays the trumpet with more heat than anyone else I know. His band performs hard-driving straight-ahead jazz mixed with slower pieces (often spiritual). His set included Milneberg Joys, Avalon, Jesus Keep Me Near the Cross, Bourbon Street Parade, Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans?, Weary Blues and Lou-i-si-an-i-a.
Preservation Hall Jazz Band
This is the most famous traditional jazz band in the world. Preservation Hall was originally created in the sixties to keep the sound of traditional New Orleans jazz alive. The hall itself - in a tiny storefront in the French Quarter - has few amenities. There are only a few chairs - the rest of the audience has to either stand or sit on pillows on the floor. The sound is not amplified, which is actually a good thing - most people are so used to hearing music filtered through electronics that they don't know how good it sounds when no microphones are involved. Presevation Hall closed temporarily because of Katrina, and re-opened on the first weekend of Jazzfest.Unfortunately, in my opinion Preservation Hall has lost its focus. There has been a change in leadership and personnel, and their sound is no longer strictly traditional. I'm not a purist - I don't see anything wrong with musicians mixing elements of traditional jazz with other styles. But the purpose of Preservation Hall was to keep the old style alive. By getting away from that, they become just another band.
Bejnamin Jaffe, the son of the original founders of Preservation Hall and the band's current leader, announced during the set that he will no longer tour with the band, and that Walter Payton will take over his spot. Jaffe plans to stay in New Orleans to help with Katrina recovery. I don't know what that means for the band's musical approach - I hope they will return to a more traditional sound.
The pieces in this set included Lord Sure Been Good to Me, Shake That Thing, Weary Blues, Sister Kate and When You're Smiling.
