Bix Beiderbecke

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Band and Venue Schedules

Bix and His Gang Lives!  That’s what you’ll be saying when you hear Andy Schumm and His Gang in person.   

Andy Schumm and His Gang was formed in early 2009 to perform for Phil Pospychala’s “Tribute to Bix Festival” in Racine, Wisconsin.  They play the music of Bix and His Gang from the late 20’s while also providing hot music of the 20’s in the style of the Gang too!  This group is unique because its leader, Andy Schumm, is all of 24 years old.  He resembles Bix in his looks and playing style, and can make you think you are actually listening to Bix if you close your eyes during one of their performances.  Another young addition in this group is David Bock on trombone, who also hails from Wisconsin.  David’s influences include Miff Mole, Jack Teagarden, Bill Rank, and many other greats.  Both Andy and David have been featured with the Bix Youth Jazz Band, and both are full-time musicians around Milwaukee and Chicago.

Rounding out the rest of the Gang are John Otto on Clarinet and Alto Sax, David Boeddinghaus on Piano, Leah Bezin on Banjo, Vince Giordano on Bass Sax/Tuba/String Bass, and Josh Duffee on Drums.

It is great watching and listening to young musicians perform Bix’s style of music so authentically.  Get ready to be taken back to the 1920’s with Andy Schumm and His Gang - It’s definitely a musical experience you will never forget!

Founded in 2005, the BALLYHOO FOXTROT ORCHESTRA is a vintage ensemble dedicated to recreating the jazz and popular music of the 1910s and 1920s.  The eight-piece ensemble employs an instrumentation that enables the group to perform a wide variety of musical genres from the period, including foxtrots, Dixieland jazz, blues, novelty songs, waltzes, tangos, cabaret, patriotic songs, and light classical music. So whether the occasion calls for the Art Deco elegance of the Great Gatsby or the zany exuberance of a Prohibition-era speakeasy, the BALLYHOO FOXTROT ORCHESTRA can supply just the right music.

In 2008, the Orchestra recorded its first CD, titled "I'm Gonna Jazz My Way." The CD features nineteen songs that trace the life story of Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald.

In 2007, the BALLYHOO FOXTROT ORCHESTRA was added to the Iowa Arts Council's Performing Artist Roster. 
 

The Buffalo Ridge Jazz Band is a group of well-seasoned musicians whose specialty is Classic Traditional Jazz. The musical effect is at once entertaining, humorous and infectious. Founded in 1994 by veteran banjo artist and showman, Bob Adams, the band continues to gain an increasing number of fans on domestic and international stages.

The Tri-State region of the Greater Cincinnati Area is home base for this popular group. The band's performances for jazz clubs, on cruises, at park concerts and jazz festivals always draw rave reviews, and its recordings have received critical acclaim. The Buffalo Ridge Jazz Band is sure to provide listeners of all ages with a thoroughly enjoyable experience.

Cynthia Sayer is regarded a one of the top 4-string banjoists in the world today. A member of Woody Allen’s jazz band for over 10 years, Cynthia’s solo career has taken her well beyond these New Orleans roots to become an acclaimed bandleader and guest artist. She has a unique and expansive approach to the instrument which is all her own, and she is also a respected vocalist. Her eclectic repertoire ranges from swing and hot jazz to tango, western, classical, and more. Cynthia has worked with a variety of leading jazz and popular artists such as Dick Hyman, Wynton Marsalis, Marian McPartland, Bill Cosby, Warren Vaché, Les Paul, Wycliffe Gordon, Marvin Hamlisch, Bucky Pizzarelli, Scott Robinson, and many others. She has also played with some top bluegrass/roots/country artists, including Tony Trischka, Bill Keith, Odetta, Eric Weissberg, Mike Marshall, and John McEuen (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band).
 

Cynthia's extensive career includes performances in New York City's Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, playing the White House, appearing with The New York Philharmonic, feature film and TV soundtracks, TV commercials, radio jingles, and numerous national TV and radio show appearances in the USA and abroad. She plays at many music festivals in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.

Cynthia has accumulated numerous awards and honors, including induction into the National Banjo Hall of Fame. Her most recent CD release, “Attractions,” which includes legendary jazz guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli, received two 2009 award nominations. She is also a subject of a PBS documentary about the banjo, expected to be aired in 2011. Cynthia endorses Ome banjos and GHS Strings.

Please visit www.cynthiasayer.com..

The band lineup will be: 
Randy Sandke- trumpet - featured guest
John Allred - trombone
Eddie Metz Jr - drums
Mike Weatherly - string bass & vocals
Cynthia Sayer - banjo, vocals and leader 

In 1987, Dan Levinson, then a senior at New York University, organized a five-piece band for a concert celebrating the 70th anniversary of recorded jazz.  The phenomenal success of that event inspired a repeat performance across the continent in the Roof Garden of Los Angeles' famous Variety Arts Center, from which the band took its name.  Since then, the Roof Garden Jass Band has performed for jazz societies throughout the Northeast, as well as at the Tribute to Bix Beiderbecke Festival in Wisconsin, the Orange County Classic Jazz Festival in California, and Dick Hyman's Jazz in July Festival at the 92nd Street Y in New York.  The band has also been an annual fixture at the Hot Steamed Jazz Festival in Essex, Connecticut since 1998.
     Initially, the Roof Garden Jass Band's repertoire consisted solely of Dan's note-for-note "transcriptions" of records made by the Original Dixieland Jazz Band, the group that made the first jazz recordings in 1917.  Over the years, however, Dan has expanded the band's repertoire to include the music of the Original Memphis Five, the Louisiana Five, the Frisco Jazz Band, the New Orleans Rhythm Kings, the Georgians, and other "rag-a-jazz" bands active before King Oliver made his historic recordings in 1923.  The Roof Garden Jass Band is the only band in existence devoted exclusively to this neglected era, a time when jazz—or "jass" as it was often called—still retained many elements of ragtime.  In those evolutionary days, jazz bands played for dancers, and the music was almost entirely ensemble rather than a succession of instrumental solos. 
    The Roof Garden Jass Band's debut CD, Salutes the ODJB and the Beginning of Recorded Jazz, was released in 1998 on the Loup-garous label, followed by Blue Roses of Far and Near (2000) and Echoes in the Wax (2003), both released on the Stomp Off label.

Dan Levinson - clarinet/C-melody saxophone
Jon-Erik Kellso - trumpet
David Sager - trombone
Tom Roberts - piano
Kevin Dorn - drums

Following their internationally acclaimed release, Explodes, the FIRECRACKER JAZZ BAND follows up with RED HOT BAND, an album that has the intrigue to astound unsuspecting ears, and the integrity to amaze the discerning ones. The band’s adrenaline fueled perspectives on Traditional Jazz is so clear as they interpret obscurities from the late 1920’s and early 1930’s, as well as offer up new originals. As a truly “red hot band,” the Firecracker Jazz Band channels the raw and unadulterated energy that created the music of a generation past and presents it to the listeners of today with enough excitement, energy, and audacity to carry the genre on for another 80 years.
 
With jubilant vigor that spills from the stage to the streets, Firecracker Jazz Band revitalizes the energy of the roots of Jazz. In paying homage to the pioneers of early 20th Century Jazz, including that of Dixieland and New Orleans, the Firecracker Jazz Band carries the torch that was once lit by such greats as Jelly Roll Morton, Louis Armstrong and Bix Beiderbecke.
 
Features:
Jerome Widenhouse, trumpet; Reese Gray, piano; Mike Gray drums; Henry Westmoreland, tuba; Earl Sachais, trombone; Jon Corbin, guitar.
 

Josh Duffee and His Orchestra formed in the summer of 2001 when he was 21 years old.  Josh was interested in performing the music of Gene Krupa and had located some stock arrangements that the Krupa Orchestra had performed in the 1940’s.  So, on June 30th, 2001, Josh Duffee and His Orchestra performed their very first show at the Moline Community Centre in Moline, Illinois.  Josh was expecting around 100 people to show up, but, to Josh’s surprise, over 500 jazz fans and dancers showed up to have a great time and support live music in the Quad Cities.

Josh’s main interest in jazz stretched back before 1940’s big band jazz; his interest was in jazz from the 1910’s, 20’s, and early 1930’s.  There were very few small groups performing this early jazz music in and around Davenport, so Josh sized his group down to a 1920’s dance orchestra size and contacted Vince Giordano about getting some stock arrangements from the 1920’s for his library.  With the help from Vince, Josh’s library increased with many great songs from the 20’s.  Josh was still missing a particular sound and style from the 20’s that he was looking for for his group.  

The music groups under the Jean Goldkette name were the groups that Josh was studying to pick up that sound and style from the 20’s.  There was also a great connection between the Goldkette Orchestra and Josh’s Orchestra.  That connection – Bix Beiderbecke.  Bix performed in the Jean Goldkette Victor Recording Band for a short period in 1924, and then again in 1926-27.  Josh’s group is located out of Davenport, Iowa, Bix’s hometown.  Now, what are the odds of a Goldkette-style orchestra being formed in Bix’s hometown some 70 years later?  Well, none of this would have happened if it weren’t for the marvelous talents of a musician, educator and transcriber by the name of Frank Van Nus from Alemlo, Holland. 

In 2002, Josh met Frank Van Nus over the internet on the Bix Discussion Group website organized by Albert Haim.  Josh was looking for any Goldkette stock arrangements or original charts that may have still been floating around, and Frank caught eye of this particular message.  He wrote back to Josh and said that he didn’t have any charts, but he could help by transcribing out the songs like they were performed over 70 years ago.  Josh liked that idea, and the first three that Frank sent Josh were Idolizing, I’m Gonna Meet My Sweetie Now and Clementine.  These arrangements were taken note-for-note off the original recordings from the 20’s, and Josh was amazed at how well Frank transcribed each chart.  The Jean Goldkette Orchestra sound was the sound that Josh was looking for with his group, so he and Frank have been working together for 9 years to bring the music of Goldkette back to life.  Josh considers Frank to be the modern day “Bill Challis,” and Josh himself has been given the nickname “Goldkette” by the surviving members of the Goldkette family. 

Both Josh and Frank have been awarded the Jean Goldkette Award of Excellence by the Jean Goldkette Foundation, which was presented to them by Alann Krivor, President of the Foundation and grand-nephew of the great Jean Goldkette.  You can visit their website at: www.jeangoldkettefoundation.org.

Along with the Goldkette Foundation award, the orchestra has won the River Cities Reader “Best of” poll in the “Best Local Jazz Band” category.   

Josh Duffee and His Orchestra have recorded three cd’s within the last six years, and recorded their third cd in late April of 2007 and March of 2008.  Their debut recording was titled “A Tribute to Jean Goldkette and His Orchestra,” and was released in July of 2003 on the “Back In Time” record label.  Their second cd was released in July of 2005, and was titled “Half A World Away.”  Their third cd was released in July of 2008, and is titled “In My Merry Oldsmobile.”

In April of 2006, Josh Duffee and His Orchestra presented a special concert in Plymouth, Indiana, for the Encore Performing Arts Society.  Plymouth was the hometown for the Goldkette family when they arrived from overseas, and Jean spent a short period of his life in this town.  This was the first time in over 70 years that the Goldkette music had been played or heard in this town.

Josh Duffee and His Orchestra have been a featured local group for the Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Jazz Festival in Davenport, Iowa.  Josh’s group was the first local band in over 30 years to perform on the main stage during the festival, and this wouldn’t have been possible if it weren’t for the help of Rich Johnson, retired Music Director for the Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Society.  Josh’s group has been a band and crowd favorite every year, bringing music lovers the original music of Jean Goldkette and Bix Beiderbecke, while also spotlighting other groups from the 20’s too.

Josh has had the wonderful opportunity to travel around the country performing the music of Jean Goldkette with other orchestras, and, he was one of the featured jazz artists at the Whitley Bay Jazz Festival in Newcastle, England, in July of 2008.  He co-led an all-star orchestra made up of musicians from all over Europe to perform the music of Jean Goldkette.  He has also been to Australia two times to perform with the New Wolverine Jazz Orchestra in and around the Sydney area.  He also had the opportunity to tour the USA with the New Wolverines during the summer of 2008.

Josh is also a leading historian and authority on the life and music of Jean Goldkette and Chauncey Morehouse, and is called for lectures and clinics throughout the country.  He is working closely with Alann Krivor, grand-nephew of Jean Goldkette, on a biography of Jean’s life, and also with the members of the Morehouse family on information related to Chauncey’s life.  

The popularity of Josh Duffee and His Orchestra has gone worldwide, but they still remain a Quad City staple in 1920’s jazz music.  They are also considered one of the world’s ten best 1920’s dance orchestras in existence today.
 

Through the years New Red Onion Jazz Babies have become well known throughout
the jazz world as an outstanding Traditional Jazz band. They have performed at a number of jazz festivals, which include, The Sacramento Dixieland Jubilee, Cedar Falls Jazz Festival, Bix Beiderbeche Memorial Jazz Festival, Scottsdale (AZ.) Jazz Festival, San Diego Jazz Festival, Ozark Jazz Festival and numerous others. The Jazz Babies also have performed and continue to perform many concerts and single performances throughout the central states.
 
Even as the New Red Onion Jazz Babies have changed in personnel over the last few years the sound and standard of excellence in wonderful, energetic, and exciting music of Traditional Jazz continues.
 

The mission of the Bix Youth Band is to educate and provide performance opportunities for high school musicians from the Quad Cities region. They concentrate in learning the music from the era of Bix Beiderbecke’s time: the 1920’s and early 1930’s. This is a “gap” in most music education since it predates popular high school jazz material of today. We believe that learning and performing the amazing music of that period results in a better and more complete musician.