All that jazz ... and zydeco | Sun Valley's Swing n' Dixie Jazz Jamboree kicks off today and runs until Sunday
By KAREN BOSSICK
Wood River Journal
Sun Valley - Don't get a whiplash if you hear some fiery Cajun and zydeco two-steps emanating from Sun Valley's Swing n' Dixie Jazz Jamboree this year.
Tom Rigney and Flambeau are bringing their musical gumbo of funky New Orleans grooves, ballads and waltzes to the 17th annual event.
“Zydeco music is kind of a stretch for us, but we're willing to take that stretch because they play such fabulous music,” said the jamboree's co-chairwoman Carol Loehr. “Tom looks a lot like Clint Eastwood with trademark red cowboy boots and he writes a lot of his own stuff. It's hard to describe but it's high energy and fabulous.”
The 17th annual Swing n' Dixie Jazz Jamboree kicks off today and runs through Sunday. Acts will perform simultaneously at 12 different venues, including Carol's Dollar Mountain Lodge, River Run Lodge and Trail Creek Cabin, from 9:30 a.m. until midnight each day, with the exception of Sunday when the music winds down at 5 p.m.
The Jazz Jamboree typically draws more than 6,000 people each year, and Loehr is cautiously optimistic that attendance will be good this year, despite the souring economy.
Pre-sales were good, she said. The question is how strong the walk-up traffic will be.
“We haven't gotten as many RV registrations as in the past,” she said. “Some of those who live in places like Florida have decided it's cheaper to fly out and rent a room than to drive out. But I still expect we'll have between 100 and 125 of the 150 RV spots we had last year.”
The jazz fest organizers haven't scrimped in response to higher gas prices and Wall Street's morose.
All the old favorites, such as the Titan Hot 7 and Dick Johnson's Mardi Gras Band, will be back.
In addition, Swing Design, the big band from the Netherlands, will be back after a year's hiatus. The band is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.
Blue Street also is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a set of original music at 3:30 p.m. Saturday in the Sun Valley Opera House.
“Blue Street is one of those bands that's had very little turnover over the years. They really got their start at our festival - my dad took a chance on them and they've been at our festival every year,” said Loehr, the daughter of the late Tom Hazzard, who was instrumental in starting the Sun Valley jamboree.
In addition to Flambeau, Louis Ford and his New Orleans Flairs will be “Struttin' With Some BBQ.” A third-generation musician from New Orleans, Ford plays the funky beat endemic to New Orleans.
“Twenty years ago, when my parents were scouting bands for their first Jamboree, they went to New Orleans looking for Dixieland jazz musicians and they didn't find any - no one was playing that type of music there at that time,” said Loehr.
“Now that type of music has been reborn in New Orleans. We're so excited because New Orleans music has a funky beat you don't find anywhere else - and Louis Ford knows how to play that music. I feel like we're bringing in not just a wonderful band but a piece of history.”
More dance classes have been added his year, due to popular demand. Jamboree-goers can learn the Lindy Hop, Latin dances, Charleston, Foxtrot and swing and then show off what they've learned at two dance competitions.
The Midori Brothers will provide the music for the Swing Dance Competition at 3:30 p.m. Friday at Trail Creek Cabin. Oregon Coast Lab Band Evolution will do the honors for the Lindy Hop Competition at 3:30 p.m. Saturday.
“Dancers asked us if they could have it earlier in the day,” Loehr said. “They said, ‘We dance all day and we're tired by nighttime.' ”
Vibraphone player John Cocuzzi will join Pieter Meijers' Quartet. Cocuzzi, who just moved to the West Coast, is making a big splash in the jazz world, playing both contemporary and Dixieland jazz music on the vibraphone or vibraharp. The instrument is similar to a marimba but with metal bars and a rotating disk that produces a vibrato or pulsating effect.
“We're lucky the Wood River High School has two sets of vibes because it's difficult to transport them on airplane,” said Loehr.
Another new feature is the Dixie 9 - six high school kids from Chilliwick, British Columbia, whom Jeff and Carol Loehr spotted at the Sacramento Jazz Festival, the grandfather and largest of all the jazz festivals.
“They're incredible. They're sax player brought me to tears with his ballad singing,” Carol Loehr said.
All-inclusive adult badges good for all five days cost $110. All-inclusive college badges cost $55 and high school badges, $25. Day badges cost between $40 and $50.
Children younger than13 are free when accompanied by a badge wearer.
For a complete schedule, go to www.sun valleyjazz.com.
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