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Sun Valley jazz festival, October 19-23, 2005
By Bill F. Hensley
The bright October sun brings alive the golden leaves of the Aspen and Cottonwood trees along the banks of the Big Wood River in South central Idaho. In the shadows below, fly fishermen wade the chilly water and cast lines into the swift-moving rapids, hoping to lure a large trout.
Throughout the nearby resort town of Sun Valley, golden sounds of jazz waft through the lounges, theaters and spacious lodge public rooms in a nostalgic tribute to the glorious era that had its heyday from the 1920s to the 1950s.
The Swing ‘n’ Dixie Jazz Jamboree, one of the nation’s premier musical events, is in full swing for the 16th time since it was organized in 1990. Between six and seven thousand jazz lovers, from each of the fifty states and several foreign countries, will listen, tap their feet and dance to the old favorites of yesteryear.
More than forty musical groups— trios, quartets, octets, and big bands—will entertain an enthusiastic audience, playing the oldies that are sure to invoke treasured memories. More than 200 talented musicians from around the nation, Canada and Europe, will perform at nearly 300 one-hour jam sessions in a dozen venues in the scenic, prestigious resort village.
Behind the scenes, more than 250 volunteers and 70 sponsors will help put on the well-received annual production, known as the “Rolls Royce” of jazz presentations.
The dream to put on a jazz festival that would bring together some of the nation’s top music-makers with a large, appreciative audience, came to Barbara and Tom Hazzard of Boise, Idaho, in the mid-1980s. With the help of friends Betty and Dick Black, they approached Wally Huffman, general manager of the Sun Valley resort. He liked the idea and agreed to host the first event, which drew about two thousand persons.
But the good word spread quickly, and the non-profit jazz festival has grown steadily since its inauguration. The big draw was the music and the accompanying nostalgia, but Sun Valley is an attractive, exciting destination that adds to the charm and allure. Numerous celebrities—the rich and famous—have homes in the area and are a quiet part of the local lifestyle. They are frequently seen on the golf courses, ski slopes, restaurants and supermarkets.
Movie stars Tom Hanks, Clint Eastwood, Brooke Shield, Bruce Willis and Demi Moore are regulars, along with golfer David Duval and politicians Arnold Schwarzenegger and John Kerry, and such corporate names as Heinz and Wrigley. The resort achieved much of its early fame as a playground for such stars as Clark Gable and Gary Cooper.
“All the bands want to play in Sun Valley,” said Bill Allred of Orlando, Fl., the leader of one of the festival’s most popular groups. “Things are perfect here-- the venues, appreciative fans, accommodations—everything, not to mention a spectacular setting in these gorgeous mountains. An invitation to come here is a prized possession in our industry.”
And for those who come, they find a most affordable price of $95 for an all-performance ticket.
“The festival is our largest and most popular single event,” said Huffman. “We fill the resort for a week. What’s more, the in-town accommodations, stores, restaurants and other facilities in Ketchum do a tremendous business, so it’s an economic boom as well as a crowd favorite.”
The music that is played covers a wide range of jazz, swing, Dixieland, blues, ragtime and classic ballads made famous by the likes of Duke Ellington, Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman and Count Basie. Even a jazzed-up hymn, country tune or patriotic melody can be heard, since nothing is sacrosanct.
The audience has been described as “an AARP convention,” with gray hair, canes, and hearing aids in abundance. Surprisingly, younger listeners flock to the gathering each year in increasing numbers. In last fall’s session, there were five jazz bands from high schools and colleges who skillfully played such tunes as “Sunny Side of the Street,” “Bourbon Street Parade,” “Bugle Call Rag,” “Avalon,” “When the Saints Go Marching In,” and countless others.
“About every top song from the jazz era will be heard during the week,” said Carol Loehr, who along with her husband, Jeff, took over as festival directors after the death of her father , founder Tom Hazzard, last year.
Festival favorites are many and include the Bill Allred Classic Jazz Band; The Titan Hot Seven, Nashville, Tn.; Cornet Chop Suey. St Louis; Chicago Six, San Diego; Night Blooming Jazzmen, Claremont, Ca.; and High Sierra Jazz Band, Three Rivers, Ca.
A 23-piece big band from the Netherlands, called Swing Design, has delighted the audience for the past four years. The youthful Dutch group puts on a scintillating show that features a variety of authentic arrangements from the Glenn Miller/Tommy Dorsey/Count Basie books, and features a trio of attractive female singers who do versions of the Andrews and Boswell sisters along with some memorable ballads.
Swing Design’s patriotic medley of the Star Spangled Banner, Amazing Grace, God Bless America and America the Beautiful always brings about a rousing ovation.
Like other annual festivals in such places as San Francisco, Sacramento, Atlanta, and Clearwater—along with numerous off- the- beaten path shows in Decatur, Il., Clarinda, Iowa, Sedalia, Mo., and Eau Claire, Wisconsin-- Sun Valley features a variety of characters who combine a rare talent of superb musical ability along with a flair for showmanship, a sparkling sense of humor and a unique personality.
Such notables as bassist Bob Finch, Chicago Six; clarinetist Bob Draga and pianist Jeff Barnhart, Titan Hot Seven; cornet player Chet Jaeger, Night Blooming Jazzmen; Bob Pickwood, Bill Allred’s Classic Jazz Band; pianist Paul Reid and trumpeter Brian Casserly, Cornet Chop Suey; play, sing, clown and joke their way through a performance that usually brings a thunderous response—loud cheers and whistles, foot stomping and deafening applause—from an excited audience.
Said Finch, a tall, bearded Abe Lincoln look-alike with a droll sense of humor, “audiences like it when I play the same song as the other band members and finish the same time they do.”
At each hour-long session, the audience can listen or dance at a space that is provided at each venue. After the music has ended, the musicians hawk CD albums and tapes, make small talk with those present and sign autographs.
“Do you know ‘Muskrat Ramble?” a woman asked Big Band leader Jim Fitzgerald.
“Know it?” he replied. “Lady, I’ve been playing it since I was twelve.”
A festival highlight is the sessions devoted to a particular musician or theme. Last year the music of Louis Armstrong, Stan Kenton, Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman was featured at special performances. There were also individual concerts that featured the top trumpet players, for example, as well as the top pianists, clarinetists and trombonists.
On Sunday, several of the bands move into area churches for jazz masses or performances that offer upbeat versions of hymns. At the finale in the resort’s indoor ice rink, an all-star big band is selected for a two-hour concert of old favorites from the swing era.
During the week, each band will make 10 to 12 appearances, trying to make each venue at least once. When not on stage, the get together for jam sessions, conduct clinics and workshops in local elementary and high schools, and enjoy the relaxing lifestyle of a plush resort. There is also a free community concert on Tuesday evening at 7:00 p.m.
Nancy and Reid Barker, originally from Chicago but Sun Valley residents for the past 30 years, are avid fans who host a week-long house party each year for friends from all parts of the country. The couples attend five or six sessions a day, enjoy a leisurely lunch on the deck of the Sun Valley Lodge or in the Duchin Room, and have dinner at a popular local restaurant in between musical revues. “We have a great time,” commented Nancy. “The music is from our generation. It’s what we grew up with, dated and danced to in high school and college. It is a moving, memorable experience that we thoroughly enjoy.”
In 2006, the Sun Valley dates are Oct. 18-22.
As in the past, there will be countless thrills. Blue Street playing “Closer Walk With Thee;” Cornet Chop Suey’s “Jelly Donuts;” Bill Allred with a trombone duet on “Always;” Swing Design’s “Don’t Be That Way;” Mike Vax playing “I Can’t Get Started With You;” “Avalon” by the Chicago Six; and Bob Draga’s clarinet rendition of “Memories Of You.”
If you are a jazz lover, it’s a week you won’t want to miss.
For more information on the Swing ‘n’ Dixie Jazz Jamboree, log on to WWW.sunvalleyjazz.com or call 877/478-5277.
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