Date: Fri 15-May-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: MICHEL

Quick Words:

Hot-Cat-Jazz-Band

Full Text:

The Joint Was Jumpin' With Jazz

(with cuts)

BY MICHELE HOGAN

Sandy Hook School children were thrilled to hear The Hot Cat Jazz Band play at

the their school.

The six-member jazz group played everything from "The Entertainer Rag" by

Scott Joplin and "When the Saints Go Marching In," to the theme from "The

Flintstones" and Star Wars .

Starting with the drummer, the "heartbeat" of the jazz band, Ross Tucker,

trumpet player, introduced each instrument, and the amazing and unusual things

they can do.

The group improvised, played dueling banjos, and let the trombone and clarinet

play variations on melodies.

When the children noticed an unusual tone to the trombone, Leroy Loomer

reached in his instrument, and pulled out an old sock!

Then he explained the use of mutes, actually toilet plungers, which he uses to

alter the tone of his instrument.

When the students stopped giggling, they were instructed in singing scat. The

band played "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)," by Duke

Ellington while the kids sang "dooowa-dooowa" in all the right places.

The band contrasted playing in unison, with improvisation around a melody.

Mr Tucker encouraged the kids to work hard at their music, and told them what

fun it was. But after seeing them perform, the kids already knew all about

fun.

Ileen Greytak, Cultural Arts Committee chairman, said that she has liked them

every time she has seem them. She said, "It motivates the kids to want to

play. And after having the middle school jazz band and the high school

orchestra perform for them, they realize that this is something that they

really can do."

Mrs Greytak said how much of a help the Connecticut Commission on the Arts had

been. The commission paid almost half the cost of bringing the jazz group to

Sandy Hook.