Dixieland Jazz in Hawaii
Hawai’i
AUTHOR: By Will Anderson
Originally published June 2011
In the late 70’s my wife, Mavis and I were anticipating retirement, with a paid mortgage and the kids gone; we decided to go on a vacation in Hawaii, a place we had never been to. We went and loved it, returning many times thereafter. We have stayed on all of the outer islands and have enjoyed them all.
On one of our first vacations, we were walking along the promenade on Waikiki Beach on a Sunday afternoon in the fall. Along the beach, in front of the Ft. DeRussy Park, we heard Swing music; it was getting louder as we continued on. Arriving at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, we went in and were directed to the Convention Room, where the band was playing. We took a seat among the Hawaiian shirt and short-attired people, all enjoying this great music.
On stage, identically dressed in Aloha shirts and white pants, playing their polished instruments was a seven-piece Dixieland band, named the New Orleans Jazz Band of Hawaii. (NOJB of HI). WOW! What a site and sound! We ordered a couple of Mai Tai’s, made ourselves comfortable and blended in with the crowd. We couldn’t believe that we had walked into something this great in Waikiki Beach, of all places.
After a few more tunes and much applause, the band took a break. The musicians came down off the stand and mingled with their admiring audience, many of whom they knew. One musician wandered by us and we greeted him. He seemed happy to chat, and we did just that.
Therein began our introduction to Dixieland music! This friendly musician was the Banjo player, a tall, middle-aged man named Mark Hammond. He told us that he had been with NOJBofH for several years and that the band had played here at the Garden Bar every Sunday afternoon for many years. The admission was free and crowded, the tunes mostly Dixieland, with dancing, food and beverages available.
Mark asked what brought us there, and we told him we heard the music and walked in, our good luck! He asked us if we knew any Dixieland bands in Seattle, we told him no, so he suggested that we catch The Rainier Jazz Band and the Uptown Lowdown Jazz Band. Hammond said ”if you like us, you will like these other bands.”
At the next break, Mark brought John Norris the bandleader over to meet us. A great man, and over the next few years, on other vacations, we got to know him well. We were even invited to this home in Honolulu and met with his family.
Another hour of Dixieland music, vocals, solos, duets, followed. What a session! At the Garden Bar on Waikiki Beach in the open air Convention Room, viewing the beach, Diamond Head, the Pacific Ocean and gorgeous sunsets. Life doesn’t get much better!
On our first meeting with Mark and John, both suggested that when we return home to Seattle, we look up the Rainier and Uptown Lowdown Bands, and gave us contact names of Boots Houlihan, Bob Pelland and Bert Barr. A few days later, after the best Hawaiian vacation yet. We flew home, now hooked on Dixieland! Once home, we started looking for Pelland and Barr. We located and called Bob Pelland first in Mt Vernon and he invited us to attend his band’s next gig, the following Saturday night at the Engine House Number Nine Tacoma. We did just that and met his wife, Mary and the rest of the Rainier Jazz Band. That was a great night! We also met Mame Russell, President of the Puget Sound Traditional Jazz Society (PSTJS), who always carried applications for the club; she signed us up on the spot and we’ve been members ever since. We also met Tom and Carol Rippey that same night who became good friends.
By now, we knew four Dixieland Bands. This all happened as a result of our good fortune to come across that bar on Waikiki Beach one Sunday afternoon. Not so long ago. Next we were talked into going to a Dixieland Jazz Festival in Sacramento!
We flew to Sacramento. The Rainier Jazz Band was on the same plane and it was a fun flight. There in Sacramento, there appeared to be a hundred Dixieland bands and a hundred thousand people, fans and musicians, from all over the country and world. This was an experience of a lifetime, and our first exposure to a jazz festival. We loved it! We were there for four days and visited with many jazz lovers and musicians whom we had recently met, and many who were new to us. For Mavis and me, we had been born into a new world of enjoyment, Dixieland music. We were beginning to understand the fever that many people have for Traditional Jazz music, Dixieland. We were late getting started, but we too caught that fever! We will be living with and enjoying Dixieland forever. Mark Hammond and John Norris, many thanks again!
EPILOGUE
I suspect that most all members of the PSTJS have memories like mine, how Dixieland music appreciation and enjoyment got started in their lives. People like John Norris, Bob Pelland, Bert Barr, and Tom Rippey, I consider all to be my mentors.
In the Seattle area, we can enjoy Dixieland jazz most any evening of the week. All one needs to do is belong to the PSTJS and receive the monthly newsletter, Jazz Soundings, which keeps us informed of who, what, when and where.
The PSTJS is the only one of its kind in the Seattle area. We membersvare a unique bunch of jazz lovers. The musicians who play this type of jazz music don’t look much different from the rest of us. However, when they play their respective instruments, the sounds created individually or together are so great to hear. I hope my story may inspire others to write and share their own experience of finding Dixieland jazz.
