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Fireside New Year’s Eve
Times Square on New Year's Eve

Times Square on New Year's Eve © Christopher Bliss

 

If you don't plan on being in Times Square this New Year's Eve, join us in your living room for our Riverwalk Jazz Fireside New Year's Eve Special. Our show this week features the perfect music for gathering together in front of the hearth with family and friends, or cuddling up with that special someone, or even for a quiet moment on your own with your favorite four-legged friend and a good book.

 

Sit back and let your cares slip away as we break into the vault to share some of our favorite “Riverwalk moments,” performed by The Jim Cullum Jazz Band and their friends over the years.

 

Brian Ogilvie. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Tenor saxophonist and clarinetist Brian Ogilvie was the Cullum band reedman from 1992 to 1996. On our show this week, we present three encore performances by Brian: "Evening Shadows," an original tune by JCJB pianist John Sheridan; and two tunes associated with the great Chicago tenor saxophonist Bud Freeman: "Easy to Get" and "That D Minor Thing ."

 

Bud Freeman wrote "After Awhile" with Benny Goodman in 1928. It's performed here by Ron Hockett on tenor sax with special guests Bobby Gordon and Kim Cusack on clarinets.

 

Ken Peplowski. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Reedman Ken Peplowski was a member of Benny Goodman's last Orchestra and appeared with them in the widely acclaimed 1985 PBS-TV special, Let's Dance. Today "Peps" is in high demand world-wide at concerts and jazz festivals. On our show this week, "Peps" demonstrates why he has such a stellar reputation with an affecting version of "Blame It on My Youth," written by Edward Heyman and Oscar Levant.

 

The songwriting team of Fred Ahlert and Roy Turk wrote "I'll Get By" in 1928. Later recordings in the 30s and 40s by Harry James, Jo Stafford, Benny Goodman, Bob Crosby and the Ink Spots made it an anthem of the Swing Era and later war years. It is performed here by a favorite Riverwalk Jazz performer—the London's Nina Ferro.

 

David Caceres. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Houston-based alto saxophonist David Caceres is a grandson of the great Texas jazz violinist Emilio Caceres and a grand-nephew of Emilo's brother, the well-known Swing Era reedman Ernie Caceres. David stops by this week for a jam on "Gone With the Wind."

 

Two tunes on this week's show were made famous by the great trombonist Jack Teagarden: Rodgers and Hart's "Lover," played here by Bob Havens; and "Stars Fell on Alabama" performed by Dan Barrett with members of the Cullum band. Both Bob and Dan are active on the jazz festival scene and are considered to be two of the finest classic jazz trombonists today.

 

Photo credit for home page teaser image: Times Square on New Year's Eve © Christopher Bliss