Helen Daley The Dixie Cats from Tucson have been playing together for more than 20 years and have a combined experience of hundreds of years. They are comprised of Keith Thoreson (clarinet), Jim Nickerson (trombone), John Reitz (trumpet), Wade Poteet (bass), Al Farmer (banjo) and Ray Vidal (drums). This good, old-fashioned Dixieland band will get…
Helen Daley The Arizona Classic Jazz Society is pleased to announce that Roman Martin of Sun Lakes joined the Board of Directors in December. The mission of the Arizona Classic Jazz Society is to perpetuate, promote and present the American art form known as jazz during the period in which the music was created and…
Helen Daley There was a time when 52nd Street in Manhattan was the epicenter of jazz. It was a 1.9 mile one-way street and in the 1930s to 1950s you could find more than 20 nightclubs in one city block. That time has long passed but we have the 52nd Street Jazz Band right here…
What makes the May Arizona Classic Jazz Society’s monthly event even more special than usual? We’ll be celebrating the birthday of our beloved Cheryl Thurston. Cheryl is a Sun Lakes resident and will be celebrating her birthday by entertaining with her Mardi Gras Jazz Band on Sunday, May 15. New Orleans songs and music will…
Helen Daley The Arizona Classic Jazz Festival will be November 5-8 and its purpose is to bring first class bands to Arizona to present the traditional jazz and swing music made famous during the first half of the 1900s. Festivals are an important venue for presenting this original American art form and keeping live music…
Helen Daley The story this month is borrowed from a jazz friend by the name of Doohira. My pal Percy is a great lover of classical music, so when I set out to discover the true difference between classical music and jazz, naturally, I looked him up. “Percy,” I said, “what’s the difference between classical…
A native of the Chicago area, Diana Perez began her career as a professional singer performing at the Gaslight Club at the O’Hare Hilton. She went on to perform at major hotel chains throughout the country doing convention shows with a musical score for a 16-piece orchestra. Moving in 1978 to the Phoenix area, Diana…
Helen Daley The purpose of the Arizona Classic Jazz Festival is to bring first class bands to Arizona and showcase superb Arizonian bands that play the traditional jazz and swing music made famous during the first half of the 1900’s. The music starts at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 6 and concludes on Sunday, November…