Objectivist Living member in the news!

[Roger Bissell]

I'm in Grand Rapids, Michigan this weekend with the Side Street Strutters Jazz Band, doing 3 pops concerts with the local symphony. Here is the text of a really nice writeup, mentioning me twice (!), in today's local newspaper:

Jazz band, symphony share swingin' night

Saturday, January 20, 2007

By Jeffrey Kaczmarczyk

The Grand Rapids Press

GRAND RAPIDS -- The great melting pot that is America has more musical styles -- Appalachian reels to Cajun Zydeco -- than you can shake a stick at.

Naturally, folks have their likes as well as their dislikes. But if I had to guess the sound with the widest coast-to-coast appeal, I'd go with Dixieland.

If there's anything that can put smiles on faces like a rousing chorus of "When the Saints Go Marching In," I don't know what it is.

Plenty of smiles strolled out of DeVos Performance Hall and back into mid-winter weather on Friday, thanks to the Side Street Strutters.

Direct from sunny southern California, the seven-man jazz band joined the Grand Rapids Symphony for a toe-tapping evening of music from ragtime to swing.

Denizens of Disneyland since 1985 -- saxophonist Rob Verdi said he estimates the band has played "It's A Small World" some 17,643 times -- Side Street Strutters performed with the polish and poise you'd expect from guys who've been playing "Tiger Rag" since the last time the Tigers won the World Series.

Naturally, the showmen put on a show -- singing a chorus of "Alexander's Ragtime Band," dancing the Charleston while playing "The Charleston" and tossing strings of beads to the audience.

But the musicians who began playing jazz during their student days at Arizona State University have some impressive chops -- trombonist Roger Bissell with a big range and a smooth sound, clarinetist Vince Verdi with a sensual lower register, drummer Paul Johnson with the big, Gene Krupa-style drum solo on "Sing, Sing, Sing."

Trumpeter Greg Varlotta picked up a rare slide trumpet -- it looks like a trombone that was shrunk in the washing machine -- to trade choruses with Bissell on "Basin Street Blues," each one-upping the other again and again.

They played on an old tape recording of Varlotta -- at age 5, we were told -- playing a remarkably accurate version of "Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White" on trumpet. Then, of course, he really played the melody made famous by Perez Prado in 1955.

If that wasn't enough, Varelotta also is a hoofer, tap dancing a solo to "It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got that Swing."

Rob Verdi spent most of the night playing tenor sax, which gives the Side Street Strutters an unusual look and sound. But he snuck on stage with a tiny sopranino saxophone -- picture something not much bigger than Sherlock Homes' pipe -- to give a dashing version of Rudy Weidoeft's novelty number "Saxophobia," a tune from the 1920s that was the "Yakety Sax" of its day.

The show kept the Grand Rapids Symphony involved from beginning to end. Most of the arrangements swung back and forth between the band and the orchestra. Rarely were they in each other's way.

The only shortcoming was the show -- lasting about 86 minutes, including the encore -- was a little short by Pops Series standards. Associate conductor John Varineau led the Grand Rapids Symphony on a couple of snappy medleys of tunes by Irving Berlin and Scott Joplin, New Orleans' favorites all around. So, too, were there smiles all around. [written by jkaczmarczyk@grpress.com]

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

Roger,

Go for it! This made my day.

Michael

[Chris Grieb]

Roger; Today Grand Rapids. Tomorrow the World. Good job Roger.

[Kat]

Rock on, Roger!!!!

[Ross Barlow]

Sounds like you’re having a great time, Roger. If you ever play Bangkok, be sure and let me know.

-Ross Barlow.

[Roger Bissell]

Sounds like you’re having a great time, Roger. If you ever play Bangkok, be sure and let me know.

-Ross Barlow.

I do, Ross, but only at night and in the privacy of my hotel room. (Har-har, guy-musician joke.)

REB

[Charles R. Anderson]

Roger,

That reporter must have thought an awful lot of your playing to put your parts of the article in bold. Great work.

[Fran]

Hi Roger,

Just come across this so I would like to offer my belated congratulations. Glad that you're getting some well-deserved recognition for your musical talents.

One of the things that I appreciate most about O'ists is that they're willing to tell everybody - i.e. the whole world, seeing as we're on the internet - about how great they are!

All the best

Fran