All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.
— Walt Disney

It is April and this is Founder’s Month, somewhat like an anniversary party for us.

The anniversary of a dream some of our founding members had. We have a great afternoon planned with a local favorite, Creole Jazz Kings, to entertain us.

What better way to celebrate Founder’s Day? Many of our regular members will be in New Orleans for music and celebrations there, so come join the rest of us here at the Jazz Club Meeting.

The March meeting was quite well attended and dancers reported that the Yosemite Jazz Band played great dancin’ music. The umbrella dance was about the biggest I have ever seen at a meeting. We have continued to receive many contributions of money and raffle prizes each month. These are so appreciated and we are staying on top of our bills.

Also, please remember, if you have a business or an event and would like to advertise, there is space available here in the Jazzette. Every little bit helps.

Each year a MTJS scholarship for the Sacramento Traditional Jazz Society Youth Jazz Camp is available for a music student in the Stanislaus County Area. There were four applicants this year for the camp. The winner was eleven-year-old trumpet player, Dustin Cwick. Many thanks to all the applicants and to the selection committee that included: Ernie Bucio, Michelle Richardson, and Michael Mooney.

Plans are progressing nicely with the 11th Street Jazz Fest, and I hope you are all heading down to the Gallo Center to purchase your tickets to support our club, and live entertainment. Encourage all your friends and family to participate.

This event can be a tremendous boost for our Jazz Society.

So…thank you again, put on your dancin’ shoes, bring a friend, and come hear the Creole Jazz Kings at the Moose Lodge on April 19th. We could especially use more jammers this month! Help keep our dream and live music alive!

Meet The Team

As a kid back in the 1950’s, I can remember a photographer from the Modesto Bee visiting our school, to take pictures of an assembly. His name was Forrest Jackson, and from that day on, I always looked for his photographs in the newspaper. After some forty or so years, I became friends with several employees of The Bee, who had similar musical interests as mine. Then I started seeing Forrest and Phyllis around, and he was taking pictures of these groups. I don’t think I have ever seen him without a camera in his hand or nearby. It is indeed a pleasure to have him as one of our newest board members and our unofficial club photographer. I will let him tell his story.

I grew up in Marysville, CA, and had a half-year of trombone in my junior year of high school. I got a job on my 16th birthday as a gopher, I thought, in a photo studio. It turned out the photographer was only too happy to have someone develop his film and it went on from there. My music education came to an abrupt end, and was replaced by dreams of cameras, film, lenses and all that other stuff.

After graduating from Junior College, I fell into a job as photographer at the Marysville paper. After four years there, I was hired by the Modesto Bee in June of 1951 and worked there until retirement 41 years later. My wife Phyllis and I have six children, one girl and five boys that came afterward. Our daughter lives in Woodland, one son in Fresno and the others around here.

I remember one musician’s union photo assignment I had for the Bee at Moose Hall where Lynn Russell offered his baritone sax to anyone who would like to come up and play it. Of course I stayed around as long as I could to hear the music. My schedule each week, either early or late and with some Saturdays and Sundays thrown in, didn't permit us to attend many performances.

It was a terrible shock to me when Tower of Records was selling off their vinyls for something so expensive called CDs. But I was glad to find what I thought were worthwhile, that had been dumped in drug store 99cent bins.

On one photoassignment , KnightSounds Big Band was playing outdoors on the corner of 13th and J. It was the first actual live big band music I had heard in many a year! WOW! Our first Dixieland Club meeting was when we noticed in the paper they were playing for the MDJS on the third Sunday of the month at the Double Tree Hotel and since I was retired, we went to see what it was all about.

Everything we heard, the band, the jammers and all, had us hooked. We started going each month and eventually joined. Of course, I never went to anything I wasn't compelled to photograph, and it's gone on from there.