DEVIL MOUNTAIN JAZZ BAND continues to develop their multi-style approach to preserving the popular music of the late 1800's through the early 1930's, and the west coast revival jazz of the 1940's. The eight piece concert/festival band is best known for the two trumpet sounds of the Joe Oliver and Lu Watters bands and the orchestrated "hot dance" music of the late twenties. You'll also hear DMJB perform ragtime, blues, "Dixieland" standards, gospel and novelty tunes, and an occasional duck-call by Pete Main, or assorted strange instrument solos by Pete, Glenn or Noel.
The band also recreates the New Orleans-derived hot jazz popularized by Armstrong, Hardin, Dodds, Ory, Morton, etc., in Chicago in the late twenties. At many jazz festivals, they present special historical concerts celebrating the music of these jazz greats and gospel concerts/sing-a-longs, and a special show, "From Ragtime to Jazz".
Smaller versions of the band play frequently for occasions where this historic music is new to some folks, with the focus on providing a good time through this happy music. Civic concerts, weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, church events, wine-tastings, restaurants, piano burnings, parades, are but a few of these events.
Larger versions of the band are available for big-band swing dances or festivals. This band is the JAMBALAYA SWING BAND, led by Ken Brock, comprised of players from the Devil Mountain JB plus members of Ken’s Jambalaya JB. They recreate the popular big band tunes of the 30s and 40s with 10 to 12 musicians.
Since 1982, Devil Mountain has performed at several hundred jazz festivals, scores of Jazz Society and civic concerts, fifteen jazz cruises, and have held down two monthly dance & concert series in the San Francisco East Bay area at the Pleasanton Hotel and FRIENDS OF JAZZ at the Veterans Hall in Walnut Creek, and now at the Danville Grange Hall.
They have released ten recordings, most recently, "YOU ASKED FOR MORE".
TO HIRE THE BAND, call Ken Keeler 925-625-2707
To contact us, send e-mail to: kenkeeler@jazznut.com, or call (925) 625-2707