BSR: The Brass Nickels featuring Bonnie Otto

Basin Street Regulars proudly present: 

The Brass Nickels, featuring Bonnie Otto will be playing “Hot Swingin’ Jazz” at the Basin Street Regulars’ Sunday afternoon Concert from 1:00 to 4:00 on November 20th.  Vocé will open the show at 1:00!

The show will take place at the Pismo Beach Veteran’s Memorial Building at 780 Bello Street in Pismo Beach.  The jam session starts at 11:00. Bring your instrument and join in. Admission is $5 for members, $10 for Non-members.  Food and drinks are available.  Tickets are available at the door.

Feature Band: The Brass Nickels

The Brass Nickels featuring Bonnie Otto. (2-4 pm)

Sacramento has been the home for traditional jazz on the west coast since the 1970s. The Sacramento Jazz Jubilee was the largest traditional jazz festival in the world for the last quarter of the 20th century, celebrating the west coast jazz styles championed by musicians like Lu Watters and Turk Murphy. It has been the model for dozens of festivals up and down the western states to this day.

The Brass Nickels Jazz Band (formerly known as the Pub Crawlers) is made up of Sacramento-area musicians steeped in this history. Its musicians have played together in various bands featured at these festivals, including, among others, Sister Swing, The Fulton Street Jazz Band, Stan Mark and His River City Stomperz, and The Wooden Nickel Jass Band, the latter being one of the most popular traditional bands of the 1990s.

Older and wiser, this is not your straw-hat-red-striped-vest-pizza-parlor band. This group adheres to much of the tradition of the great music from the 20s and 30s, but with an infectious power and energy that has made these musicians, individually and collectively, among the most popular among fans and musicians all over the country.

Dave Johnson (trumpet, vocals) is a 30-year veteran of classic jazz, and his talents are well-known and respected in the Northern California musical community. He is one of the most popular musicians in the Sacramento area and is a regular side man in too many local bands to count. He is equally adept in all musical styles and plays with a power and ferocity that is palpable.

Otis Mourning (reeds) has been playing traditional jazz since his teens and is considered one of the premier clarinetists in the country. He is also much sought-after as a saxophonist in the Sacramento area and is the first call in bands of all kinds and stripes. He is a brilliant creative mind, and he is famous for keeping the rest of the band on its toes, often pulling it into unexpected directions mid-performance.

Bob Williams (trombone, vocals) is also very much in demand in northern California. He is equally comfortable with many musical styles, including classical, rock, and big band jazz, but he especially loves playing tailgate trombone in the styles of Turk Murphy, Jack Teagarden, and Kid Ory. He rounds out a front line widely considered one of the best on the traditional jazz scene.

Bonnie Otto (piano) has played in the Sacramento area for many years and is well-regarded as a musician and arranger for a number of local bands. Her stride-style playing is highly energetic, and she is easily the most fun to watch. She generally directs traffic in the rhythm section and does her best to keep the front line out of trouble. She is currently living in Casa Grande, AZ.

Alan Parks (bass and tuba) hails from Napa and has a long career as a musician and educator in Northern California. He plays bass and tuba in a number of groups up and down the state, including many of his own. His groups are creative and interesting, and Alan fits comfortably in bands of all kinds, covering a number of musical styles.

Rick Canfield has been the drummer for the Blue Street Jazz Band since 1986. He taught instrumental music in Fresno for 32 years. Rick is currently living in Seaside, CA, and can be found around the Monterey Bay area playing drums, guitar, and Irish fiddle.  Rick says, "I've been a huge fan of Bob Williams and the gang since sharing stages with Wooden Nickel back in the early nineties. It is a great honor to play with them!"

The Brass Nickels is a band of friends who play the music they love. You can't help but be drawn in by the enthusiasm and talent of this group, and the fun they are having.

Opening Act: Vocé

Vocé

Voce is the premier vocal jazz ensemble at Cuesta College. Since its inception in 1981, the ensemble has toured extensively on the West Coast and has toured Europe eleven times. Voce has received numerous awards including an Outstanding Performance Award from Downbeat Magazine, First Place at the Reno Jazz Festival, two invitations to perform at the Conference of the International Association of Jazz Educators, three invitations to perform at the Jazz Education Network conference, and an appearance at the National Convention of the American Choral Directors Association. Voce has been the featured headliner at the California Music Educators Conference, the Point Loma Jazz Festival, and at the Santa Cruz Jazz Festival. In Europe, Voce has performed at the North Sea Jazz Festival, the Montreux Jazz Festival, and The Vokal Total Festival (Austria). Voce has recorded five CDs, “Sea Journey” in 2001, “Just One of Those Things” in 2006, “Timepieces” in 2008, “Crossing the Lines” in 2011, “The Whole Package” in 2014, and their latest: “Straight to YouTube” in 2018. 

The Basin Street Regulars have been promoting monthly dance/concerts as well as the Jubilee by the Sea for four decades.   For more information call (805) 937 8402 or go to www.pismojazz.com .  Email at: pismojazz2015@gmail.com .   

Annual single membership $25; Under 26, $15.  Couples $40, Family $50, Silver $100.  The Basin Street Regulars is a 501(c)(3) Corporation, dedicated to the performance and preservation of Traditional “Hot Swingin’” Jazz. Funds from this event support jazz camp scholarships for area teens and young adults. 

To catch previous Basin Street Regulars shows, go to Facebook and search for Basin Street Regulars or go to: https://www.facebook.com/BasinStreetRegulars/   

https://www.youtube.com/user/BasinStreetRegulars No account is required to watch it on YouTube.

For additional support or information, please contact Rhonda Cardinal at (805) 937 8402.

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Upcoming BSR Dance Concerts for your dancing and listening pleasure will feature:

December 18th – Friendly Neighborhood Big Band 

January 12 - 15 2023 - Jazz Jubilee by the Sea, Three days of non-stop music, five venues, 20 bands. For more information click HERE