Post 433: THE NEPTUNE BAND - A DELIGHT

In my explorations of traditional jazz, I come across delightful discoveries. The most recent has been the The Neptune Band of Zimbabwe. This band no longer exists but it flourished over 30 years ago. It was exceptional in being an authentic-sounding 'early New Orleans' style band based not in New Orleans but in the heart of Africa. It was also exceptional in that it was made up of four children from one family, their teacher and his teenage son.

Although this band was a new discovery for me, my friend and correspondent John Whitehorn told me he heard the band in the 1980s and he kindly supplied me with some information about them.

So here's the story of how the band got started.

It was created by a gentleman called Cesar Jose Fratantoni. A dentist by profession, he was of Italian descent but grew up in Argentina. He mastered the clarinet and piano and was devoted to New Orleans jazz, particularly collecting and learning from the recordings of King Oliver and Jelly Roll Morton. He moved to Africa in 1971 and took a great interest in African music. Later he adopted into his household five children - Sabina Siankope (who became the band's banjo player) and her four brothers. They helped in the household and he helped them with their education and trained them as The Neptune Band, with his own son - Stephen Cesar Fratantoni - on cornet.

They practised together for two hours every day, with only Mr. Fratantoni and his piano to guide them. (My guess is that Mr. Fratantoni himself had purchased all the instruments.) In 1981, following four such years of hard work, Mr. Fratantoni was determined to take his 'family band' to New Orleans, so that they could be heard there and also learn from the other musicians in the City. He had to obtain a huge overdraft from his bank to fund the trip.

So (with its drummer aged only 11 and its cornet player 15!) the Band went to New Orleans, where it gave some concerts, even including one in Preservation Hall. It was extremely well received. The great Allan Jaffe, the man who owned and developed Preservation Hall, was very impressed. Here he is (second right) with The Neptune Band in a photo taken by Dick House.

And the Mayor of New Orleans formally conferred on The Neptune Band the status of Honorary Citizen.

The Band went on to play at the Breda Festival in the Netherlands in 1981 and also performed in Hanover, Germany, in 1984.

It is Mr. Fratantoni himself who in recent years has put several of the band's recordings on YouTube. Try Chattanooga Stomp (CLICK HERE TO ENJOY IT), recorded when the band was in New Orleans in 1981. Have you ever heard such a delightful, gentle performance?

The members of the band, in addition to Mr. Fratantoni himself on clarinet, were Triwell Sianjkope (17, bass), Sabina Violet Siankope (25, banjo and vocals), Daniel Ndoga Siankope (19, trombone), Stephen Cesar Fratantoni (15, cornet) and Japhet Sikeba Siankope (only 11, brilliant, especially for one so young at the time - percussion).

Mr. Fratantoni obviously set out with a clear policy to play authentic early New Orleans jazz, with plenty of melody, no exhibitionism, strong team-work and ensuring that all instruments could be clearly heard. The effect is that the playing sounds very simple, though of course this simplicity is deceptive. The emphasis is on ensemble rather than prima donna solos. Fratantoni himself said in an interview: 'For me this music is like the baroque Italian music. It is classical. You know classical music is often very simple and it is often difficult to play because it is so simple.' I know exactly what he meant.

They played the music with restraint and respectfully – respectful of the music itself and also of each other: that is what - for me at least - makes the sound of this band delightful and distinctive.

The banjo and bass players are very solid; and the 11-year-old on the drums could serve as a model for anyone wishing to become a percussionist in a traditional jazz band.

CLICK HERE for a historic recording where we see them (in Preservation Hall!) playing Tiger Rag in a gentle manner, the like of which you may never have come across before. It is amazing to think how young they were. How well Mr. Fratantoni had trained them!

Or CLICK HERE for a recording of them playing Steamboat Stomp in 1984.

You can hear them playing Careless Love Blues in Lyon, France, in 1986 BY CLICKING HERE. This performance is again remarkable for the apparent simplicity of the music and also for including the 12-bar Verse which many bands omit. 

And you can hear a relaxed performance of the King Oliver number Snake Rag BY CLICKING HERE.

This is traditional jazz the way I like it. Discovering this band with its wonderful young musicians has brought me pleasure; and I hope it is a pleasure you will also enjoy. There are several more examples of their work on YouTube if you care to explore.

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FOOTNOTE
It seems opinions are divided on this band. I'm not alone in my enthusiasm. I have had responses from readers such as these:

Many thanks, Ivan: great. I'd not come across the band before, but they're quite something, I agree. I, too, like their clean, simple and authentic-sounding style - the clip of their Steamboat Stomp is excellent, in my view.... I've been listening to, and enjoying, more of The Neptune Band's offering on YouTube. What a fine outfit! I've particularly enjoyed their version of High Society, seemingly recorded at a well-attended live concert in Switzerland in 1987. It follows a very decent piano solo of King Porter Stomp at 3'40" into the clip: CLICK HERE. (Carsten in England)

This is the first that I have heard this band, and yes, they are indeed something special. (Wally in Canada)

I had not heard of the band, but have to say how much I enjoyed their playing. A lovely relaxed,steady tempo that made the music swing!
Sure were something special in my opinion. (Clarinet player John in England)

I saw The Neptune Band several times in New Orleans some time in the 1980s. I heard that Mr. Fratantoni had taught them by playing some of the American Music recordings... but they played in a gentle and constrained ensemble style. (John W. in England)

Fantastic story of this Italian/Argentine/African Dentist and his African (Children) Band. My dentist is a serious music-lover and I have sent it to him as well. Interesting to read this band was at The Breda Jazz Festival in 1981. Thanks for this very PURE STORY and best regards. (Robert in the Netherlands)

What a fascinating story about the Neptune Band! The recording is superb. I'll track down a few more on YouTube later, when I have some free time. (Bill, cornet-player, England)

Lovely stuff! I had never heard of them before. (Randy in Louisiana)

Everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion; and others have not been so keen. One described the band as 'not technically proficient' and another said he would not have bought a ticket to hear them.

Well done. For the chap who announced that he would not buy a ticket, may I have his reservation if it is still available? (W. in Canada)

Post 264: PRESERVATION HALL, 1998

Let me tell you about four evenings I spent in Preservation Hall, New Orleans, in 1998. Important musical history has been made there during the last 60 years and I would like to give you my own little contribution to recording that history.

As an English jazz fan, I was keen to catch as much of the Preservation Hall music as I could during my four-night stay. So I was there in the audience each evening. This meant missing some good bands playing at the Sonesta Hotel and at the Palm Court Café, but you can't do everything. (In those days, Frenchman Street was yet to emerge as the place to be at night.)

In 1998, the Preservation Hall entrance fee was only 4 dollars a night (about £2.40 at the time) – tremendously good value. The acoustics were marvellous and the bands of course played with no amplification – something the audiences appreciated very much: you heard the instruments in all their purity. Even songs were sung without a microphone. Those conventions have not changed, I'm pleased to say, in the years that followed.

On those four nights, all the bands had seven players. This should mean that we heard 28 musicians in all, but in fact two or three of them played in more than one band. 

There were a few of the very elderly musicians still turning up, but it was sad to see them playing weakly now. In particular, 'Frog' Joseph (trombone), then aged 80, was a passenger, though I know he was a great player in his time. He died not very long afterwards. 

The best surprise was that Narvin Kimball at the age of 89 was still there – playing banjo so tastefully and creatively and still singing Girl of My Dreams movingly, with a rich voice. (He lived to the good age of 97, passing away on 17th March 2006.)

Harold Dejan (saxophone) still nominally led the Sunday night band (actually The Olympia Band) but arthritis and near-blindness prevented him from playing: he merely performed a few vocals. He was 89 and looked very ill. It was a pity to see a musician still turning out in such a state, but he must have been proud of the long history of this band, which he founded many years earlier. 

On the other hand, James Prevost (string bass) at the age of 79 played vigorously on two of the nights, giving a real swing to the bands. But he too, alas, died not long afterwards. 

The best clarinettist was Dr. Michael White. He was good when I heard him in 1993 but seemed to be playing even better with the passage of years, responding skilfully to the phrasing of the trumpet. I believe Michael White is also a professor at the Xavier University of Louisiana. 

Also Jacques Gauthé (playing soprano saxophone this time) was brilliant and often put us in mind of Sidney Bechet. 

There were superb drummers (including Leroy Breaux, Joe Lastie and Nowell Glass), some good pianists and (best trombonist) Frank Demond – the only other survivor (with Narvin Kimball) of the great Preservation Hall Band that toured the U.K. in about 1980. Frank Demond played in a beautifully simple, lyrical style and it was terrific. For solos, he usually took two choruses, the first close to the melody, concentrating on tone, the second letting loose. 

The trumpet players were unbelievably brilliant. Wendell Brunious (two nights – a man with a degree in Marketing!) and Milton Batiste (one night) did things that ought not to be possible! They made me want to practise for hours and hours – or just give up and throw my trumpet away! Milton Batiste, who specialised in excitingly syncopated rhythmic improvisations and riffs, with plenty of high notes, always wore his topi to conceal the scar from a childhood baseball injury. He was the very first person I spoke to in New Orleans (apart from customs officials) on my second visit to the City. His band was playing at the aerodrome. (It is very sad that he died in March 2001 while still in his early 60s.)

The other trumpeter was Reginald Koeller, whom I had not heard before. He played with a marvellous instinct, giving the impression that he knew nothing about written music and musical theory but just played straight from the heart. (I have since read that he was in fact classically trained!) 

One of the best musicians of the four nights was Les Muscott (banjo). He achieved such variety and colouring that he was quite in the Narvin Kimball class. He was capable of doing on the banjo anything you would expect from a piano, or so it seemed. Les (who has also since died) was English, but emigrated to New Orleans in the 1970s and worked in music there until his death. He acquired an authentic New Orleans accent.

The tunes we heard everywhere in New Orleans (including Preservation Hall) were familiar. They included Tiger Rag and When the Saints (a lot) and also Royal Garden Blues, Hindustan, Bogalusa Strut, Bye and Bye, Basin Street Blues, Bugle Boy March, Down By the Riverside, Sweet Georgia Brown, Eh La Bas, How We Danced at the Mardi Gras, Butter and Egg Man, I Get the Blues When it Rains (James Prevost was the vocalist for this after a very wet day), Sister Kate, Sweet Sue, Ja Da, Just a Closer Walk, Lily of the Valley (with the last 16 bars played as introduction), Little Liza Jane, Lord, Lord, Lord, Margie, My Blue Heaven, (interestingly played very slowly), Nobody's Sweetheart Now, The Old Rugged Cross, On the Sunny Side of the Street, Savoy Blues, Second Line, Some of these Days, Sweethearts on Parade, That's a Plenty, Ting-a-ling, Walking With the King, You are My Sunshine and When You're Smiling. This last one was performed on two nights at Preservation Hall and both times turned into a hilarious community sing led by brilliant banjo player Don Vappie, with full audience participation. He insisted we should all sing it properly - as 'when you're smiling, the whole world smiles wit chew'!

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The books 'Tuba Skinny and Shaye Cohn', 'Enjoying Traditional Jazz' and 'Playing Traditional Jazz', by Pops Coffee, are available from Amazon.

Post 215: THE FRENCH QUARTER IN NEW ORLEANS

For the benefit of readers who have never been to the French Quarter of New Orleans, here are a few pictures I took during my visit in April 2015.

George Lewis's House
- in which some legendary recordings were made.

Such famous roads as Decatur, Chartres, Royal, Burgundy and Dauphine run south-east to north-west and are criss-crossed by Iberville, Bienville, Conti, St. Louis, Toulouse, St. Peter's, Ursuline, and so on. The whole area is compact (well under a square mile) and very easy and pleasant to explore on foot. I guess that in total The French Quarter represents only about 2% of the entire City of New Orleans; but what a special area it is!

It is believed that about 4000 people actually live within the French Quarter.

Strolling round the quieter streets (no need to mention the noisy, brash Bourbon Street, which you can't avoid once in a while), you can admire the historic and very pretty colourful domestic architecture, including shotgun houses, classic nineteenth-century creole cottages and double-gallery houses. In case you are puzzled by the expression 'shotgun houses', I can tell you these are very simple homes, narrow and rectangular, with no hallway. The rooms are one behind the other. If all the doors of the house were open, it would be possible to fire a shotgun straight through the house - in at one end and out at the other - passing through all the rooms. Hence the name. There are also 'double shotgun houses', with two entrance doors and a central wall dividing the two homes, as in the first picture below.

Characteristic local transport
- passing Preservation Hall.

This next one is a bonus photo - sent to me by my friend Barrie Marshall. He took it when visiting the French Quarter in 1996.

When you are ready to hear some outdoor jazz in the French Quarter, you can head for Jackson Square:

or Royal Street:

At the north-eastern edge of the French Quarter, close to the Mississippi, is the wonderful and extensive French Market, where you can buy your souvenirs and take a break for refreshments.

Here's the French Market as it was in 1920:

Finally, you could head right out of the French Quarter and look back along the Mississippi at the City - including the more modern business district with its taller buildings. The French Quarter is the low-level area to the right of them:

Post 85: A PRESERVATION HALL CONCERT, 2015

In April 2015 I made my first visit to Preservation Hall, New Orleans, since 1998.

Just as in 1998, I still found long queues of tourists and enthusiasts from around the world waiting to see the band play in the legendary 'Hall'.

I was entertained by a concert in which the band was Freddie Lonzo (trombone), Wendell Brunious (trumpet), Daniel 'Weenie' Farrow (tenor saxophone), Lars Edegran (piano), Mitchell Player (bass) and Ernest Elly (drums).

Each one of them is a great player - technically brilliant, and superb in contributing to the essential teamwork. Wendell Brunious has been an idol of mine since I first admired his virtuosity and creative genius when I heard him at the Hall over twenty years ago.

They played mainly the old favourites, such as When You're Smiling, Milneberg Joys and Ballin' The Jack; and Freddy Lonzo in particular was skilful in 'working the audience' - entertaining them with his chat, humour and vocals.

Here's a photo I took of the famous Preservation Hall piano:

Here is the courtyard at the back of the Hall - where the musicians went to relax for a few minutes between sets.

There's Thomas, the Preservation Hall Cat; and Wendell Brunious having a drink; and you can see Daniel Farrow relaxing on the right.

I had a most enjoyable chat with Daniel. In common with all the New Orleans jazz musicians of his generation, he is thoroughly charming and modest about his art. All that matters to him is that he is happy and he loves to share his happiness through his music. It was a privilege that he allowed me to be photographed with him.

If you would like to read about my previous visit to Preservation Hall (in 1998), PLEASE CLICK HERE.