Reunion Stomp - Black Bottom JB 2007

Black Bottom Jazz Band – Reunion Stomp 2007
This was the last tune we played together that evening on September 28 around 9 pm. We had started some 9 hours earlier playing and recording some of the tunes we used to play together some 55 years before during our highschool days.
It was a most thrilling day just to be together and to be able to play again. Pianist Rob Herwig, who now lives in the South of France organized the event with trombonist Eduard Rahusen who still lives in the same area in Holland. Clarinettist Arent Nieuwkamp came over especially for this event from Montreal Canada I flew in as well from Canada’s westcoast. Both Arent and I emigrated to Canada in the early sixties, but we’ve kept in touch with many of our Dutch friends. Bassist Wim de Vries I had not seen or been in contact with since the late fifties and he had now become a retired symphony player still with a wonderful feel for jazz bass. Our banjoist from these early days was not able to make it, Jack Vincken also lives in Canada, was replaced by Ari van Mensvoort. I had met Ari two years earlier and enjoyed his playing then as a member of Peter Heyen’s Midlife Revival Jazz Band. My friend Peter is a very good cornet player and had offered his house as a place to do these sessions.
When I more or less prepared this session I worked out a tune that I called “Reunion Stomp” just for this day’s recording. At this time the chops of some of our players had become over used (of course mine in particular), so it was absolutely great to see so many musician friends who had come to listen and then gave us a chance to enjoy them in spontanuous jam sessions as well.