Jim Cullum Jazz Band
| Jim Cullum Jazz Band | |
|---|---|
| Origin | San Antonio, Texas |
| Genres | jazz |
| Years active | 1989 – present |
| Labels | Riverwalk Jazz, Stomp Off |
| Associated acts | Happy Jazz Band |
| Website | http://www.jimcullum.com |
| Members |
Jim Cullum, Jr., cornet Evan Arntzen, clarinet and saxophone Mike Pittsley, trombone John Sheridan, piano Howard Elkins, banjo and guitar Bernie Attridge, bass Benji Bohannon, drums |
| Past members |
Don Mopsick, bass Ric Ramirez, bass Steve Pikal, bass Zack Sapunor, bass Mike Waskiewicz, drums Hal Smith, drums John Sheridan, piano Allan Vaché, clarinet Brian Ogilvie, clarinet and saxophone Ron Hockett, clarinet and saxophone Evan Christopher, clarinet Jim Turner, piano Ed Torres, drums Kevin Dorn, drums Jack Wyatt, bass Jim Hunter, bass Kenny Rupp, trombone Randy Reinhart, cornet and trombone Brian Nalepka, Tuba, St. Bass and Bass Sax Ed Hubble, trombone |
The Jim Cullum Jazz Band is an acoustic seven-piece traditional jazz ensemble led by cornetist Jim Cullum, Jr.. Since 1989, the band has been featured nationally on their own weekly public radio series Riverwalk Jazz. The band performed live Tuesdays through Saturdays at the Landing Jazz Club on the Riverwalk in San Antonio, Texas from 1981 until the closing of the establishment in 2011. The band still performs semi-regular gigs at Tucker's Kozy Korner, Bohanan's, and the Liberty Bar in San Antonio.
Happy Jazz Band
The JCJB is the successor of the original Happy Jazz Band established in 1962 by Jim and his late father, Jim Cullum Sr. The next year, a group of San Antonio investors founded the original Landing Jazz Club located in the basement of the Nix Hospital building on the San Antonio Riverwalk. The original Landing was only the second business established on the Riverwalk after the Casa Rio Mexican restaurant. Jim Jr. took over leadership of the band after the passing of Jim Sr. in 1973 and changed the name to The Jim Cullum Jazz Band. The Landing moved to its longtime location in the Hyatt Regency in 1981, and the JCJB performed there until its closing in 2011. While not on tour, the band still performs at various clubs, bars, and restaurants in San Antonio.
The JCJB’s unique longevity and influence in the jazz community has spawned other jazz bands in the San Antonio area. Most notable is a recently organized group, the Mission City Hot Rhythm Cats, a six-piece traditional jazz band composed of several former members of the Jim Cullum Jazz Band.
References
External links
- Interviews with Jim Cullum, Jr., June 11, 1980, August 12, 1986, University of Texas at San Antonio: Institute of Texan Cultures: Oral History Collection, UA 15.01, University of Texas at San Antonio Libraries Special Collections.
- Jim Cullum Collection (ARS.0036), Stanford Archive of Recorded Sound
|