The Riverboat Dixie Jazz Band, formed in 1998, aims to play traditional New Orleans-style Dixieland jazz—with the specific intent of re-creating the entertainment experience one might enjoy on a show boat docked at one’s town landing. On September 2, 2018, the Valley Jazz Club in Canoga Park, California, served as their virtual steamboat.
Nine musicians played and sang the “good ol’ songs,” all from the 1920s and earlier. Their feel-good music brought smiles and enjoyment to the Valley Jazz audience: this is sing-along fare, and many already knew the lyrics, possibly by way of their parents or grandparents. Many of Riverboat Dixie’s numbers have remained popular for many decades even as tastes in music have changed: “Margie” has been a favorite since 1920 and the perennial “Baby, Won’t You Please Come Home” dates from 1919.
These two selections were sung in engaging original fashion by bandleader and plectrum banjoist Ron Ruiz. Band vocalist Janet Daw performed “Nobody’s Sweetheart Now,” “Is It True What They Say About Dixie?” and “Angry,” stepping down from the stage to serenade members of the audience at their tables. Janet is Riverboat Dixie’s “spark plug,” encouraging crowd participation and urging those in attendance to “let go” and enjoy the music. And they did.
Other tunes, suitably well played, included “Panama,” “
