The passing of Steve Yocum last year was felt profoundly across the traditional jazz world, and perhaps surprisingly among the many young fans he had made in Europe after an appearance on a TV talent contest. In the US he was most known for his association with the Black Dog Jazz Band and ties to Your Father’s Mustache and Disney. Within that storied career were several guest appearances with the Galvanized Jazz Band.
Fortunately for us the GJB, in addition to telling their story in the previous three issues, have recorded a large number of their sets over the years. These were regular weekly gigs that other performers would sit in on as they passed through New England. Over the decades that has added up to a lot of great tape and the GJB has been releasing it regularly, sometimes focused on a specific guest like George Masso or Les Paul, or more often a group of guests from Jimmy Mazzy to Jeff Barnhart, that joined them on a particularly memorable night.
This album of material with Steve Yocum is taken from sets in 1999 and 2002, while Yocum was in town for the Hot Steamed Jazz Festival. The festival vibe seems to have carried over to the Chowderpot Restaurant, where the GJB was then making their home. There is a party atmosphere, and even the slower bits like “Blue Bayou,” have a strong swaying swing to them. Yocum was known for being a profoundly entertaining performer, and
