Thank You, Joel: Report on the Celebration of Joel Schiavone’s Life

On Sunday, July 7, at the Townsend Estate in New Haven CT, family and friends of Joel Schiavone gathered to remember the life and times of this consummate banjoist/politician/club owner/raconteur. Seating was limited to 150, not including the 16 musicians on-hand to provide appropriate music, and all were entranced by the atmosphere created under the giant tent in the backyard of this historic mansion. Being under “the big top” brought back memories for everyone of The Great Connecticut Traditional Jazz Festival and the Hot Steamed Festival, both of which incorporated marquees for their largest venues. The former had been directed by Joel for over a decade. Members of the Galvanized Jazz Band (GJB) and alumni of the Your Father’s Mustache (YFM) bands—sixteen musicians in all—began the afternoon leading the crowd in a New Orleans Style March that unconventionally included two washboards and three banjos in addition to the more customary cornets, trombones, reeds, tubas, and drums. Of course there were parasols a-plenty for the numerous second-liners. The dirge was “Just a Closer Walk With Thee,” while the following lively tune was “Didn’t He Ramble” with the final lyric changed to “He rambled ’til the banjo lost its sound.” There were many spoken tributes from dignitaries/friends from New Haven, with one particular comment regarding Joel’s commitment to giv