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When Dave Gravatt went to New Mexico State University in 1983, he had just moved from St. Louis where he played trombone with Eric Sager's City Lights Jazz Band, The 1919 Jazz Band, The River City Ramblers, and several other great St. Louis based bands. By 1984, the Creole Trio was formed and playing around the Las Cruces/El Paso area.
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1984: The original "Creole Trio",
Las Cruces, NewMexico.
(L-R): Jay Miles, Dave Gravatt, Ralph Saenz. |
1985: Workmen take their lunch break and listen to the original Creole Trio as they play the very first official concert (complete with hardhats) in the new Performing Arts Hall at New Mexico State University. |
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1985 - The Creole Dixieland Jazz Band |
The popularity of the trio grew and so did the opportunities. It wasn't long before several members of El Paso's well known "Sunshine Jazz Band" melded with the Creole Trio and the group became known as "The Creole Dixieland Jazz Band." Playing weekly at the Great American Food & Beverage Company, the band developed a healthy following and continued to prosper.
The New Mexico version of the Creole Dixieland Jazz Band is still working throughout west Texas and southern New Mexico today. It would be several years before the Missouri verison of the CDJB would be born.
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1987: The Creole Dixieland Jazz Band in six-piece form played once a week at The Great American Food and Beverage Company restaurant in Las Cruces, New Mexico. (L-R): Bob Foskett, Eddie Brittle, Dave Gravatt, Jack Richardson, George Goedecke, Jim Shearer. |
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1999 - The Missouri Version of the CDJB is Formed |
The Missouri version of Creole Dixieland Jazz Band was officially formed in the summer of 1999 and played (as a quartet) for some of the Ozark Mountain Ducks baseball games in Ozark, Missouri. The group played outside the gate as fans came into the park before the games and added a fun, upbeat atmosphere to the pre-game festivities. While each member of the band had had many years experience playing Dixieland jazz in other groups, this was the beginning of what would become the premier traditional jazz band in Springfield and one of the busiest bands in the area.
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1999: (L-R): Chuck Mahaffey, Dave Gravatt, Mike Seidner, Jerry Hoover before an Ozark Mountain Ducks baseball game. |
On Sunday, September 19, 1999, The Creole Dixieland Quartet debuted at Springfield's own Arris' Pizza and continued every Sunday night (except Easter and the Superbowl). With lots of hard work and even more word-of-mouth advertising, what had been an off night became one of Arris' best nights.
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2000 - From Quartet to Full Six-Piece Band |
After a successful initial seven months as a quartet, the group added two more musicians and The Creole Dixieland Jazz Band (in six-piece form) was born.
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2000: (L-R): Gary Church, Lee Smith, Red Ormsbee (trombone), Jerry Hoover, Bob Loffler (tuba), and Dave Gravatt pose during Mardi Gras 2000 at Arris' Pizza in Springfield, Missouri. |
During its first year, the band went through several personnel changes. With "the live theater capital of the world", Branson, Missouri, only 30 miles south of Springfield, many musicians in this area stay very busy. Gary Church, who plays terrific Dixieland cornet, was often busy with his other playing job - playing trumpet with The Statesiders, the orchestra that backs up Mel Tillis at his theater in Branson, Missouri. Lee Smith and Bob Loffler both work on The Showboat Branson Belle. Harry Beckett played with several shows in Branson.
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2001 |
Early in 2001, Gary moved to California (permanently), Harry found his way home, and the Creole Dixieland Jazz Band settled in with this personnel:
- Lee Smith (cornet)
- Jerry Hoover (clarinet and soprano sax)
- Red Ormsbee (trombone)
- Harry Beckett (piano)
- Bob Loffler (tuba)
- Dave Gravatt (banjo)
With that lineup, the band really began to come together and became much in demand in and around southwest Missouri. The band recorded its first CD, "Live at Arris' Pizza" to rave reviews. Details about the CD may be found on the CD page. |
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2001: Harry Beckett joins the band on piano. (L-R): Lee Smith, Red Ormsbee, Harry Beckett, Dave Gravatt, Jerry Hoover, Bob Loffler. |
2002 |
As fate would have it, the Showboat Branson Belle in Branson, Missouri scheduled a Sunday night show for the 2002 season. That put Bob (who played tuba and bass on the Belle) and Lee (who played valve trombone on the Belle) out of the picture for the Creole Band's steady Sunday night gig at Arris' Pizza.
Fortunately, two very capable guys were able to step in. Billy Hunt from Grove, Oklahoma stepped in on cornet and Mike Marois from Bella Vista, Arkansas on tuba. Both these gentlemen drove two hours (one way) to play with the Creole Band and, for that, we are most grateful.
The band cooked along for 18 months with that lineup and in October, 2002 the Creole Band recorded its second CD, "Messin' Around". Details about the CD may be found on our CD page. |
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2002: The band records its second CD, "Messin' Around". |
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2003 |
On Monday June 9, 2003, the band began playing every Monday night at Joey's Only Seafood Restaurant on West Republic Road in Springfield.
The band played its first major festival, The Scott Joplin Ragtime Festival in Sedalia, Missouri, in June, 2003. The Creole guys weren't sure how a jazz band would be received at this most famous of all ragtime festivals but the crowd put their concerns to rest. Standing ovations were given to the band wherever they played. It turned out that jazz was a welcome addition to the four days of ragtime in Sedalia.
In October, 2003, Billy Hunt retired from the hot jazz scene. He was ably replaced on cornet and trumpet by Mark Breuggemann. At the end of December, Mike Marois decided it was time to give up the eight extra hours of driving every week and he stepped down as the band's tuba player. The band was very happy that Brandon Henson accepted the invitation to come in as the Creole Band's first full-time acoustic bass player. |
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2004: (L-R): Harry Beckett, Dave Gravatt, Brandon Henson, Jerry Hoover, Mark Brueggemann, and Red Ormsbee jam one at Joeys-Only Seafood Restaurant in Springfield. |
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2004 |
The band was proud and honored to be invited to the 2004 annual Bix Beiederbecke Memorial Jazz Festival in Davenport, Iowa. This prestigious jazz festival featuring 11 bands from all over the country was attended by 10,000 fans of traditional jazz. The Creole Band played eight sets to full houses in various venues around Davenport. The guys had a blast!!!
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2004: The band at the Bix Fest, July. (L-R): Harry Beckett, Gary Linde, Dave Gravatt, Mark Brueggemann, Brandon Henson, Red Ormsbee |
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2005 - Changes |
After five and a half years at Arris' Pizza, the band's last performance there was Sunday, Februray 27, 2005. The band is proud to have been a key part of the restaurant's tremendous success. Three and a half days later, the band lined up Sundays at "Mike's Place" and played there six weeks until, sadly, after having struggled for a year, Mike's Place, another Springfield landmark, went out of business. This same weekend was to be the Creole Band's final performance at Joey's Only Seafood Restaurant as well. So, while April, 2005 was actually "National Jazz Appreciation Month", the band found itself without a steady, weekly gig for the first time in almost six years.
Red Ormsbee retired from the band in June and the band was fortunate enough to acquire Bob Swanson to fill the bone spot. Bob's swingin' style is a perfect fit for the Creole band.
Using this opportunity for change and a fresh start, it was at this time the band changed its name to "The New Creole Jazz Band" and the band continued to play the finest traditional jazz in and around southwest Missouri. |
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2006 - Another New CD |
On July 28, 2006, the band was featured again on "Studio Live", a live radio show broadcast on local Missouri State University radio station KSMU. They had played the show a year earlier and were very happy with the recording made by the studio engineers so asked if the station would once again record the session. The best tunes from both sessions were combined to make the band's third and latest CD, "The New Creole Jazz Band, Live On KSMU". Details about the CD are available on the CD page. |
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