Not So Modern Jazz Quartet + (part of Del Ray Music Week)

The Not-So-Modern Jazz Quartet Plus is a combo playing in the club venue of the 20s, 30s and 40s. It faithfully reproduces this music with top local jazz musicians, and has been playing continuously since 1983. The basic quartet is made up of clarinet, bass, piano and drums. When a piano is unavailable, the quartet substitutes a rhythm guitar. We often play with five or more musicians, particularly when playing Dixieland, hence the "plus" in the name of the band. The musicians rely heavily on their improvisation skills, and the band has a very large book of old standards, traditional Dixieland and Swing Era tunes. The music of Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington and Fats Waller are centerpieces of the combo's repertoire along with the Great American song books.