Continuing to celebrate its 50th anniversary year, The Basin Street Regulars Hot Jazz Club presents the Yosemite Jazz Band on Sunday, March 29 at the Pismo Beach Veteran’s Memorial Building.
The Cabrillo High School Jazz Band opens the show, which starts at 12:30 p.m. Admission is $10 for members and $15 for non-members. A jam session starts at 11 a.m. with jammers who sign in at the door paying just $5.
Food, drinks and a big wooden dance floor are available.
The Yosemite Jazz Band, founded in October 1993 by trumpet and flugelhorn player Berl Howell, has become a cornerstone of the California jazz circuit. Known for a high-energy, enthusiastic style of traditional and Dixieland jazz, their music is designed to get audiences stomping their feet, clapping their hands, and singing along.
The band features a blend of veteran masters and talented newcomers, including Howell (cornet), Ted Strauss (reeds), Jeff Gurule (banjo/guitar), Jim Kirin (drums), Les Nunes (trombone), and Bonnie Otto (piano). They also feature young standout Elva Gurule, who grew up singing with the band before taking up the trumpet in 2018.
Their history is captured in several acclaimed recordings, including Will Play For Food (2000), Ain’t Got A Lousy Dime (2005), and multiple live sets from the California Mid-State Fair in Paso Robles.