Sunday afternoon we headed out to Smith College for this free concert. We have been following Jerry Noble and Bob Sparkman since about 1995. I learned in talking to Jerry after the concert that he and Bob got together via a mutual friend from the Unitarian Church in Greenfield, Mass. Bob had just retired.
From their website:
“One chorus of blues later, any misgivings sparked by the pair’s difference in age had evaporated in the joy of music making. Bob heard his first jazz record as a teenager in 1942 (it featured Muggsy Spanier with Rod Cless on clarinet). Inspired by those jazz luminaries, as well as the artistry of Louis Armstrong, Sidney Bechet, and the Condon Mob—Pee Wee Russell, Edmond Hall, etc., Bob started jamming with contemporaries Dick Wellstood and Ed Hubble and has been making marvelous music ever since. They invited Kara to join the band in 2017, and The Bob Sparkman Trio was born.”
We’ve been to several concerts at Sage Hall on the Smith campus but this time something was different. The first thing they did upon coming on stage was take their shoes off. It seems, because what they play is such toe tapping music, the microphones pick it up and it sounds like drumming.
I learned from another avid follower that Bob will be turning 92 this year. He and Jerry’s father were the same age.
They started out with a couple Fats Waller songs then did Blue Skies. Each song related to the color theme of the concert. After the intermission, Bob took a rest while Jerry and Kara did some more contemporary songs like Over the Rainbow and Goodbye Yellow Brick Road from Elton John. Jerry said he’d always wanted to sing an Elton John song on that stage.
After 3 songs, Bob came back. I can’t remember all the songs they did but one was Sweet Georgia Brown. Jerry would speak about some of the history of each song, when it was written (most before 1945), who first performed it and so on. They ended the concert, as they always do, with It’s a Wonderful World.
The amazing thing is Bob never uses sheet music. He has memorized every song he plays. Jerry seldom uses sheet music for these concerts. That has always astounded me, who has no memory at all.
Sage Hall is a beautiful venue. It’s beautifully maintained with lovely architectural details and woods.
The huge windows had a beautiful view of the blue skies and white clouds as they sang Blue Skies. This complemented the comfortable blue velvet seating.
Not a great picture, but the dome and ceiling overhead are a delight to look at.
It was a lovely late summer afternoon spent in the company of people who truly loved this small band. They impart such joy and happiness to their music it’s no wonder they have such a devoted following.
Source: http://www.bobandjerry.com/