Dave Greer's Classic Jazz Stompers

Apr 27 - 2-5 at the Clintonville Woman's Club

We're excited to bring back a perennial audience and dancer favorite, Dave Greer's Classic Jazz Stompers from Dayton, for our April show. The band was founded in 1981, the same year as COHJS, and shares with us a passion to be "keepers of the flame" for traditional jazz music of the 1920's and 30's. They keep the music fresh and energized, and in recent years have gained a following from a new generation of vintage swing dancers. In fact the band thoroughly enjoys playing for dancers and gets invited to play for dance events. They even released a few albums of music specifically tailored for dancing.

One of the coolest venues to see the band play is at America's Packard Museum in Dayton. Listening to classy vintage jazz while surrounded by stunning, classy vintage cars - what a perfect match! And well worth the trip. The band will be playing at the Packard Museum's Spring Fling during April 25-26. Find details at: https://www.americaspackardmuseum.org.

But we're grateful to have them performing for us here "live and local." The band has a unique focus among trad jazz bands. The band's write up for a Grugelfest program described it well: the band is inspired by "the moment in the late 1920s and early 1930s when classic jazz evolved into small-band swing. The front line remained intact, while the driving rhythm of tuba and banjo was lightened by the substitution of guitar and string bass. Unhampered by horn sections or written arrangements of big band jazz, the music let lead players explore their own creativity with the support of a 'modern' rhythm section, looking backward with an affectionate smile and forward with an appreciative glance."

The Band: The front line is Dave Kosmyna on trumpet (filling in for Chris Moore), Eric Gfeifenhagen on clarinet and saxophones, and Vaughn Wiester on trombone. The rythm section is Jim Leslie on drums, Chris Berg on string bass, and Mike Darrah on piano.

SHOW ADMISSION
General Admission $20, COHJS Members + SwingColumbus dancers $15, Music educators + music students ALWAYS FREE! All other students $10
For as little as $20 for a membership you can help keep Hot Jazz Live & Local! (+ get the discount at shows)

~ Please Help Us Keep It Live & Local! ~

It's a perfect time to join or renew your COHJS membership for 2025!

Please join or renew now online!

Open Community Jam + Dance

Wed May 14, 8:15 til 11 ~ Still Free!*

Dance workshop at 8:15, bandstand around 8:45

Bring your self, an instrument, dancin' shoes - let's enjoy this together!

Generally every 2nd Wed of the month - June 11, July 9, etc - but please check!

* Can you bring $5? Also PayPal, Venmo, debit or credit here.
Need your help to keep this every month, and Free! ... and indoors ;-)

Rambling House Music Bar, 310 E Hudson St Cbus.

Our friends + partners at Rambling House need our help to keep this going! We'll pass the Tip Jar around ... please bring a $5 bill to help with RH's expenses. If most of the "usual crowd" is willing to put in $5 that goes a long way to keeping this - and Rambling House - stable + sustainable.
Thanks so much for helping out!

Quick dance workshop at 8:15! Big ol' thank you to Shannon Varner and SwingColumbus for joining in with this part!

Always plenty of people there happy to share and help with steps, songs, and techniques.
Thanks to our friends at SwingColumbus for helping out + joining in.

One More Spring 2025 Show!

Mark Your Calendar

June 22 - working on the band - check back soon!

All shows Sunday's 2-5, at the Clintonville Woman's Club
and hoping to have dance workshops too!

General Admission $20, COHJS Members + SwingColumbus dancers $15
Students $10, but Music educators + music students ALWAYS FREE!

Larry Nusser's Celebration of Life
May 4

We were deeply saddened by the passing of our dear friend, loving husband, father and grandfather, and tirelessly serving Membership Chair (and so much more) for COHJS, Larry Nusser.

The family is putting on a potluck picnic + Dixieland jam session on May 4, 1230 - 430.
Rising Shelter House, Rising Park
1100 N High St, Lancaster 43130

They've generously invited the whole COHJS and wider music and dance community to join them!

Straight from the family:
"We welcome everyone to come + share some food, laughter, music + memories in honor of one of the greatest, Larry Nusser.

"This celebration is on the weekend that would have been Larry and Sandy's 56th wedding anniversary.

"We encourage all guests to bring a side or dessert. We'll provide chicken tenders, pulled pork, salads, tea, lemonade, and water. No alcohol is permitted in the park.

In addition to everything Larry was to family and friends, he was a superb piano man. Taught by his mom from a young age in almost every and any musical genre, and truly excelling in the Dixieland and ragtime world. He played for decades and toured a lot of Europe and the US with the Toll House Jazz Band ...

and then the Northside Jazz Band ...

He served COHJS for many decades - half of forever it seems, most of his adult life - in a million ways. For years he's been on the Board and taken care of everything related to members and memberships.

We miss him so very much, in so very many ways.

His full obituary is here.