It was worth the 200-mile trip to Waldoboro Maine on Saturday, September 13, 2003 to hear Muriel Havenstein in Concert.   What a firecracker!!  Betty Weaver says she's "Right on the money" With Noel Kaletsky on reeds, Jeff Hughes on trumpet, Gary Gemmiti on drums, John Hunter on string bass, the jam-packed Waldo Theatre reverberated with the sound of great jazz! 

Born and raised in NYC, Muriel was one of a musical family.  Her father coached her on the piano where she learned by playing with him and friends.  She began to play in New York clubs and social settings and eventually joined Local 802, the Musician's Union.  In 1942, she met Estelle Slaven, and joined the all girl jazz group.  "Estelle & the Brunettes."  This was a turning point in Muriel's long career.  For several years the group toured the eastern seaboard, performing in major cities including Miami, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Atlantic City.

Muriel left this busy life for a quieter one of marriage and a family.  As her three children grew and left home, she resumed her career in Damariscotta.  She has appeared with numerous well-known national and area artista and can be heard at her favorite haunts, playing with her trio or backing area singers.  Muriel says "Life is good. Music is good; keeps me young and fit..and that's it."
 

Dubbed "The Mid-Coast Monster" by Jeff Hughes, 80-year-old Muriel was completely in charge with tunes like  Rosetta, Stompin' at the Savoy,  Struttin' with Some Barbeque, You Turned The Tables On Me.  The front line gave her the stage for Out Of Nowhere. 

Noel Kaletsky often comes to Maine to accompany Muriel  wherever she may be playing at the time, usually with Scott Philbrick.   

He's dynamite, but also marvelous on low-register clarinet duet with the string bass,  and on soprano sax with You Turned The Tables On Me.  Stunned us with a crescendo ending on Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans!

But we won't see him around here for a while - he's one of New England's busiest reed-men and is off and running to various festivals all over the country for the next 6 months.
Jeff Hughes filled in on trumpet, in the absence of Scotty Philbrick, and traded  with Noel on Stompin' at the Savoy, China Boy, Limehouse Blues, S'Wonderful. He took out the flugelhorn for Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans. And he was HOT, HOT, HOT on the Benny Goodman Septet tune of the 30's & 40's,  Benny's Bugle.

Jeff comes from Quincy, Massachusetts, and is one of New England's most sought after reed-men for his interpretations (not imitations) of Bix Beiderbecke and Bunny Berigan.

   John Hunter is a real professional swinging and lyrical bassist, (with Dizzy, Clark Terry, Slide Hampton). He was enjoying this gig.  The duet with Noel's  low-register clarinet on Rosetta was  absolutely haunting, while the  bass/drum duet on Sweet Georgia Brown was a rabble rouser.

Vocalist Carole Stone was on hand for a couple of vocals, Blues In The Night and Angel Eyes.

Carole produced and hosted Muriel's 80th Birthday party at this Theatre on May 5, 2003.  (The CD is available - check our CD listings here.)   Carole does a touching, torch rendition on "Fever" and "I'm Glad There Is You" that had me crying! 


"Tasteful" is the best description of drummer Gary Gemmiti.  You can tell he  studied with Alan Dawson.  He was right  there, the concrete foundation,  essential, but without the loud and flashy.
He's been playing drums professionally for 25 years and is currently active as a free-lance musician in Maine and seacoast New Hampshire, and is a regular at the Pressroom in Portsmouth.

 

Muriel speaks with fans after the performance.  11pm, she was heard to say  "OK  - where are we going to celebrate??" and off they went to a well stocked private residence to 'wind down'.

Theatre Director Kevin Brown also came up-stage for one song - he is obviously Theatre trained, and really projected with I Want A Sunday Kind Of Love.  This theatre has marvelous acoustics.

The Waldo Theatre also offers a rich variety of live entertainment, and the seats are really comfortable!    Check it out at:      http://www.waldotheatre.org/events2003.htm

It was a great evening.  As Muriel says, "Life is good. Music is good; keeps me young and fit..and that's it."

by Marce October 2003


Muriel Havenstein at the Pressroom, Sunday September 14th

by Sally Neale
 

I was at the Pressroom Sunday and Muriel, along with Charlie Jennison, Jim Howe and Les Harris, Jr. was in fine form. There was a rather small crowd when we arrived just after 5PM, but by the second set the house started to fill up and the onlookers were pleasantly surprised at the energy this petite lady generated.

They did any number of standards including Honeysuckle Rose, You Turned the Tables in Me, Caravan, and Willow Weep For Me. Charlie Jennison was at home on everything from flute to tenor sax, Jim Howe was humming along with his bass solos a la Major Holley and Les Harris, Jr. was fabulous on his solos working from sticks to brushes and back flawlessly..

When Jim Howe called a Charlie Parker tune that Muriel did not know, she listened with sharp ears for eight bars and jumped right in, playing the tune like it was one of her favorites. I might have been one of two people who noticed it, but the rest of the house never noticed and that is one of the things only a polished professional can do, keep on playing no matter what. Bravo Muriel. She received more than one standing ovation.

Muriel brought with her about a dozen CD's of her 80th birthday concert from May 4th at the Waldo Theater. A celebration at which I was honored to perform for her along with a host of well known players from the New England area. So folks, I am now officially on record. Those CD's were snapped right up, but can be ordered from Muriel who will be glad to mail one to you. We need to get hold of the innkeeper in Marshfield to bring Muriel down there so our local crowd can enjoy this marvelous jazzy lady from Nobleboro, Maine. We are all looking forward to her 90th birthday party. As the high school kids would say, SHE ROCKS!!!

Sally Neale


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