They put together a great first set starting with The Halfway House Orchestra's Just Pretending, also the title of one of their CDs, with John on bari sax and a Jimmy Mazzy 's vocal.   Tom Boates, playing on his own turf, pressed the band with a driving  trombone on Yellow Dog Blues.  Clark played an inspired Clarinet Marmalade.  We especially liked Jeff Hughes' sweet cornet on Down By The Old Mill Stream, with Jimmy Mazzy heartfelt vocal.  These two are always attuned - they've played together for many years, originally on Ray Smith's Paramount Jazz Band. 

Next was a relatively unknown Walter Donaldson tune, a gentle, compassionate, Sweet Jenny Lee.  Clark's trilling clarinet, and Boates muted trombone traded 4's on an impressive I've Got to Get Horizontal, backed by the dynamic rhythm section.  They finished this set with Roll On Mississippi, ending with the front line's eerie train whistle. 

They're travellin'. This year they've been to Jazz in the Olympics, the America's Dixieland Jazz Festival,  Bar Harbor Music Festival, and they're heading for the Suncoast Dixieland Jazz Fest in November.  Our best kept secret won't be secret for very long.