All that Jazz: NOLA comes to Longboat Key

Longboat Key
Neighbors

The Education Center may be considerably far east from New Orleans, but passersby could be forgiven for thinking they were walking by Bourbon Street the evening of Jan. 21 as the sounds of classic jazz carried out from the halls.

Kid Dutch and company delighted listeners with a throwback to the days of speakeasies and wise guys. The set list had old-school tunes including Johnny Mercer’s “Lazybones” and Jelly Roll’s “Grandpa’s Spells,” known for its comedic collapsing on the keys by the band's pianist.

Accompanying Dutch were Charles Bornemann on the trombone, Lew Green on the cornet, Mary Green on the piano and Paul Scavarda on the banjo.

Lew Green shared several stories of navigating raucous night scenes, all in the pursuit of playing good music.

Despite the rainy weather, dozens of community members turned out for a high-spirited fun, pausing only to share slices of birthday cake for resident Ed Mikus.

Community members Barbara and Nelson Mishkin sponsored bringing artists for this night and one other scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 18. Attendance is $25 for members and $30 for nonmembers. Visit The Education Center to register ahead.

author

Dana Kampa

Dana Kampa is the Longboat Key neighbors reporter for the Observer. She first ventured into journalism in her home state of Wisconsin, going on to report community stories everywhere from the snowy mountains of Washington State to the sunny shores of the Caribbean. She has been a writer and photographer for more than a decade, covering what matters most to readers.