THE NEW LIBERTY JAZZ BAND MUSICIANS
Bob MacInnis - Cornet and reeds
Bob started on the trumpet in the 4th grade, continuing to play in the school band and
orchestra and then in the
U.S.Army Band. Today he brings
a wonderful tone tempered by years of experience and knowledge not only to
The New Liberty Jazz Band but to many other groups in the area playing everything from classical to swing as well as traditional
jazz. While standing still as everyone else took a step backwards, Bob came to be the
band's fearless leader. We have relied with great satisfaction on Bob's son Rob
to drive our 1941 Ford fire truck in the parades and concerts we do on the
engine. With an MA in education, he brought his skilled 15 years as a Precision Toolmaker/Machinist
as well as his teaching abilities to
Shawsheen Regional Vocational High School from which he recently retired. He resides in Billerica, Mass.
Bruce Burrell - Reeds
Bruce took up the saxophone then the clarinet in high school. He enlisted in the US Navy where he attended the Naval School of
Music. After playing with a 60 piece band at the Great Lakes Naval Training
Station, he became part of the flag band on the heavy cruiser USS St Paul
in the Korean Theater during the Korean War. An accomplished musician, he has played, and still does, with many area
bands illustrating his great versatility in many areas of music. He is a retired
Analytical Chemist-Lab Manager and lives in Burlington, Mass.
Dr.
Samuel Jay Keyser, PHD - Trombone
Like Jay's trombone skills, his Master of Ceremonies duties are performed without
a hitch, well received and appreciated by band members and audiences alike. However, Jack Phelan, our historian, needs to
correct him once in a while. (For instance the "stomp" did not
originate in the vineyards of California). Jay performs well with the band in
between his many trips to Africa where he narrowly missed becoming a delightful
morsel for a lioness, as reported in his story in the Atlantic Monthly. Professor Keyser recently retired from
M.I.T. He makes his home in Cambridge, Mass.
Dr. Jack Phelan,
MD - Piano
Jack's great style reflects his keen interest in preserving trad-jazz. When he
wasn't doctoring, he was attending performances of many great jazz bands and was often able to meet many
of the star performers. Jack has a large collection of old records, players, and
paraphernalia, and very often can be found in the locale of flea markets. Jack is
the group's historian and monitors the matter-of-factness
of Jay's sometimes wayward data on a tunes origin. (See above). Dr. Phelan retired
from his OB/GYN duties recently and resides in Swampscott, Mass.
Roland Paquette - Tenor Banjo
Roland is one of the founders of the group. He was also instrumental, (no
pun intended), in the formation of the New England Banjo Society and it was
his garage/rehearsal hall where both groups first met. (It had nothing to
do with the fact that his refrigerator was rigged to serve beer from a
half-keg). In addition to his appreciated musical contributions,
Roland, along with Bob, provided the know-how and muscle in the
restoration of the 1941 Ford fire truck the band plays on today. Roland
also rigged the sound system on the truck. He retired from IBM
as a Computer System Field Service Engineer and lives in Pelham, New Hampshire.
Dan MacInnis - Guitar Banjo
Dan started out on the violin in the 4th grade, continuing in the high
school orchestra. Seven years later he put the violin aside for a guitar received from his older brother Charlie. For the
next 40 years or so, he played for weddings, dances, shows, and other
various functions. He joined the group playing the guitar and later,
wisely for him, acted upon the members' suggestion of picking up a 6 string banjo, (a Vega Tubaphone), from an
acquaintance, Scott Philbrick, rather than risk being thrown out. Later, figuring that if he played enough notes on enough strings
something had to eventually sound okay, Dan purchased a 12-string Deering banjo. Dan retired from
Harvard University as a Computer Systems Manager. He resides in Billerica, Mass.
Al Brogdon - Tuba and trombone
Al learned to play cornet in 1943, (at age 7), and played his first playing gig on Eb
sousaphone in 1945. He has been a busy part-time Dixieland musician since 1968, playing both
trombone and tuba. Al led and played trombone in the Dixieland band called Southern Comfort
for 25 years in Maryland and has played in many other jazz bands. Al worked as an engineer
for 12 years and then as a technical editor and writer for 30 years before retiring to New
Hampshire with his wife Maggie. His other interests include motorcycling, ham radio, surfing
the Internet, travel, and playing Bavarian oompah music.
Arlene Boucher - Vocalist
Arlene is the newest addition to the band to the delight of its members and fans.
She is, however, not new to the music scene, having sung and/or played banjo
in the New England area for the last 28
years, including festival appearances at the Great Steam Jazz Festival
in Essex, Conn. She has produced one cd, "Swing That
Music," with her friend, the late, great guitar/banjo player Dave Huxtable
and the Riverbank Jazz Band. Arlene vocalizes on our latest cd , "Two to
Two". When she is not on stage, she works as an
Operating Nurse, (RN), at the Elliot Hospital in Manchester, NH. where
"break a leg" means something entirely different than in the
entertainment world. Arlene is a lifetime resident of Manchester, NH.