ABOUT THE MYSTERIOUS BABIES
We play events, clubs, parties, and have a special place for dancers. It's a dance music, and we work to follow that tradition.
Our group works to present early styles for all audiences, in honor of the pioneers of jazz, Bolden, Oliver, Keppard, Bechet, Armstrong, Ory, Ellington, Morton and so many others. Based in Tucson. Available for many events. Our cover photo is a portrait of Joe Oliver, whose leadership and artistry is a keystone for the development of jazz.
The Mysterious Babies play for events, parties, dances, and ceremonials. We try our best to play music from the early styles, respect to the founders and early masters. Our name is that of an early social aid and benevolent society in New Orleans, the kind of which supported and grew the music and traditions. Many MB members grew into music and began their roots/traditional jazz playing in junior high school, part of the Arizona Roadrunners. This movement for traditional jazz in Tucson, began at the turn of this century….working to learn the foundations of a world art, jazz, starting near at the turn of the 20th century.
In the site photos, just a few of the artists who made this music are shown. The opening background is a photograph of Joe Oliver, one of the greatest and most influential of this pioneer generation. And subsequently "King" Oliver's Creole Band , pictured here with Louis Armstrong, Lil Hardin-Armstrong, Honore Dutre, Johnny and Warren "Baby" Dodds, Bill Johnson. Here also is Ferdinand "Jelly roll" Morton, and the pioneer small jazz band of Charles "Buddy" Bolden in the band poster, for appearances at The Century Room.
Guy Senese, organizer, cornet and soprano saxophone, and vocals, played guitar-banjo as a charter member of the Memphis Nighthawks,. He learned cornet from the Chicago area cornetist Ed "Doc" Kittrell, who played following the lead cornet styles of Joe Oliver, George Mitchell, Natty Dominique. Ron Dewar, master clarinet and saxophone player, who began playing with Kittrell in 1975, recognized the greatness of this early music and was a mentor to Senese and countless other musicians. Memories and friendships are part of all this. Some visiting this page will think of John's Buffet, Zorbas, and The Jack Webb Band, Nature's Table, The Ground Round, Joe's Bar, The Hotel Weatherford, Flag Brew, Satch's Barbecue, and the musicians and friends who were there: Roy Rubenstein, Jack Kuncel, the unforgettable Washboard Hank, Dave Feinman, Mike Miller, Steve Jensen and Joel Helleny; Scott Mordecai, John Sexton, Pete Rumbold, Pat Castle, Jim Cox, Marlene Rosenberg, Mark Barrett, Art Davis, Marty "Nate" Swanson, who recorded it all, Terry and Shelly Masar, Laurie Solomon; and many more. The Webb Band had an Arizona renaissance and twenty years of music in Flagstaff, with John Sexton, driving from Ganado on the Navajo Nation for scores of dates, Jack and Lisa Frost, Brad Bays, Brian Sanders, Bert Harclerode, and great friend Dick Downey.