Tap your feet

“Oh, when you smilin’

“When you smilin’

“The whole world smiles with you.”

And if you’re of a certain age, you would surely be smiling when you hear this kind of music. And tapping your feet. And swing dancing if your joints permit.

Where can you go for that kind of high? You don’t have to travel far. Dixieland is right here in the Naples area: the Norris Center, Cambier Park, and River Park Community Center.

I remember hearing the Jazzmasters Dixieland Band for the first time several years ago. I tapped my feet and grinned nonstop. I wasn’t alone. The audience at the Norris Center, a sea of bobbing white hair, applauded every break and loved every minute of it. It was hard to tell who was having more fun — the audience or the musicians.

And what’s not to like? “Bourbon Street Parade,” “Bill Bailey,” “Avalon,” “Way Down Yonder in New Orleans.” Classics performed by oldtimers for oldtimers.

The underpinning for this is the Naples Jazz Society, which has been operating continuously since 1995, with a board of directors and all of the trappings. A founder and longtime leader is Dr. Jim Gover, a retired dentist who plays the piano, trombone and anything else within reach. His designated successor is trumpet player Marc Gerber.

TRECKER

A few weeks ago, I had the good fortune of attending an old-fashioned jam session at Dr. Jim’s house, where a group of musicians happened by and let it all hang out. There were two pianists, a tuba player, two drummers, one doubling on the washboard, two trumpet players, and a combination saxophonist/clarinetist. Anyone who could hold a microphone did the vocals.

I thought I’d died and gone to heaven. There was a mixture of rag, blues, swing and show tunes: “Washington & Lee Swing,” “Hello Dolly,” “Sheik of Araby,” “Ain’t She Sweet,” “St. James Infirmary” (my request) and many others.

A highlight was Jim Hansen, a former PhD businessman who sang and played the washboard while imitating Louis Armstrong’s gravelly voice in “What a Wonderful World.”

The musicians come from all walks. While some are professional, most have had a former life — teachers, tradesmen, attorneys, even a retired gastroenterologist. Their ages range from elderly to very old, an exception being a young drummer who slipped the traces of youth to play old-time music.

How tough is it to attract young musicians? Gerber says, tongue in cheek, “We do get some. For example, we have a 63-year-old trombonist, a 73-year-old drummer, a 75-year-old sax player.” Drum roll. Kaboom. I guess age is what you make of it.

Although the musicians may be greybeards, the music is ageless. The two-hour bacchanal I attended ended with a slam-bang “That’s a Plenty.” Every visitor to Naples over the age of 70 should drop by for at least one Tuesday morning jam session.

Some years ago, historian David Mc- Cullough did just that and ended up singing “Bye, Bye Blackbird” accompanied by a jazz band in Cambier Park. How’s that for checking off an item on your bucket list!

What about concerts? Those remaining in 2024 and those scheduled in 2025 are listed in the Arts & Entertainment section. Mark the dates on your calendar and come when you can. The music is free, and the pass-the-hat donations are tax-deductible.

The aficionados among us assume these performances will go on forever, but you never know. Marc Gerber says he worries about what will happen first: Will they run out of money, or run out of audiences, or run out of musicians?

Let’s hope it’s none of the above. ¦

Dave Trecker is a chemist and retired Pfizer executive living in Florida.

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