The Nightblooming Jazzmen
continue into a new era!

It is with much joy that we announce the continuation of the Night Blooming Jazzmen. Chet Jaeger's family has decided that the band should continue to perform, spreading our usual excitement while also paying tribute to Chet's legacy to the jazz community.

Les Deutsch is moving from the piano chair to play cornet and lead the NBJ. Trumpet is actually Les' first instrument - and it is a whole lot easier to lead a band from the cornet position. Check out this interesting sample of Les' cornet playing (in fact, he pays all the parts on this video!) Andrew Barrett will take the piano chair. The remainder of the NBJ remains intact.

Mike Olson is taking over the business manager duties. As such, if you are reading this and wish to hire the NBJ for a fesitval, jazz club, worship service, or private party, please contact Mike. You can reach him at piano-88@hotmail.com or by phone at (909) 694-9021.

The Night Blooming Jazzmen (NBJ, or "Nightbloomers") is a traditional, or dixieland band, formed in October 1975 to represent the Society for the Preservation of Dixieland Jazz at the third Sacramento Jubilee. There were very few jazz bands in existence then – not enough to put on a festival. The NBJ was started as an ad-hoc "pick-up band." It was not expected to survive – but the NBJ were so well-received and had so much fun that they stuck together. Since then, they have played thousands of concerts, church services, funerals, house parties, grand openings, jazz clubs, wedding receptions, dances, etc .. AND several dozen cruises and land trips to China, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Alaska, Hawaii, the Caribbean, the Panama Canal, the Amazon, the Mediterranean, and many other parts of Europe.

The Night Blooming Jazzmen has been one of the busiest bands in the nation – and they hope to be again soon! They have a lot of fun with their audiences and each other and despite this their music is top-quality. They play well and put on a great show. The band's Sunday morning "hymn-a-long" often typically has the largest attendance of any event at a festival. To quote from a festival program:

"The Nightbloomers are certainly the most popular band right here in the greater Los Angeles area despite some awesome competition. Not only does leader Chet Jaeger put on a fine line of patter, but practically the whole band sings. The band is in constant demand. Despite that, the band finds plenty of time to play locally and very graciously for charities and jazz club dates. One specialty of the band is spirituals and hymns. Despite the old jokes, spontaneous nuttiness and musical spoofs, the band puts out jazz of very high quality. No hour or so is better spent than enjoying the Nightbloomers."