fortuna
concert series

Humboldt Ragtime Band

The Humboldt Ragtime Band was formed in 1992 by Humboldt County musician and music teacher Michael McClimon. Immediately upon its organization, the band became part of the great ragtime revival which has gained worldwide momentum since ragtime entered its centennial. Since its inception, the band has grown into a mature ragtime ensemble which specializes in turn of the century piano rags, parlor songs, circus band music in ragtime style, and dance band arrangements of American popular music. They play "classic" Joplin rags (such as The Maple Leaf Rag), early Jerome Kern, Irving Berlin songs (such as Alexander's Ragtime Band) and other important music of this period.

The group premiered with the Fortuna Concert Series in 1993, and since then has performed at the Redwood Coast Dixieland Jazz Festival in Eureka, West Coast Ragtime Festival in Fresno, and even for a Victorian Wedding.  The band has also accompanied two silent films: Charlie Chaplin's The Gold Rush and A Dog's Life.

The band's strong commitment to education is manifested by its numerous performances for elementary and high school audiences from Blue Lake to Fresno. The band undertook its 8th school tour in Crescent City this past spring spreading "the gospel according to Scott Joplin". These 35 minute musical programs are especially designed for elementary school audiences. As part of their presentation, members of the band dress in turn of the century costumes, give background information about the ragtime era, explain how ragtime music develop, and answer questions from the students and school staff.

Michael McClimon (leader, trumpet) is the founder of the band and is a twenty two year veteran of public school music education. He presently teaches part time at Rio Dell Elementary School and College of the Redwoods. He is leader and trumpet player for Hans' Oom-Pah Band, lead trumpet player with the swing band Titanic, and works regularly with several other dance combos. He blows the bugle for the Humboldt County Fair's horse races and this past spring he directed the orchestra for a local community production of Brigadoon.

Frank Stover (clarinet, composer, arranger) studied with Andrew Imbrie at the University of California Berkeley and with Dane Rudhyar. He has been composing since 1969. In 1973 he was awarded first prize at the California Composers' Symposium, and he has received honorable mention from the National Music Theater Network for his opera Ketchup. His works have been performed in the United States, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, and Hungary. He has been clarinetist, composer and arranger for the Humboldt Ragtime Band since 1994 and is also active in the Jewish Wedding Band.

David Demant (tuba, vocalist) is a music teacher for Eureka City Schools. He has performed in the Humboldt Light Opera Company productions of The Music Man, Guys and Dolls, and The Secret Garden. He has been choral director for several College of the Redwoods musical theater productions, and was the choral director for the Fortuna community production of Brigadoon. He sings, plays tuba, and is an original member of the Humboldt Ragtime Band.

Jill Petricca (flute) had her first music experience performing with her father, Richard Stroud, at Jacobs Junior High School in 1975. Her studies at California State University Northridge and the University of Southern California inspired her to return home to teach flute at the Humboldt State University Music Academy and to raise a family. She joined the Humboldt Ragtime Band in 1996.

Jimmy Durschlag (trombone), a Yale University graduate, has played trombone for 40 years in a wide variety of musical groups, including rock, reggae, salsa, jazz, and classical. In addition to the Humboldt Ragtime Band, which he joined in 1994, he also plays with Humboldt Time, a jazz quintet, and Kachimbo, an instrumental salsa band. He is president of an independent record label specializing in Afro-Cuban music.

Dana Christen (piano) was first inspired to play piano while listening to her grandmother play old time songs with the left hand stride style. She will also appear at the Festival as a pianist soloist. Born and raised in Scotia, California, she graduated from Humboldt State University with a degree in music and is currently in the Music Education Masters program at the University of Oregon, Eugene. She has taught music at Scotia School for the past 18 years, is a popular accompanist, and gives private piano instruction. She has been the Humboldt Ragtime Band pianist since 1994.

Michael LaBolle (percussion) has taught percussion at Humboldt State University and is currently a music educator with the Eureka City Schools. The numerous ensembles with which he has performed include Latin Keys, Tone Talk, Samba de Norte, Samba de Alegria, Note 4 Note, Spectrum Ensemble, and Cladera Nueva. He joined the Humboldt Ragtime Band in 1996.

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