Mohr Library plays the blues

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“Despite the simplicity of its basic form and its humble beginnings,” Mohr Library Director John Anderson wrote on a promotional piece, “the blues went on to become and incredibly important part of America’s music, as it greatly affected jazz, country music, pop music and event classical music.”

So, to expand upon the life of blues music, Johnston’s Marian J. Mohr Library officials extended an invitation to the Aristocats – who have displayed their legendary talents there in the past – to provide musical examples during last Thursday’s “The Impact of the Blues” educational and entertainment event.

The Aristocats treated patrons to the sounds of Mamie Smith, Bessie Smith, W.C. Handy, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Little Richard, Hank Williams and Jimmie Rodgers, just to named a few icons of yesteryear.

“This has been a great program with a mix of history of the blues from the 1920s through the 1960s,” Helen Antonizio, the long-serving president of Friends of Mohr Library and an admitted blues fan, offered. “Tonight was special; we enjoyed demonstrations of musical pieces along with some special humor.”

That humor, as well as what Antonizio and others called “an excellent and entertaining selection of music,” came from the legendary Aristocats, a five-member band that has been together for close to 28 years and is directed by the legendary Lloyd S. Kaplan.

Kaplan, who is a member of the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame, “is amazing,” assessed Antonizio. He is a longtime saxophone and clarinet player who, at age 86, shows no signs of slowing down, especially when it comes to his well-known humor.

Kaplan has been an integral part of the state’s music scene for six decades and counting. He developed the jazz program of study at the Community College of Rhode Island, where the Lloyd S. Kaplan Scholarship was established in his honor.

Thus, as noted, the Aristocats – taking a cue from Kaplan – took a small yet appreciative audience through the storied history of blues, and the energetic and fun-loving bandleader also conducted a quiz pertaining to the genre.

Kaplan was accompanied by John Curzio on bass, keyboard player extraordinaire Stan Holztman whose brother Joe Holtzman is the Aristocats drummer and a second saxophonist, Lloyd’s son Mitchell Kaplan.

“In the 1940s and ’50s, jazz became more complicated,” Kaplan explained. “People wanted to dance … that led to rhythm and blues like Little Richard’s ‘Long Tall Sally’ and even bluegrass.”

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