After 48 years, Jazzaffair at Three Rivers keeps the spirit of music alive
Dixieland jazz first came to Three Rivers in the early 70s because of the McKee family. The informal musicals soon developed into the acclaimed High Sierra Jazz Band and the annual Jazzaffair. Now it’s coming full circle with the McKee daughters taking over this weekend’s 48th Annual Jazzaffair.
They’ve added new sounds and events to appeal to the younger crowd—such as Zydaco, western swing, rockabilly, and ragtime bands—but the Jazzaffair remains a tradition that fans wouldn’t miss.
The music begins with a kick-off dinner Thursday at 6 p.m. at the Three Rivers Memorial Building, then runs at three venues from Friday afternoon to Sunday afternoon.
The High Sierra Band retired in 2019 when all the original members were in their 80s, but some are still performing in their new band, the Sierra Stompers. The St. John’s Riverboat Jazz Band from Visalia, which started with the help of the High Sierra Jazz Band, also returns this year after many years away.
How jazz came to Three Rivers
“If my cousin, Terri, would never have taken that trip to Ireland in 1967, there never would have been jazz in Three Rivers or a Jazzaffair,” Gaynor McKee, wife of Earl McKee, a founding member of the High Sierra Jazz Band, is quoted in the band history of the Jazzaffair.
In Dublin, Terry met German-born Leuder Ohlwein, who played banjo in European jazz haunts. The two married, and Leuder returned to Three Rivers, where he started the Jazzberry Jam Band, which soon evolved into the High Sierra Jazz Band.
Music wasn’t new to the McKees. As a girl, Gaynor had been a ballerina and model in Hollywood. She was in a dance class with Rita Moreno and got beat out for a role at age 12 by Jane Powell. Earl’s father was a champion fiddle player. Gaylor, Earl, and their kids sang Sons of the Pioneers-style songs at local events and for politicians like Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan.
The High Sierra Jazz Band sometimes sat with the famed Turk Murphy’s Dixieland band in San Francisco. They became the hottest band on the Sacramento scene, the mecca for traditional jazz back then.
Trumpet player Al Smith lived in Sacramento and was so taken by the High Sierra Jazz Band that he moved his business to Exeter so he could play in the band.
Special sound in the foothills
The band spent 40 years on the jazz circuit, playing worldwide and on cruise ships. Their sound was special.
“Everybody felt like they knew my dad,” said Linda McKee Amaral. “He loved performing. He was so different from other traditional jazz singers. He could sing opera. He had a beautiful voice and sang at every wedding and funeral.”
Earl McKee and other long-time band members Vic Kimze and Al Smith loved to talk with the crowds. They made life-long friends.
“That made them different from other bands. They reached out to the crowd,” said Amaral. “Hundreds of RVers would come to camp out during the Jazzaffair, and they followed the band to their concerts and went on their cruises with them.”
Earl McKee died just before the 2019 Jazzaffair, the High Sierra Band’s retiring concert. Then Covid hit, members of the Sierra Traditional Jazz Club, which coordinated the Jazzaffair, also retired. The call went out to Amaral and her sister Chearl (pronounced Cheryl but spelled to honor her dad Earl) McKee.
The sisters were both retired (Amaral was the dance instructor at College of the Sequoias for 40 years) and had moved back to the Three Rivers homestead.
“We knew all the bands. We couldn’t let it die,” said Amaral, explaining why they decided to take up the challenge.
It’s been an incredible amount of work but also fun.
Chearl is a former bartender, so she’s been making up funny jazz names for drinks they’ll serve.
They’ll also continue the tradition of giving out scholarships and sending music students to camp.
“The Jazzaffair has given out $200,000 in 35 or 40 years of scholarships,” said Amaral.
How to attend
Those attending can buy a three-day pass or just buy a ticket for one day or one concert. A shuttle takes people between the three venues in Three Rivers. The shuttle is free for pass holders. Nine bands will play, switching between venues. Included are the Sierra Stompers, which feature three members of the original High Sierra Jazz Band. One of their new members is a 15-year-old top reed player, Nathan Tokunaga. On Saturday night, there will be a 40th birthday bash for the Blues Street Jazz Band, which has played at the Jazz affair for most of those 40 years. Check the website for the concert schedule. www.threeriversjazzaffair.com/jazzaffair-2023
This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: Three Rivers music festival Jazzaffair changes with the times
