JOE HANLON’S BEARCATS JAZZ BAND

A BRIEF HISTORY

1977 Band founded by Joe Hanlon and Dick Van Gorder in Westchester, NY

1978 Started playing bi-weekly at The Blazer Pub in Purdys, NY

Band is now in its 25~ year at the Blazer

1980-1985 First Jazz Festival in Buffalo, NY Appeared at this Fest four offive years

1984 First Recording- cassette tape

1990 Second Recording

1993 First appearance at the Greater Connecticut Traditional Jazz Festival, Essex, CT

Have now played at this major Festival nine of the last 10 years 1993

Started playing at Tuxedo Junction, Danbury, CT

Played at Tuxedo for five straight years—Friday Nights 6 PMto 9 PM

1994 Third Recording, first CD- “Swing That Music”

At The Carriage House , Stamford, CT

1996 Fourth Recording, “The Joint is Jumpin” Carriage House

1997 Concert at JazzClub of Sarasota, FL - audience of 1800. Concert for Suncoast Dixieland Jazz Club, Tampa, FL

1998 Started 3 year engagement at Yesterday’s Café, Danbury

1999 Fifth Recording- CD “Special Edition” 8 piece band

Started a 5 year engagement at The Silvermine Tavern in Norwalk, Thursday nights

2000 First West Coast appearance at The Big Bear Lake Jazz Festival. California

2001 Suncoast Jazz Festival, 3 days in Clearwater, FL

2002 Spokane Jazz Festival, 4 days in Spokane, WA

Ninth appearance at CT Jazz Fest

Trumbull Inaugural Jazz Festival

PA Jazz Society Festival, 1 day

Repeat appearance at the Suncoast Jazz Fest, Nov in FL 2003 Sixth Recording, “SILVER JUBILEE” Vol 6

2003 CT Jazz Festival, Trumbull Jazz Festival

2004 Booked at Orange County Jazz Festival, CA and Suncoast Dixie Festival, FL

Early Jazz Festival, Strongsville, OH

Other engagements include many CT country and yacht clubs, Ives Concert series, Town Concerts (Danbury; Greenwich; Brookfield; Stamford; Ridgefield;Somers, Levitt Pavilion; Millbrook, NY; Croton, NY Fishkill, NY); First Nights and many others.

Bearcats History