Easton Banjo Society celebrates 50 years

It's a hot July evening, and dozens of bullfrogs are croaking in the reedy pond next to Christ Episcopal Church, set back from the road off Route 59.

The bullfrogs' sound is one that is familiar in the countryside. But from the open door of the church basement echoes a novel sound: the plinka-plinka-plink of four-string tenor banjos, relics of the Vaudeville era.

These are the instruments that plunked out a jangling rhythm to popular songs of the early 20th century, such as "Toot Toot Tootsie Goodbye."

These jazz banjos, in the hands of the 11 members of the Easton Banjo Society, are louder and brassier than the better-known five-string banjos of bluegrass. The music that is suited to them is as old-timey as a Mary Pickford

movie.

This is the banjo society's rehearsal night, one of two a month at the church where they prepare for numerous appearances, often playing free summer concerts at venues like the Sherman Green Gazebo in Fairfield.

"When's our next show guys? Yes, Aug. 4th in Sandy Hook," said Will Tressler, 76, the Connecticut folk musician who leads the Easton Banjo Society.

Tressler is better known for his five-string bluegrass banjo playing in his regular band, the Jackson Pike Skifflers. But he's been a member of the Easton Banjo Society for decades, too, and puts his 1964 Gibson banjo through its merry paces on "The Marine Corps Hymn," a selection from the banjo society's repertoire.

He talks about how the banjo society dresses when

they perform publicly: straw hats, bow ties, long-sleeved white shirts and red striped vests. They wear black and white spat shoes, and they look quite dandy.

"It's a 1920s look," said Bob Chamberlain, 92, a co-founder of the group, who was driven to the rehearsal from his home in Newtown by his younger wife, Barbara.

The couple sits together and taps their feet to the bright beat the banjo society strums out.

They've been at it a long time.

"You know, this is our 50th anniversary,"

Chamberlain said, with a hint of nostalgia.

"I started the band to bring back the old-time music that I remember from when I was very young," Chamberlain said. "People were appreciative. There was a demand for it. Now, there aren't too many people left."

The average age of the band members is probably 70-something, Tressler said. The average age of the audience that comes out at night to a town green to hear this kind of music is pretty far up the ladder as well.

"The audience is thinning out," Chamberlain said.

But they soldier on. The group was formed in Easton in 1957 by Chamberlain, Myron Gould, Ted Sommers and Les Warren. Their lineup includes ragtime-style piano, tuba, drums and washboard.

Their repertoire includes the

music of Stephen Foster, Scott Joplin, W.C. Handy, Irving Berlin, and George M. Cohan.

Tressler jokes that he is the only member who lives in Easton. Everyone else drives in from out of town.

"I enjoy it," said Alex Gasper, 48, of New Fairfield.

A guitar player who doubles on tenor banjo, Gasper admits he did not grow up listening to old-time music as his senior brethren did.

"I was used to Eric Clapton, you know, that kind of blues, but I like this, too," said Gasper, who is the youngest member of the band — young enough to be the others' son.

The bass notes come from a tuba, much like a 19th century band would have had.

"The tuba is no harder to play than any other valved instrument, I would say," said Pat Bowen, a

man from the Black Rock section of Bridgeport who will only say he is in his 60s. He sits in the back row and blows on the whale of a horn.

Some of the instruments are made of shiny metal, and it is obvious they are valuable and part of a collection.

"This one is a banjo mandolin. It's different from the other banjos," said Tom Colimitra, 79, of Monroe, a longtime member.

The band gets paid for its performances, but with 11 members to split up the pie, $500 would work out to be transportation money.

"We work for expenses," Tressler said.

They have been known to travel. On July 4, 1981, they played for President Reagan at the White House. They have also performed for the Statue of Liberty restoration ceremonies, and are a

featured band of the Great Connecticut Traditional Jazz Festival.

The band has marketed CDs of their music; before there were CDs, they marketed cassette tapes.

"We have tapes that we haven't transferred to CD," Tressler said.

Now that the original audience for their style of music is declining, something other than the thrill of performing for a crowd is driving these musicians.

"It's a social thing," Colimitra said. "We get together."

New recruits come by word of mouth, but only rarely.

"Younger guys are hard to find," Colimitra said.

Among the band members are Tim Morse, of North Haven; Lenny Staib, of Danbury; Brian Redmond, of Sherman; Bill Palmer, of Danbury; Frank Kurtz, of Stratford; M.D. Rickers, of West Haven; and Bill Steinhauser, of Wallingford.

One thing is sure: When a listener hears them perform, they can become convinced that they really do "have the cutest little baby face," as the old song goes.

It's a motivator.

"We keep going," Tressler said.

The band's final free performance of the season is Sunday from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at Birmingham Health Center, 210 Chatfield St. in Derby.

For information on the Easton Banjo Society, call 268-7674 or 380-2095.