NAPLES JAZZ SOCIETY, INC.
NAPLES, FLORIDA

Welcome to Naples Jazz Society The Naples Jazz Society Inc. favors all sorts of “jazz,” but gives priority to the late 1930’s. Our work requires financial support, and we invite you to help us. In about 1950, at the age of 15, Wes began to develop an interest in playing the banjo, influenced no doubt by hearing his father play a beautifully decorated Weyman banjo that he had played in the Greymont Garden Orchestra in Berlin, Germany, in the late 1920’s.  Wes learned the rudiments of playing tenor banjo from his father, and by his second year in college, he knew enough to play in a square dance band at the University of Maine, the same school where his father had first heard his classmate Rudy Vallee perform.  After many years of amateur playing at neighborhood parties, Wes formed a banjo band in Portland, Maine.  He decided to switch to plectrum banjo and took lessons for a year and a half from one of Maine’s best banjo players, Don Nichols.  He played in various Dixieland bands in the State of Maine for 20 years, formed his second band (the Penobscot Banjo Company) in Bangor, Maine, then moved to Florida where in 1999 he organized his third band, the Marco Island Strummers. He has been the Director of the Marco Island Strummers since 1999.  He is a member of the Naples Dixieland Jazz Band and the Naples Jazzmasters. At Lawrence High School Marc played trumpet in the marching band, symphonic band and the Top Hats, a four piece combo. At Cornell University Marc played in the Big Red Marching Band, the Pep Band and the Symphonic Band as well as a Dixieland Band.  He is a member of the Naples Jazzmasters, Marco Island Strummers, Naples Swing Band, The Entertainers Dance Band, The Nudniks Klezmer Band and the Flamingo All Stars. He plays all the old jazz standards & swing tunes from the 30’s – 40’s and loves to play Dixieland. He is Treasurer of the Naples Jazz Society, Inc. Jim is the leader of our bands. The extent of his devotion and effort to make our kind of music in Naples is unequaled by anyone else. Jim is a graduate of the University of Kentucky. He served with the United States Air Force. He is a retired dentist, expert musician on tuba, trombone, piano and harmonica and Civil War history lecturer. Simply put, Jim makes the music happen here in Naples. He is the President of the Naples Jazz Society, Inc. Welcome to Naples Jazz Society The Naples Jazz Society Inc. favors all sorts of “jazz,” but gives priority to the late 1930’s. Our work requires financial support, and we invite you to help us. Naples Jazz Society, Inc. The Naples Jazz Society, Inc. has complied with the registration requirements of Chapter 496, Florida Statutes, the Solicitations of Contributions Act. TOLL-FREE NUMBER 1-800-HELP-FLA (435-7352)     www.FloridaConsumerHelp.com