Johnny Bones and the Palace of Jazz

With an 8-piece orchestra that includes trumpets, clarinets, bass lines, and novelty drums and percussion during two free shows at Moody's Bistro & Lounge on Friday, Aug. 8 and Saturday, Aug. 9.

Johnny Bones and the Palace of Jazz will deliver a show at Moody's that feels like stepping back into the musical past while simultaneously listening to a band that is unmistakably part of jazz music's future. The group's sound is strongly influenced by the early, “hot" Jazz bands, such as Jelly Roll Morton and his Red Hot Peppers, Tiny Parham from Chicago, and Duke Ellington's Cotton Club Orchestra from New York. Like many of these pre-big band ensembles, Johnny Bones and the Palace of Jazz enjoys the intimacy and personality of the “smaller" eight-piece orchestra. The instrumentation is powerful enough to really get the joint jumpin', but small enough to leave room for the individuality of the players.

Although the band is influenced by everyone from early jazz musicians to Jimi Hendrix to Mozart, the group also takes pride in making sure that everything they perform is infused with a large dose of originality. Many of the most popular numbers are pieces written by Johnny Bones himself. Even when Johnny Bones and the Palace of Jazz play “the standards," compositions by Cole Porter, Jelly Roll Morton, Jimmy Van Heusen and the like, they always make sure to write their own arrangements of the material.

Johnny Bones has cut his teeth on the Bay Area jazz scene since 1992. As a sideman he has played in both clubs and movies with Dizzy Gillespie, Percy Heath, Eddie Palmieri, and Nell Carter, among others. After studying on full scholarship at Berklee College in Boston, and completing a master's degree in composition, he created Johnny Bones and the Palace of Jazz 6 years ago. The orchestra, which showcases a classy sound that is sweet but full of spice, held its debut performance at the prestigious Yoshi's Nitespot at Jack London Square in Oakland.

Since this auspicious opening the band has entertained audiences up and down the west coast with its special blend of wah-wah trumpets, soaring clarinets, thumping bass lines, and novelty drums and percussion. For two years the group performed regularly at the Shattuck hotel in Berkeley, and have since enjoyed performances at Club Deluxe in San Francisco, the Brown Derby in Los Angeles, and many other venues.

Located inside the historic Truckee Hotel on Commercial Row, Moody's Bistro & Lounge is known for its locally sourced ingredients served in an informal atmosphere reminiscent of Tahoe in the 1920s. The restaurant serves a variety of Contemporary American specialties in a range of affordable price points, as well as a seasonal drink menu made with fresh herbs and fruit. The lounge also is home to live jazz shows by top U.S. and international acts. Moody's is located a few minutes from Interstate 80 at 10007 Bridge Street in Truckee (on the corner of Commercial Row). For reservations, call (530) 587- 8688 or visit moodysbistro.com.