This wonderful impromptu video was created by Alex Matthews — his YouTube channel is called “talentedlosers,” make of that what you will. He took his video camera to California Adventure Disney (in Anaheim) where the “Ellis Island Boys” are appearing three times a week for seven half-hour sets.
If you think of “Ellis Island Boys” as being a group of imitation immigrants, think again: how about Ralf Reynolds (washboard); John Reynolds (guitar and vocal); Katie Cavera (string bass); Bryan Shaw (sitting in for Marc Caparone, trumpet) — we know them as the Reynolds Brothers! — performing a truly Bixian version of I’M COMIN’ VIRGINIA that also pays homage to Eddie Lang:
Thanks to Ralf, John, Bryan, Katie, Alex, the ghost of Walt, Bix, and Eddie . . . for the lovely music and the lovely video!
The sepia tones of this film and the outfits worn by the musicians give a sense that this performance was played in the early 1930′s. But, you know what? Anyone who sees and listens to this number will think, “Damn, in a hundred years, jazz has never been so good.”