Lower London Street Dixieland Band

The Lower London Street Band performs a very traditional King Oliver, Lu Watters style. We enjoy playing the songs that Gene Mayl and his jazz band brought back from San Francisco in the early 1950’s and performed in the Miami Valley area.

The band plays every last Tuesday of the month, 7:30 pm, at the Historic Red Brick Tavern (intersection of national routes 40 and 42) just outside of London, Ohio. The Red Brick Tavern is advertised as Ohio’s second oldest. The room is always packed every month and reservations are always needed for tables and seats.

The Lower London Street Personnel are:

Doug Jennings is the clarinetist and resides in Reynoldsburg. He is a retired judge for the PUCO in Ohio. He also performs with big bands in the Columbus area and played in the Buckeyes boys band while in high school.

Rick Dickerson is the cornetist and leader of the band. He resides in London and is a retired postal worker. He played in the Buckeyes boys band while in high school and currently performs in another Dixieland Band in the area. He also plays for local musicals.

Tom Billing is the trombonist. He resides in Springfield and is a retired public school band director from Springfield City Schools. He plays with many other bands, including the new Springfield Symphony Jazz Orchestra. In the past he toured with the Glenn Miller Orchestra.
Jim Scofield is the tuba player and is the manager of the band. He resides in London and is a retired public school band director from Madison Plains Schools. He plays in a separate Dixieland band as well and is an expert in the Turk Murphy repertoire that the band plays. Jim produces the playlists for each event and these reflect the correct nomenclature.

Glenn Parks is the banjo player. He resides in Springfield and is a retired insurance salesman. Glenn also persoems with the Kettering Banjo Band and has a very successful, and busy solo banjo act that performs all over the country.

Ernie Sparks is the drummer and wardrobe manager. He resides in London and owns and operates the Medicine Shoppe there. Ernie plays local musicals and plays in another Dixieland Band.

The band features a very entertaining program with great music as well as vocals and jokes from the banjo player. With 45 years of experience the band has amassed a huge library of music, allowing it to vary the programming from month to month.

Other places the band plays or has played (all in Ohio) include Mt. Pleasant Community in Lebanon, Springfield Masonic Community, Bristol Village in Waverly, Mother Stewarts Brewery in Springfield, Bluebird Community in London, Century Restaurant in Cincinnati, the Kenwood Community in Cincinnati, Pastime Park in Plain City, Clifton Opera House in Clifton, Tipp Roller Mill in Tipp City, Lakeshore Park in Celina, Harmon Park in St. Paris, Cedarville Opera House in Cedarville, Jamestown Opera House in Jamestown.

In addition, the band has played for weddings and funerals.