Thanks for all that jazz
Swing 'n' Dixie maestro receives kudos from Rotary and others
By DANA DUGAN
Express Staff Writer
Tom and Barbara Hazard examine the plaque presented to them by the Ketchum Rotary through the auspices of their good friend Floyd McCracken.
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A little over a decade and a half ago Tom and Barbara Hazard were driving home from a jazz festival when Barbara said, ?You know Sun Valley is a better place to have one of these things.?
And ?she was right,? Tom said, as he was being honored by the Ketchum Rotary, Tuesday, July 27. ?The ambience in Sun Valley is better than any other ragtime, jazz and swing festival.?
The Hazards attended the weekly Rotary luncheon at Rico?s where they were presented with a plaque for starting and running the annual Sun Valley Swing 'n' Dixie Jazz Jamboree. This year, the 15th of the event, the Jamboree takes place in an around Sun Valley Oct. 13 through Oct. 17.
The Hazards, who lived in Boise, were part of a show tune singing group known as the Showtimers.
?When we started this thing we didn?t know where it would go, we didn?t really anticipate,? said their son-in-law Jeff Loehr. Together with his wife Carol, the Hazard?s daughter, Loehr runs the festival?s administra-tion aspects full time from their home in Washington. Carol and Jeff were at the luncheon in support of their parents.
At last year?s festival, ?Carol and I planned Tom?s 80th birthday party with 700 people.? Tom, who is not well, still expresses surprise over that situation. But anyone who?s ever been to the Jamboree knows that the spiffily dressed and always present Tom Hazard gave the festival a lot of its charm and class. Having a mess of near strangers celebrate a milestone in the Run Valley indoor ice rink should come as no surprise.
?Tom is the heart and soul of the Jazz Jamboree,? Floyd McCracken said.
One of the most consistent of Jamboree volunteers and organizers, McCracken was responsible for the Rotary luncheon in Hazards? honor. He had a black granite plaque made with the Hazards? 50th wedding anniversary photo engraved on it, as well as a statement of thanks for all their work and dedication.
?In 1989, Tom changed the nature of what we call slack,? McCracken said in his introduction. ?He?s responsible for 7,000 people coming to the valley each fall.?
Hazard acknowledged the help of the community in building this kind of project.
?We thought it?d become the biggest event in Sun Valley and it has. Earl Holding has been very kind. He keeps building things for us to use as venues,? he chuckled. ?The bad news this year is also good news. He tore down Dollar Cabin, so we?re missing a venue, but when it?s done it will hold more than 250 people and an-other new venue will hold 150. In addition, we?re enclosing the Sun Valley Lodge terrace to take care of the extra seats.?
Hazard loves his jazz. He can recite the history and the people involved with the musical genre without any trouble, and will given the chance. He also acknowledged much of the audiences for his jamboree are members of AARP.
?Yes, there?s a lot of gray hair,? he said. Ten years ago our oldest band members were in their 60s. Our oldest now are in their 70s. Of course, it?s the same group,? he said, to much laughter. But always looking forward, he mentioned a new band appearing this year whose youngest member is 16 years old and its oldest is 20.
?Our audience has become younger and we?re teaching dance classes. Young and old alike are taking these at River Run,? Hazard continued. ?We?ve adjusted some things, but it?s not like it?s broke. If you liked it last year, you?ll like it this year. You?ll go away a different person Jazz is a part of a big tree of musical life.?
The Sun Valley Ketchum Chamber & Visitors Bureau also presented the Hazards with a framed photo of Sun Valley in the fall with a letter of thanks for all their hard work and dedication.
