Gary
Aleshire ~ Trombone
Billy Hobart ~ Trumpet
Steve
Langdon ~ Keyboards
Robert
McNamara ~ Bass
Nancy
Simon ~ Vocals
Wayne
Simon ~ Trumpet, Clarinet, Saxophone, Vocals
Danny
Wuhl ~ Drums, Vocals
Wayne Simon, who formed a jazz band in the late fifties called Wayne Simon & The Traffic Jammers. He was a very popular artist in the Northwest.Wayne played at different times with Louis Armstrong, Al Hirt & a Louis Armstrong sound alike, Jonah Jones. Wayne & his band played from the late fifties through the seventies until his death at the young age of 48 in 1980.
Wayne lived the greater part of his life in Tacoma and played eight different horns, including Trumpet, his main instrument of play. He designed the trumpet you see in the photo on this page. Wayne’s wife Nancy also sang with the band.
A lot of big name jazz artists tried at different times to get him to record with them. I asked Wayne once why he didn't accept the offers and he told me that he didn't want the traveling part of it, because he would be away from his family too much and that he was perfectly happy just playing around the Northwest.
I remember going to some of the bars on South Tacoma Way in the late 60s where Wayne was playing some afternoon gigs. At just the right time he would play “When the Saints go Marching In” and out the front door he would go and the bar would empty out, patrons with drinks in his hand would follow him down the street like the Pied Piper into the next bar. He would play a few songs and then start the “Saints” again and back to the original bar. Wish I could remember the bars that he did this with but years have passed and my memory too. I think one might have been the Cloud 9, but not sure. Great memories though of a time when music was great.
Larry Tipton Columbus, Montana, October 2017
