“The first time I saw Roger the Jester perform,” says Larry, “without knowing anything about his background, I knew immediately that he could appear on any stage, circus ring or street corner in the world, and win over any audience. I found out later that he had been doing just that for over 20 years.
“He has the universal quality of the traditional street performer; he doesn’t need language. He can overwhelm you with laughter, then bring you to tears a minute later. Roger's an improviser, like a jazz musician, and it’s a thrill to share a stage with him. His physical skills as a juggler and a mime are incredible. He can incorporate just about anything into his routine - and he does.
“When we did our first show, I expected it to be an evening of laughter for adults. But a lot of families showed up, and the first few rows were filled with kids. They sat through our music set with real interest. I was surprised at their attention span, but there’s a whole generation of kids who’ve never seen a stand-up bass or a saxophone before, or listened to un-amplified music. They paid attention.
“Then Roger came out by himself. The musicians stood backstage to watch his solo act, and we were just hysterical. We could see out into the audience, where people were rolling in the aisles -- everyone, adults and children. When we came back out on stage to accompany him, he just broke us up. The saxophone players had to take their horns out of their mouths because they were laughing so hard that they couldn’t play.
"Sometimes it’s just Roger and me, sometimes it’s the quintet, or a larger group with different instrumentation. We’ve had guests, -- dancers, accordion players, guitarists, violins. Jazz + Jest, in whatever form it takes at a particular show, is a very improvisational thing. For a while, the music leaned toward my dance tunes – tangos, waltzes, the twist – and that colored the gigs in a certain way. It changes every time, but whatever the band does is a frame around Roger’s comic improv. Nobody reaches an audience the way he does. He has a character he does, the Old Man, who’s just as poignant and sad as the rest of his act is funny. You just have to see it.”
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