In March 1955 trombonist Sanford Newbauer and cornetist Everett Farey formed the Bay City Jazz Band after drawing inspiration from the Yerba Buena Jazz Band and Turk Murphy. The young players, whose average age stood at twenty-five, began appearing regularly before audiences the next month. Retired trumpeter Lu Watters crossed paths with the group and supplied several of his charts. By July the ensemble had settled into weekend engagements at the Sail'N in downtown San Francisco. Besides the two leaders, the original roster featured trumpeter Al Cavallin, clarinetist Roy Giomi, pianist Don Keeler, banjoist Tito Patri, tuba player Walt Yost, and drummer Lloyd Byassee. The band concentrated on 1920s standards associated with Louis Armstrong, King Oliver, and Jelly Roll Morton while adding a handful of fresh originals. Two sessions for the Good Time Jazz label took place in 1956 and 1957, both later reissued on CD. By the second date Yost had moved to second cornet in place of Cavallin, Lee Valencia handled banjo, and Jack Beecher had taken over on tuba. Because every member held a daytime job, the octet remained a part-time venture and performed almost entirely within the Bay Area, although it earned strong approval at a concert in Los Angeles’s Shrine Auditorium. The group disbanded soon after completing its second recording.
