A long time ago, at the beginning of my journey in music, there was a band called the Swing n’ Dix. We were young people growing up in Southern California who went against the tide, rejecting surf culture in favor of jazz. The band had various legitimate working names ( the “Dixie Kings”, the “Bourbon Street Combo”) which we used at our gigs- but we all knew the real name. The front line of this group was me and Jeff Walker, the promising young clarinetist and my best friend. We were known by the awful nicknames “Black Jeff and White Jeff” in high school, and we were inseparable. While other kids listened to Toto and wore surf shorts and flip flops, we listened to Benny and Bird and wore matching furry “Jeffrey Jackets”. We played “Honeysuckle Rose” with Lawrence Welk, and together we explored the world of jazz in Los Angeles in the 1970’s, discovering the music and ourselves at the same time. Now, in my 50th year I am remembering this time when Dixieland and Swing were King - This recording is lovingly dedicated to the memory of the great Jeff Walker who left this world before it got to know his greatness, and to a time when life revealed it’s mystery and magic through music and friendship. Many years later, with great musicians and friends like Matt, Kirk and Bob, it still does and the air starts to fill with bubbles once again… Jeff Lederer –Brooklyn NY 2013