Jazz group, vocalist and pianist next up for city Musicales

Watertown Musicales will feature two presentations at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 9 at First Presbyterian Church, 403 Washington St.

Ragtime Steve and His River Boat Band is a local jazz group specializing in Dixieland and sing-along songs of the early 20th century. The band performs at concerts, senior citizen establishments and parties.

Also performing will be vocalist Kevin Thackston with Nancy Boynton accompanying him on piano.

Steve Forman, leader of Ragtime Steve, is a retired public school music teacher who plays keyboard. He's a graduate of the Eastman School of Music and was a member of the Second Marine Air Wing Band at Cherry Point, N.C.

Others in the band: Don Furst, on trumpet, who studied at SUNY Fredonia and was an Army bandsman with the Ninth Infantry Division Band; George Marlette, on valve trombone, a Navy bandsman who performed French horn with the First Naval District Band in Boston and performed with jazz groups on the west coast; Pete Gaskin, on banjo and guitar, a professor emeritus at Jefferson Community College who performs with North Country Preservation Jazz Band.

Mr. Thackston was a voice major at SUNY Potsdam's Crane School of Music. While in the Navy, he directed Navy choirs. He is past president of Little Theater of Watertown and has conducted local orchestras and performed in several local productions. He's first vice president of Watertown Musicales and is a member of the chancel choir and handbell choir at Trinity Episcopal Church.

Miss Boynton, accompanying him on piano, is a vocal music instructor at Knickerbocker Elementary School, Watertown.