The Famous "Vigorito Voodoo"

Some years ago we began to notice a pattern of exceptionally good weather at nearly all of our outdoor performances. We attribute that good fortune to a spooky effect called the "Vigorito Voodoo". The record speaks for itself:

- Our 2011 season began with an outdoor Kentucky Derby party in Simsbury on May 7. Although we drove through thunderstorms on our way to the event, the rain stopped and the clouds thinned out before it began. The temperature rose as if by magic to about 70 degrees, and stayed there for the afternoon.

- On June 4 we enjoyed beautiful weather for a private party in Avon, CT.

- The 2011 Hot Steamed Jazz Festival was a challenge, with torrential downpours the day before the festival began and more in the forecast. Just before our first set on Friday evening there was a brief shower which brought folks into our tent, and there was another brief shower in the middle of one of out Sunday sets. Aside from that, the weather was fine for the entire festival.

- On July 10 we enjoyed perfect weather for the Big Feathers Polo Tournament and concert.

- On July 21 our concert at Evergreen Woods was moved indoors not because of rain but rather because it was too warm and sunny.

- On July 30 the weather was perfect for the Great CT Traditional Jazz Festival.

- On August 3 there were some light showers during our concert on the green in Fairfield, but the weather was warm and nobody seemed to mind getting a little damp. Under the trees nobody got wet.

- On September 11 we enjoyed perfect weather for the Madison Congregational Church Rally Day picnic.


• Here's the record for the spring and summer of 2010:

-Our 2010 season began with an outdoor Kentucky Derby party in Simsbury on May 1. Large-screen TV sets in the middle of the tent displayed a lot of rain in Louisville, but the weather for us was warm and sunny, with a pleasant breeze.
-The Hot Steamed Jazz Festival in Essex lived up to its name this year on the last weekend of June. It was steamy and hot, but except for a few welcome droplets on Saturday (when the GJB was not there) the rain and thunderstorms promised by our friends at the weather service never arrived.
-On July 11 we had a roof over our heads at Butch & Lee's Big Feathers Polo and Jazz party, but the weather was fine anyway.
-On July 25 we drove through torrential rain to the Levitt Pavillion. As we approached Westport we could see a break in the clouds. By 7 pm the sky was clear; it turned into a beautiful evening for an outdoor concert.
-We enjoyed perfect weather for three consecutive days (in spite of forecasted thunderstorms) for the 2010 Great CT Traditional Jazz Festival in Meriden on July 30, 31, and August 1.
-On August 4 we had another clear evening for our annual outdoor concert on the Sherman Green in Fairfield. The thunderstorm promised by the weather people never showed up.
-On August 18 the clouds were gray and threatening at the start of our Evergreen Woods concert, but they parted and gave us some blue sky and a beautiful sunset.
-On September 11 we enjoyed pleasantly cool weather (68 degrees) for our annual Rally Day picnic at the 1st Congregational Church in Madison.
Score for the season = 11 out of 11!

 

• Here's the record for the spring and summer of 2009:

-Our season began on May 2 with an outdoor Kentucky Derby party in West Hartford. The weather forecast predicted showers and thunderstorms, but we enjoyed clear blue skies and sunshine with the temperature at 69 degrees.
-June 24 was the end of a two-week rainy spell; although it was still raining in the morning and drizzled a bit after we left, not a drop fell at Ashlar Village in Newtown during our evening performance there.
-On June 26 the weather was terrible. We drove through lightning, hail, and torrential rain on our way to the Hot Steam Festival in Essex. But at the moment when Fred stepped onto the stage at 8pm the sun came out, a rainbow appeared, and 24 hours of clear weather began. We were not there on Saturday, but when we returned for our Sunday performances the weather was fine.
-On July 8 there was a chance of thundershowers in the weather forecast, but our free outdoor concert at the Wadsworth Mansion in Middletown was well-attended anyway, and the weather was perfect.
-Our voodoo was tested at the 2009 Great CT Traditional Jazz Festival, although three out of the four venues were indoors anyway. There was a gentle rain when we played on Friday, while there were tornadoes only a few miles away. Saturday was a warm and sunny day, and there were showers again on Sunday.
-On August 5 the forecast called for "heavy thunderstorms" in the evening, and it was raining hard in Fairfield by mid-afternoon. But Fred chose to go ahead with our annual evening concert on the Fairfield green anyway. Sure enough, the skies cleared, the sun came out, and we had a fine evening with a substantial crowd.
On September 13 we enjoyed perfect weather for the Rally Day picnic at the First Congregational Church in Madison.
Score for the season = 8 out of 10!

 

• Here's the record for the spring and summer of 2008:

- June 1, Lighthouse Point in New Haven. . . Thundershowers were in the forecast, but the clouds parted when we began to play. We enjoyed blue skies, a gentle breeze and moderate temperature for the entire afternoon.
- June 18, Fairfield gazebo... We managed to stop the thundershowers for an hour, but we ran out of voodoo after that and had to invite the audience up onto the stage for the last half hour of our concert.
- June 27-29, Hot Steam Festival... The forcast said thunderstorms were almost certain for the entire weekend. But the skies cleared about 30 minutes before we began the first set on Friday and stayed clear until almost an hour after our final set on Sunday.
- July 6, Levitt Pavilion in Westport.... Clouds were gray all day, with thunderstorms again in the forecast, but the weather cleared promptly in time for our evening concert.
- July 12, East Hampton.... the weather was perfect for the Old Home Week Parade (Combined GJB and Sugarfoot Jazz Band on a truck!) and also for a private party job later that evening.
- July 20, Guilford Green. . . the predicted thunderstorms never arrived for our combined concert on the with the Sugarfoot Jazz Band.
- July 25-27, Great Connecticut Festival. . . Perfect weather on Friday and Saturday. There was a thundershower early on Sunday morning but the weather cleared up nicely in time for our performances. After we were finished the rain returned in buckets. (Three clear days in a row would be asking too much!)
- August 13, Ashlar of Newtown. . . We enjoyed more perfect weather for our annual outdoor concert.
- August 16, Music Mountain . . . Although the concert was inside, many fans took advantage of the perfect weather to sit outside on the lawn.
- September 7, Cheshire (church picnic). . . After a night of heavy rain and winds from Hurricane Hanna, we had a beautiful day of sunshine.
- September 11, Litchfield (private party booked at the last minute) . . .. The clouds were dark and threatening all day, but the sky was clear and blue by the end of our first set.
- September 14, Stamford (street festival). . . Rain and fog all morning, but it became warm and sunny in time for our set.
Score for the season = 14.5 out of 15!

 

• Here's the record for the spring and summer of 2007:

-May 5 . . . . Private party on the CT River . . Clouds parted; a perfect evening
-June 13 . . . Private party at St. Raphael's Hospital... partly cloudy
-June 14 . . . Fairfield Gazebo . . . A perfect evening!
-June 22 . . . Hot Steam Festival, Essex: . . . Unexpected rain before the start;
. . . . . . . . . . (It took about 20 minutes for us to clear the sky.)
-June 24 . . . Hot Steam Festival again. . . Perfect weather!
-July 7 . . . . .Private Party, Wallingford... Perfect weather again!
-July 15. . . . .Levitt Pavillion, Westport...Perfect weather again!
-July 27-29... Great CT Jazz Fest, Moodus . . . Mostly warm and sunny;
. . . . . . . . . . (There was one shower while GJB was not performing.)
-August 11. . .Music Mountain...Another perfect evening
-August 15. . .Ashlar of Newtown (outdoor concert) perfect weather
-Sept. 9 . . . . Church Picnic in Cheshire...Warm and sunny!
-Sept. 29. . . .Outdoor fundraiser in Clinton...A perfect autumn afternoon!
Score for the season = 9.5 out of 10!

• -And here's 2006:

-May 6 Private party on the CT River . . . breezy but dry
-May 18 Fundraiser at Pine Orchard in Branford . . . sunny and clear
-May 21 Schiavone Roast, Fair Haven:
. . perfect weather until Joel arrived, fashionably late. Then the downpour commenced.
-June 21 Fairfield Gazebo . . . perfect weather!
-July 5 Wadsworth Mansion, Middletown . . . perfect weather!
-July 8 Private party, Wallingford . . . perfect weather!
-July 28-30: The famous Vigorito Voodoo continued to operate at the 2006 Great Connecticut Jazz Festival. After three very warm and muggy days we were due for a thunderstorm, and did we ever get one on Friday afternoon! But the rain stopped just before the GJB's first set, and at least half of the cloud cover had disappeared by the time we finished. Saturday and Sunday were warm and sunny.
-August 16 Ashlar Village, Newtown . . . Perfect weather!
Score for the season = 9 out of 10!

 

• Our score for the spring and summer of 2005 was 15 out of 16:

  May 7 Private party . . . -rain stopped and the clouds parted.
  June 11 Wedding at Lighthouse Point . . . perfect weather 
  June 18 Private party . . . perfect weather
  June 22 Fairfield Gazebo . . . Rain stopped, clouds parted.
  June 24 Hot Steamed Festival . . . perfect weather
  June 25 Music Mountain . . . perfect weather
  June 26 Hot Steamed Festival . . . sunny and warm
  June 29 Newtown concert . . . moved indoors, rain stopped anyway.
  July 3 Wedding, Middletown . . . perfect weather
  July 4 Parades . . . perfect weather
  July 7 Fair Haven Market . . . perfect weather
  July 9 Private party, Hamden:
  . . . perfect weather while we played, but ominous clouds during food break
  July 24 Outdoor concert, Branford . . . -warm & sunny!
  July 29-31 Jazz festival in Moodus:
  . . . Warm and sunny; some clouds kept us from being too hot.

   

• January 21-23, 2005 - We particularly enjoyed participating in the Central Illinois Jazz Festival, with Craig Grant, Jane Campedelli, and Bob Price. Although there was a blizzard in Connecticut that weekend we escaped its effects completely; our trip went well and we got home safely.

 

• September 18, 2004 - As the remnants of Hurricane Ivan The Terrible were soaking the entire east coast, members of the GJB drove to New London to board a ferry to Fisher's Island for a wedding reception. As usual, the rain and wind stopped, the clouds parted, and the temperature moderated; the reception was a huge success thanks to the famous Vigorito Voodoo.  

 

• Except for the 17th, our June, 2004 Whirlwind Tour was entirely rain-free:

  6/12...Parade in New Haven
  6/17...Near & Far Aid Association Antique Show
  6/18...Essex Island
  6/19...Music Mountain
  6/22...NBC TV taping for Morning News (9 AM)
  6/22...Newtown (7-8 PM)
  6/24...Fairfield
  6/25...Festival of Arts & Ideas, New Haven (noon concert)
  6/25...Hot Steamed Festival, Essex (evening)
  6/27...Hot Steamed Festival, Essex.... Photos.........

 

• February 16, 2003 - There was a blizzard in the forecast. By early afternoon Virginia and southern New Jersey were paralyzed by the snow. But the snow held off here in Connecticut while we had a great night at the ChowderPot. Thanks to the famous Vigorito Voodoo we were all safely home before the first flakes fell that night.