About the Band

Arntzen's Three Generation Dixieland Band

This unique family jazz ensemble showcases the musical legacy of the Arntzen family across three generations of New Orleans-style jazz performers.

The Patriarch: Lloyd Arntzen

Lloyd Arntzen, a clarinetist, vocalist, soprano saxophonist, arranger, bandleader, composer and music director, was born in Saskatchewan in 1927 and moved to Vancouver in 1946. He is one of the founding fathers of Vancouver's traditional jazz scene, having established the Jazz Band Society in the 1950s, which led to the formation of several bands playing New Orleans Jazz in the city. Lloyd is respected as one of Vancouver's leading jazz musicians, having been inducted into the B.C. Entertainment Hall of Fame for a lifelong dedication to music. He began performing concerts at the age of three and played violin at age six before teaching himself clarinet in his high school band.

The Musical Lineage

The band includes "three generations of Arntzen" (Lloyd's sons Tom Arntzen and Leif Arntzen and their respective sons Evan Arntzen and Miles Arntzen — all musicians, naturally). The band officially includes Lloyd, his son Tom, Leif Arntzen (another of Lloyd's sons), Leif's son Miles, and Tom's son Evan, but other family members are welcome to join. "It's basically whoever's around," said Tom Arntzen. "People come and go and you can't keep track."

Key Performances and Documentation

In 2006, Gwendoline Records issued a live CD titled "3 Generations in Jazz," featuring Arntzen along with his two sons and two grandsons, recorded at Vancouver's Cellar Jazz Café. The Polish Canadian Jazz Society previously hosted the band for the Jazz Ball on January 26, 2013, where their performance enchanted the audience. During Lloyd's 90th birthday celebration at the Vancouver Hot Jazz Festival, the Vancouver jazz icon led three generations of Arntzens onstage.

Notable Historic Connection

Lloyd's band played for Louis Armstrong when the great Satchmo stepped off the train into Vancouver's Great Northern Station in 1948. His dedication to preserving traditional jazz is also evidenced by his song "Where The Coho Flash Silver," which is sung by generations of Canadian schoolchildren.

Musical Style and Impact

Lloyd's living room was his rehearsal space, where he shaped the Arntzen musical legacy before his sons could even walk and talk. Every Wednesday, he would pick up his grandsons from school and take them to his home where he would give them lessons on their instruments as well as in woodworking. The Three Generations band continues the family tradition of performing New Orleans-style jazz, with performances featuring "melodic, swinging tunes rooted in the New Orleans tradition." They have become a celebrated fixture on the Vancouver jazz scene, embodying the musical values passed down through the Arntzen family for over a century.