The Firehouse Five Plus Two was a spirited Dixieland jazz band, popular in the 1950s and 1960s, known for their energetic musical style and affinity for the traditional jazz sound of New Orleans. Many of the band's members were animators and artists at the Walt Disney Studios, which gave the group a unique connection to the entertainment industry and a playful, creative edge to their performances. Ward Kimball, a Disney animator who helped shape classics like "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" and "Cinderella," was one of the founding members and played trombone, while also serving as the band's art director, imbuing their visual presence with a distinctive, cartoony splendor.

Their music, rich with the honky-tonk piano, banjo twangs, and lively brass of Dixieland jazz, captured the hearts of fans worldwide. Albums like "Goes to Sea" and "At Disneyland" helped immortalize their place in the pantheon of traditional jazz bands, and their performances at the Disneyland theme park itself became an iconic part of the park's early years. The band's dedication to keeping the Dixieland style alive brought joy to many and ensured a loving legacy within the genre. Despite the original group disbanding years ago, their recorded work, like "Twenty Years Later" and the anthology "The Firehouse Five Plus Two Story," continues to serve as a fond reminder of the jubilant and timeless nature of Dixieland jazz.

Genres

New Orleans Jazz

Latest Release

Jazz Highway: The Snader Telescriptions, Vol. 2

Firehouse Five Plus Two

Album - 16 Tracks - Released December 26, 2011