The Firehouse Five Plus Two was a Dixieland jazz band, popular in the 1950s, consisting of members of the Disney animation department. Leader and trombonist Ward Kimball was inspired to form the band after spending time with members of the Disney animation and sound department and finding that they had a lot in common as jazz aficionados. The lunchtime chats escalated into a full on lunchtime jam session as Kimball, an amateur trombonist, and animator Frank Thomas, a pianist, would find they "sounded pretty good all by ourselves." The band went by two names, the Huggajeedy Eight and the San Gabriel Valley Blue Blowers. The "Firehouse" motif came from a 1916 American LaFrance fire engine that Kimball restored for the local Horseless Carriage Club, and the "Plus Two" was from the fact the band had seven people. The band was also formative in creating the Good Time Jazz label under fellow aficionado Lester Koenig, who managed all the band's releases from 1940's The Firehouse Five Plus Two Story, Volume 1 to 1970's Live at Earthquake McGoon's. Walt Disney was approving of the band, letting them play at the company's Christmas parties, at Disneyland, and other social functions, on the single condition that they never fully leave their jobs at the studio. Members The formative members of the band, as listed in the liner notes for The Firehouse Five Plus Two Story. Danny Alguire — Cornet, fingerprint expert formerly with L.A. police department, assistant director at Disney. Harper Goff — Banjo, illustrator at Warner Brothers and Colliers Magazine, Disney designer and Imagineer. Ward Kimball — Trombone, siren, tambourine, sound effects, leader, lead animator and director for Walt Disney Animation and Disney Studios. Clarke Mallery — Clarinet, animator for Superman and Aquaman cartoons of the 1960s. Monte Mountjoy — Drums, formerly with Bob Wills. Erdman (Ed) Penner — Soprano saxophone, bass saxophone on early recordings, later switched to tuba, story writer, died in 1956. Frank Thomas — Piano, lead animator for Walt Disney Animation. Later, other Disney artists and professional jazz musicians joined in: George Bruns - Tuba and trombone, substituting for Kimball, composer for many Disney animated and live action films. Eddie Forrest - Drummer for the Disney Studios Orchestra and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. Don Kinch - Tuba, substituting for Ed Penner following his death. Jimmy MacDonald - Drums, foley artist and head of sound department. George Probert - Clarinet,