August 30, 2025

Next Time: Sat., 9/5, 11am-2pm, TowerLight (3601 Wooddale Ave., St. Louis Park)

Bring your own stand.

Who showed up? Tom A (piano), Raphael (bass), Serdar (guitar), Ari (trumpet, drums), Jerry (guitar), Jan (trumpet), Bob (trombone), Jack (trumpet, drums), Matt (vocals), Steve H (soprano, drums). 

What did we play?

        Black Orpheus (I-xx)

Jan: Meditation (I-xxx)

Matt: My One and Only Love (I-xxx)

Tom: Perdido (II-xxx)

Matt: Cheek to Cheek (III-xxx)

Raphael: On A Clear Day (III-xxx)

Matt: East of the Sun (III-xxx)

Ari: Chameleon (II-xxx)

Matt: Come Fly With Me (III-82)

Jerry: Wave (I-xxx)

Jan: Topsy (I-xxx)

--SJH

August 23, 2025

Nest Time: Sat. 8/30, 11am-2pm, TowerLight (3601 Wooddale Ave., St. Louis Park)

Bring your own stand. Find us in the basement theater.

Present and Accounted For: Steve H (piano, alto), John C (trombone, piano), Raphael (bass), Bill (drums), and one or two others (your scribe forgot to record the roll).

Songs attempted (and largely completed)

How Insensitive (I-xxx)

Blue Bossa (I-xxx)

But Beautiful (I-xx)

Falling Grace (I-137)

Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise (II-xxx)

It Could Happen To You (II-209)

April In Paris (I-xx)

Bright Boy (II-68)

Some Other Blues (II-xxx)

Smoke Gets In Your Eyes (III-xxx)

All The Things You Are (I-xx)

Heaven (I-xxx)

--SJH

August 16, 2025

Present: John L (trumpet), Jan (trumpet), John C (trombone), Jack K (trumpet), Raphael (bass), Steve H (piano), Jerry (guitar), Matt (vocals), Serdar (guitar), Tom H (guitar), Charlie (trumpet), Ari (trumpet)

Tunes called:

Jan: Black Orpheus (I-49)

Matt: It Had To Be You (handout)

Jack: Sweet and Lovely (III-383)

Tom: On the Street Where You Live (III-310)

Serdar: Alice in Wonderland (I-17)

Matt: Cupid (handout)

Raphael: Broadway (I-61)

Charlie: In Walked Bud (II-xxx)

Matt: Blue Skies (handout)

--SJH

August 9, 2025

Next Time: Sat., 8/16, 11am-2pm, TowerLight (3601 Wooddale Ave., St. Louis Park)

Bring your own stand.

Not a big group, but that gave us plenty of time to play. Present were Jerry (guitar), Steve H (piano, alto), John C (trombone, piano), Matt (vocals), Raphael (bass), and Ari (trumpet).

Jerry got things going with Tangerine (II-386), which he also decided to sing. Matt (who only sings) chose All Of Me (I-20) for his first of the day. Yours truly stopped at the next page on Cole Porter's All Of You (I-21). Matt reached back into his bag of charts for Irving Berlin's Change Partners (handout). Raphael thought it might be worth investigating That Old Feeling (III-xxx) as a ballad, which we did, and it worked, though it took us a lot longer to get through it. Matt was having that old Latin feeling, calling Quizas, Quizas, Quizas (III-329). Ari went all John Lewis with his choice of the multi-tempoed Django (I-xxx). Matt got another pick, this time How About You (handout). John turned to the classic All The Things You Are (I-xx). Matt was busy passing out yet another tune when the piano player and the bass player noted that they had to leave, which wrapped up another good afternoon.

--SJH

August 2, 2025

Next Time: Sat., 8/9, 11am-2pm, TowerLight (3601 Wooddale Ave., St. Louis Park)

We welcome anyone interested in practicing jazz improvisation, no matter your present skill level. We usually play out of the Real Book, vols. I-IV. Bring your own stand. 

We had a relatively hip group this past weekend. Present were Matt (vocals), Raphael (bass), John C (trombone), Steve H (piano), Jerry (guitar), Jack K (trumpet), and Ari (trumpet).

Here's what we played, where to find it,  and who called it.

Matt: Don't Get Around Much Anymore (I-122)

Jack: My Ideal (III-292)

Matt: Witchcraft (III-452)

Steve: Bags' Groove (II-30)

Matt: It's Only A Paper Moon (II-209)

Raphael: Stablemates (III-378)

Matt: The Tender Trap (III-392)

John: Perdido (II-311)

Matt: I've Got You Under My Skin (III-190)

Jerry: I'm Confessin' (II-185)

Hope to see you soon!

--SJH

July 26, 2025

Next Time: Sat., 8/2, 11am-2pm, TowerLight (3601 Wooddale Ave., St. Louis Park)

Bring your own stand. 

Previously, on "The Jazz Workshop":

Personnel: Bill (drums), Jan (trumpet), John L (trumpet), Bob (trombone), Steve H (piano), Jerry (guitar), Ari (trumpet), Raphael (bass)

Tunes chosen:

John L: Stella By Starlight (I-xxx)

Jan: Guilty (I-xxx)

Jerry: James (III-xxx)

Steve: Sam...and Betty (handout)

Raphael: I've Got You Under My Skin (III-xxx)

Bill: Whisper Not (II-422)

Ari: Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise (II-xxx)

Jan: You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To (II-xxx)

John: Blue Bossa (I-xxx)

Jerry: Wave (I-xxx)

Jan: Who Can I Turn To (II-xxx)

Ari: Happy Little Sunbeam (II-xxx)

--SJH

July 19, 2025

Next Time: Sat. 7/26, 11am-2pm, TowerLight (3601 Wooddale Ave., St. Louis Park)

Bring your own stand. You will find us in the basement theater.

We held an outdoor Workshop on the Patio, and about a dozen people joined us there, or on the balcony, to listen and, on occasion, dance. It was a delightful afternoon.

Present at our outdoor Workshop were George (trombone and guitar), Matt (vocals), Steve H (soprano), Raphael (bass), Bill (drums), Ari (trumpet) and (mirabile dictu!) Steve C (piano).

Your scribe marked off the tunes from the potential playlist that were made actual, but failed to note the order in which they were played. Still, we know this: Matt called four tunes on his own, i.e., Angel Eyes, I'm Beginning To See The Light, Fly Me To The Moon, and Let's Get Lost. He also joined us on All Of Me, and our closer, a Latin version of Here's That Rainy Day. In between those songs, we also performed instrumental versions of Beautiful Love, Broadway, Bye Bye Blackbird, and Whisper Not.

Thanks to the residents for joining in the fun!

--SJH