November 16, 2019

Next Time:

Sam's Add-A-Tune:

A small group again, but Jack D (trumpet) made an appearance after a long absence to join Raphael (bass), and Steve H (piano, soprano). Annie (vocals) and Carl (trombone) joined us for the last hour.

Jack took the first call, How Deep Is The Ocean (III-xxx). Your scribe opted for All Blues (I-18). Raphael found the harmonically predictable but melodically interesting Lover Come Back To Me (III-255). Jack chose old favorite My Funny Valentine (I-287). Back to yours truly, we went to the even older standard All Of Me (I-20). Raphael dug out the unfamiliar My Silent Love (III-296), which worked out great. Jack's last choice for the afternoon was Angel Eyes (I-28). Your scribe turned to a fun medium-up version of Easy To Love (I-128). Joyce's Samba (III-216) was another fun find by Raphael.

Vocal time began with Annie choosing Poor Butterfly (III-324), which by all reports went much better than last week. Carl took an instrumental call, Bye Bye Blackbird (II-73). Annie got the call for the last four. The Birth Of The Blues (II-49), Close Your Eyes (II-86), Come Rain Or Come Shine (III-xxx), and did a duet with the bass on It Could Happen To You.

--SJH

November 9, 2019

Next Time: Sat., 11/16, 11am-3pm, TowerLight (3601 Wooddale, St. Louis Park)

Report by Raphael

Present:
Sam (trumpet, trombone), Raphael (bass), Ari (trumpet), Carl (trombone), Annie (vocals)

Tunes played:
Byrd Like (I-xx) Sam's Add-A-Tune
Time Was (III-409) Raphael
St. James Infirmary (II-xxx) Ari
Time After Time (III-408) Sam
Say It With Music (III-347) Raphael
Red Clay (I-338) Ari
So Nice (I-362) Ari
Poor Butterfly (III-324) Annie
Autumn Leaves (I-39) Annie
Blue Monk (I-52) Carl
How Little We Know (Handout) Annie
'Tis Autumn (Handout) Annie
The Nearness Of You (II-285) Annie
Telephone Song (III-390) Raphael
Ten Cents A Dance (III-391) Ari
Nica's Dream (I-xxx) Annie
Give Me The Simple Life (Handout) Annie

--SJH

November 2, 2019

Next Time: Sat., 11/9, 11am-3pm, TowerLight (3601 Wooddale, St. Louis Park)

Sam's Add-A-Tune: Byrd Like (I-64)

The gathering took place as usual, with five regulars: Sam (trumpet, trombone), Steve C. (piano), Raphael (bass), Steve H (alto, rhythm), and Wes (tenor). The smaller group gave time for extra solos.

Sam kicked of the festivities with his Add-A-Tune, Broadway (I-61). Steve C. got the next call, But Beautiful (I-40). Raphael got everyone working on Daahoud (I-96). Your scribe dug out an Ellington standard that doesn't get out enough, I'm Beginning To See The Light (I-200). Sam pulled out a favorite of one of the Workshop founders, Afro Blue (I-11). Steve C found some fun John Lewis, calling Django (I-114). Raphael opted for a little straight-up (but not too fast) Parker, Scrapple From The Apple (I-351). Wes decided to cool things down a bit with Ceora (I-72). Yours truly was feeling the need for a bit of Gershwin, and found Somebody Loves Me (I-369). We hadn't done anything in 3/4 yet, so Sam surprised us with his call, The Saga Of Harrison Crabfeathers (I-348). Steve C. found the sweet spot of modern and classic with Lady Bird (I-235). Raphael found he had a desperate need to get out of Book I, calling for Victor Herbert's Indian Summer (III-201). Back to Vol. I, Wes returned to old friend Donna Lee (I-123). Your scribe was feeling like a bit of straight ahead soloing, and chose a mid-tempo Cherokee. Sam got the last turn, How Insensitive (I-181). Some of the group played a bit of St. Thomas to carry them home.

--SJH

October 26, 2019

Next Time: Sat., 11/2, 11am-3pm, TowerLight (3601 Wooddale, St. Louis Park)

Sam's Add-A-Tune: Broadway, I-61

A smaller but healthy group this week: Sam (trumpet, trombone, bass), Raphael (bass), Steve H (piano, alto), Steve M (alto), Serdar (guitar), and Carl (trombone).

We began with Lennie Tristano's very difficult riff on All The Things You Are, entitled Ablution (II-10), Sam's Add-A-Tune for this week. Hey, it's a Workshop. Steve M returned us to earth with Indiana (II-201). Your scribe stuck to jazz roots by calling Honeysuckle Rose (II-167). Raphael the Adventurous--again, it's a Workshop--got us working on Speak Like A Child (II-363). Serdar was set up by this point, and opted for Blue Monk (I-52).

Back around to Sam, we ran with an easy-going version of Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise  (II-355). Sam wanted to get in one more before Raphael had to go, so we gave him an extra turn with Minor Swing (IV-284). Raphael got another before he departed, By Myself (III-67). We returned to the usual pattern of going around the circle, Steve M calling Like Someone In Love (I-243). While Sam went out to get his bass, yours truly decided on a ballad he could handle the bass line on, Polka Dots and Moonbeams (II-318). Carl was given the next one, and we dug into Two Degrees East, Three Degrees West (II-408). Serdar took on one last tune before departing, old favorite Billie's Bounce (II-44).

Sam thought we needed a bit of Latin, and chose Triste (I-417). Carl pulled out a bit of Ellington with Mood Indigo (I-279). Steve C made his last call of the afternoon Cheesecake (II-82). Your scribe pulled out Creepin' for one last pre-Halloween turn. Sam wrapped up the day with St. Thomas (II-339).

--SJH

October 19, 2019

Next Time: Sat., 10/26, 11am-3pm, TowerLight (3601 Wooddale, St. Louis Park)

Sam's Add-A-Tune: Ablution (II-1)

After weeks of small group work, a merry band of regulars dropped by for a festive gathering. Sam (trumpet, trombone), Steve H (piano, alto), Jack K (trumpet), Raphael (bass), Steve M (alto), Wes (tenor), Ari (trumpet), Annie (vocals) and Carl (trombone).

Sam, Jack, Raphael, and yours truly got things slowly rolling with Sam's Add-A-Tune, Harlem Nocturne (III-140). Jack got the next call, with There Will Never Be Another You (I-406). Your scribe went a bit more up-tempo on Perdido (II-311). Raphael introduced us to one we were all unfamiliar with, Time Was (III-409). Sam started the next go-round with Move (II-280). Jack took his second shot on Time After Time (II-408). Steve M. opted for a a crisp, alternating Latin/swing version of I'll Remember April. Yours truly finished out the instrumental segment with an original Halloweeny called Creepin'.

We haven't had a vocal segment for weeks, but Annie was back and in voice. She had a theme for the first two: Early Autumn (II-114) and Autumn Leaves (I-39). Wes surprised this writer, at least, by choosing Mercy, Mercy, Mercy (II-212). Another pair of songs from Annie: Good Morning Heartache (III-134), and Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars (I-335). Ari took the instrumental call with Lullaby of Birdland (II-256). Annie took us right to 3:00 with It Never Entered My Mind (II-204) and Without A Song (II-428).

--SJH

October 12, 2019

Next Time: Sat. 10/19, 11am-3pm, TowerLight (3601 Wooddale, St. Louis Park)

Sam's Add-A-Tune: Harlem Nocturne (III-140)

Small group again, but plenty of opportunity for us to get to work. Present were Raphael (bass), Sam (trumpet, trombone), Steve H (piano, soprano), and Serdar (guitar).

We got started with the first three aforementioned, taking on Sam's Add-A-Tune, There's A Small Hotel (II-391), mostly because Sam said he hadn't heard it for a long time. Your scribe, not wishing to look too far, chose These Foolish Things (II-392). The ever-adventurous Raphael decided it is, after all, a Workshop, and had us tackle Ezz-Thetic (II-124); it was weird, but we think we got a bead on it. Sam returned to something more traditional, Perdido (II-311). Yours truly again went to the next page, following Ellington with Bechet's Petite Fleur (II-312), which we tried as a tango. Raphael spared us the peculiar, but we worked hard to pull off a satisfactory Cheesecake (II-82).

Sam opted for a book change, going to Minor Swing (IV-284). The piano player was looking for a good soprano ballad, and called Come Rain Or Come Shine (II-88). Right around here, Serdar made his first appearance in a long time, and joined us for Raphael's pick, Gerry Mulligan's Idol Gossip (II-191). We made Serdar make the next decision, and he immediately said Four (I-149).

The piano player had to leave, but the remaining trio still had what they needed for a rhythm section. Raphael kept the notes. Sam wanted to return to Petite Fleur, and apparently they did. Raphael found another lesser-known piece, Spiral (II-365). Serdar went full on trad jazz with Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans (II-108). Miss New Orleans had no comment. Sam found another Latin bit, My Little Suede Shoes (II-282). Raphael went to the unusual but haunting Nature Boy (II-284). Serdar's turn brought them to old favorite Blue Bossa (I-50). They rounded out their afternoon with Sam's last, Swing 42 (IV-442).

--SJH

October 5, 2019

Next Time: Sat., 10/12, 11am-3pm, TowerLight (3601 Wooddale, St. Louis Park)

Sam's Add-A-Tune: There's A Small Hotel (II-391)

A very small attendance, and a shortened session due to other commitments. Sam (trumpet, trombone), Steve H (piano) and Carl (trombone) managed to put together some fun for a while.

Sam's Add-A-Tune was the other version of Miles Ahead that was in the earlier edition of Vol. II of the Real Book. We're pretty sure it's a different song that was mislabeled, but have been unable to track it down. It's an intriguing tune with peculiar chord changes in the last segment. Anyone know?

Your scribe took the next call, going to A Foggy Day (IV-135). Sam opted for Django's Minor Swing, which we played in a couple different styles. Back to the piano player, we moved on to Benny Golson's Whisper Not (II-422).

Carl was in time to join us on Sam's next pick, All The Things You Are (I-22), sans intro. Carl, not wishing to search far, settled on Blues By Five (II-59). Yours truly decided on a slightly slower than usual, rocking' and swaying' version of How High The Moon (I-180). We finished off with Sam's call of Once I Loved (I-311).

Here's hoping everyone is OK and will be returning this week!

--SJH