September 15, 2018

Next Time: Saturday, September 22, 11am-3pm, TowerLight, 3601 Wooddale Avenue, Saint Louis Park

We're spending the month of September at TowerLight, and this being a September weekend...well, you know. Steve C (piano), Sam (trumpet, trombone), Craig (guitar), Steve H (soprano), Bob (guitar), Raphael (bass), Carl (trombone), and Annie (vocals) were this week's participants.

Off to the races with Cousin Mary (II-93), this session's Add-A-Tune from Sam. Yours truly took the next one, going with On A Slow Boat To China (III-309). Bob took a pass, but Craig was ready with Pure Imagination (III-327). Steve C stayed in the movies with On A Clear Day (III-308). Raphael was looking for Wayne Shorter's Witch Hunt, but settled for the classic Witchcraft (III-452). Back to your scribe, we traveled back to the Kalmar and Ruby tune, Three Little Words (III-400). Sam opted for the VERY long Latin song, Desafinado (I-108).

Annie got the vocal portion going with two tunes she brought sheet music for: How Little We Know, and Give Me The Simple Life. Steve C got the instrumental call, turning to Groovin' High (I-166). Next, Annie chose two slow sad Billie Holiday numbers, You Don't Know What Love Is (I-459), and Detour Ahead (I-105). Heat Wave (III-143) was Raphael's exploratory instrumental. Two more for Annie: My Foolish Heart (I-22), and Don't Blame Me (I-121). Carl chose So What (I-364) for an instrumental break. Annie took one more turn, calling Let There Be Love (III-236). The soprano player got one more shot, asking for Don't Get Around Much Anymore (I-122). We wrapped up with the semi-traditional closer, St. Thomas (II-339).

Participant Picks

Witchcraft

Frank Sinatra

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFmNgiEgPoQ

not to be confused with

Witch Hunt

Wayne Shorter

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hi6nOr9MIqI

Heat Wave

Ethel Waters

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5PpCCfhBhY

Not to be confused with Martha and the Vandellas

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XE2fnYpwrng

How Little We Know

Nat King Cole

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruRPQnA8Adg

Three Little Words

Duke Ellington

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYzlutM_il0

Fred Astaire

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSkyj37y1G0

Enjoy!

--SJH

September 8, 2018

Next Time: Saturday, September 15, 11am-3pm, TowerLight, 3601 Wooddale Ave., St. Louis Park

Sam's Add-A-Tune: Cousin Mary (II-93)

A three-man start at TowerLight this week: Steve C (piano), Raphael (bass) and Steve H (soprano) got things underway until Annie (vocals), Carl (trombone) and Victor (vocals) arrived.

We began with Steve C's pick, Blue Bossa (I-50). We began our delving into the unfamiliar with Raphael's option, Masquerade (III-269). Next up was your scribe's choice, Daahoud (I-96), though considerably below full speed. Steve C went back briefly to the more standard How High The Moon (I-180). Raphael turned us back to the sight reading with Isotope (I-222). We played Invitation (I-217) as a ballad.

Annie got us rolling on the vocals with My Melancholy Baby (III-295). Carl had us take another shot at So What (I-364). Annie took another two: Let There Be Love (III-236) and Look To The Rainbow (III-249). Yours truly decided to pull out Irving Berlin's oddly divided Let's Face The Music And Dance (III-238). Back to Annie for a pair, this time Poor Butterfly (III-324) and Fine And Mellow (III-122). Steve C got the instrumental break, choosing Lullaby Of The Leaves (III-260).

Victor was on hand by now, and took a spin on Stardust (II-367). Annie took another two before departing: I See Your Face Before Me (IV-192), and Goin' Out Of My Head (IV-150). Victor opted for Basin Street Blues (II-37), before Raphael called the instrumental Miles Ahead (II-264). Victor took us out with two classics: All Of Me (I-20), and Blue Skies (II-58).

Participant Picks

Daahoud

Clifford Brown and Max Roach

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lv4EarQxGMo

Ray Bryant

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuQuYaLphZ4

Isotope

Joe Henderson

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bfw2sgGj02g

Invitation

Bronislaw Kaper

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PydrsjLX2aM

Stan Getz

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tajiSHADer8

Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zdod_lvbid0

I See Your Face Before Me

Tony Bennett

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LHRAwivNc8

Mildred Bailey

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JI4MVuz-1jA

Kevin Mahogany and Roy Hargrove

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmJK8i0bV5o

Enjoy!

--SJH

Next Time

Saturday, Sept. 8, 11am-3pm, TowerLight, 3601 Wooddale Ave., St. Louis Park

Hope to see you there!--SJH

August 25, 2018

Next Time: Saturday, September 1, 1-5 pm, Hook and Ladder (Lake and Minnehaha)
Add-A-Tune: Cousin Mary (II-93)

CANCEL! CANCEL! NO JAZZ WORKSHOP THIS WEEK!Hook and Ladder is closed for the weekend; no arrangement with TowerLight has been made.

Present this week were Sam (trumpet and trombone), Wes (tenor), Raphael (bass), Steve H (piano and soprano), Craig (guitar), Victor (vocals), Annie (vocals), Carl (trombone), and Dick (vocals).

We got underway with Little Boat (I-245), Sam's Add-A-Tune. Raphael got the next call, choosing the tricky Black Diamond (I-46). Yours truly went way more traditional with For All We Know (I-145). Victor took a spin as an instrumentalist with Basin Street Blues (II-37). Craig, having solved his mechanical difficulties, opted for Pure Imagination (III-327). Annie, also in instrumentalists mode, called I'm Beginning To See The Light (I-200). Carl got us to do all the parts on So What (I-364). Wes decided on an old favorite, Doxy (II-111). Sam brought the instrumental segment to a close with Cantaloupe Island (II-76).

Victor kicked off the vocalist portion with Stardust (II-367). Annie opted for something a bit bouncier, I'm Old-Fashioned (III-186). Dick's first choice was In A Mellow Tone (I-206). Victor got us looking through our books until we came up with Deep Purple (IV-103). Annie gave us a good workout with the shifting 3/4-4/4 signatures of Little Girl Blue (III-243). Dick went to I Should Care (I-194). Your scribe got to call the instrumental break, and we did an alternating Latin/swing version of Softly As In A Morning Sunrise (II-355); it sounded better in his head.

The vocalists took another round, Victor kicking things off with Ain't Misbehavin' (III-13). Annie tackled the ballad If I Loved You (II-192) with a light swing. Dick's third was a favorite, Out Of Nowhere (I-318). Victor took one last spin on Blue Skies (II-58). Annie went full ballad on I Don't Stand A Ghost Of A Chance (II-173). Dick turned to Have You Met Miss Jones (I-172). For one last combined vocal/instrumental, Dick suggested Just Friends (IV-237), with everyone taking a a chorus.

Participant Picks

Little Girl Blue

Nina Simone

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wT_Z-D31vbU

Peter Nero

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJgVMbzcSZ4

Chet Baker

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcdZh9owpwQ

Dave Brubeck

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhX8zeledFI

Just Friends

Sarah Vaughan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70eiPAom-Ng

Dexter Gordon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEg1dX6Zt-A

Charlie Parker

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NsMLXUrp3E

John Coltrane and Friends

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9W_XQCLD_I0

Enjoy!

--SJH

August 18, 2018

Next Time: Saturday, August 25, 1-5pm, Hook and Ladder (Lake and Minnehaha)

Sam's Add-A-Tune: Little Boat (I-245)

Your scribe was a little late, though not as late as originally expected, and not late enough to miss the downbeat on Sam's Add-A-Tune. Present were Sam (trumpet, trombone), Jeremy (piano), Alex (guitar), Steve M (alto), Victor (vocals), Craig (guitar), Terry (harmonica), Steve H (soprano, piano), and Dick (vocals). 

The Add-A-Tune was What's New (I-420). Things picked up slightly with Jeremy's choice, Stolen Moments (I-384), followed by Alex's pick, Nica's Dream (I-299). Terry called All Blues (I-18). After so many relatively slow tunes (though All Blues got a little rambunctious at times), Raphael changed gears with Tizol and Ellington's Perdido (II-311). Craig completed the first round of instrumental only with Till There Was You (II-400). 

Working without a microphone, Victor got a few shots at vocals, going with favorites Stardust (II-xxx) and Avalon (II-25). Steve M called the instrumental break, Why Do I Love You (II-425). Somewhere in here, several people left, and yours truly took over on piano. Victor opted for Blue Skies (II-58) next. Dick stopped in for a visit and decided to sing one, I Could Write A Book (I-186). Victor took another, Bye Bye Blackbird (II-xx). Your reporter got a chance and called for It Could Happen To You (II-204). Terry opted for another Miles Davis tune, Blue and Green (I-51). Raphael chose one that he wanted to do last week, Recorda Me (I-xxx). We finished off with Steve M's surprise choice, Charlie Parker's Quasimodo (IV-352). 

Participant Picks

Quasimodo

Charlie Parker

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFxVZocNNDk

Paul Motian & the Electric Bebop Band

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zV3dnyKyI5w

Blue Skies

Duke Ellington

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXmWlArIp1c

Blue and Green

Miles Davis

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoPL7BExSQU

Perdido

Duke Ellington (1940s)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9ySo6fnh2U

Duke Ellington (1950s)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfVJuLa0VpU

Duke Ellington (1960s)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4y9yItFczM

Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8gCmtkuVgk

Enjoy!

--SJH

August 11, 2018

Next Time: Saturday, August 18, 1-5pm, Hook and Ladder, Minnehaha and Lake, Mpls.

Add-A-Tune: What's New (II-420)

Another Saturday at TowerLight, which we finally got rolling around 11:25. Present at the start were Sam (trumpet/trombone), Steve C (piano), Steve H (soprano), and Raphael (bass). We were soon joined by Steve M (alto), and before 1:00, Carl (trombone), Annie (vocals), and Victor (vocals).

We began, as usual, with Sam's Add-A-Tune, this time How High The Moon (I-180), switching for the final chorus to its offspring, Ornithology (I-317). Yours truly, inspired by recent Muzak, opted for These Foolish Things (II-392). Steve C had a short list, and went with The Blue Room (I-53). Raphael returned to one we had tried in previous weeks, Slipped Disc (II-353). Back to Sam, we went Latin on All The Things You Are (I-22). Your scribe wanted to give the soprano a workout on Tangerine (II-380). Steve M got his first pick, turning to Dexter Gordon's Cheesecake (II-82).

The vocal part started with Annie reprising The Blue Room. Victor called the immortal Stardust (II-317). Annie chose the somewhat sad Old Man From The Old Country (I-308). Basin Street Blues (II-37) was Victor's next choice. Carl got the call on the instrumental break, and we got to use the Gil Evans chords on So What (I-364). Vocals again, with Annie turning to It Never Entered My Mind (III-205). Having taken a few weeks off from it, Victor opted for Avalon (II-25). Annie's call was Let's Fall In Love (II-237). Victor followed with All Of Me (I-20). Steve C picked our instrumental break tune, You Took Advantage Of Me (I-460). For our last round of vocals, Annie chose an easy-going version of The Way You Look Tonight (II-415). Victor settled on Blue Skies (II-58). Without A Song (II-428) was Annie's last pick. After some searching, Victor scatted his way through our last song of the afternoon, Ain't Misbehavin' (III-13).

Participant Picks

How High The Moon

Arvell Shaw (with Louis Armstrong)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzOvJ8wYA1I

Old Man From The Old Country

Nancy Wilson/ Cannonball Adderley

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5ncMj6jdx8

The Way You Look Tonight

Paul Desmond/Gerry Mulligan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mcsj3oWa90M

Enjoy!

--SJH