Jazz in an inexhaustible resource. Even songs that have been played thousands of time can still reveal something new, some different angle, some unexplored possibility. Jazz musicians are alert for these opportunities and adventurous enough to follow them. Just listen to Thelonious Monk play a blues. The purpose of the Jazz Workshop is to let people learn to explore those alleys and byways of the songs, to find the confidence and establish a platform from which to launch and to which to return. I've been there almost every week for two years and can attest that it works.
Turning up on a sloppy, rainy January day to explore the fields of jazz were Ken (drums), Ira (also sax), Todd (trumpet), Steve (trumpet and flugelhorn), Tim (guitar), Tony (bass), Jack (trumpet), Kevin (guitar), Lisa (piano), Candy (viola), Margo (bass), Toria (vocals) and Annie (vocals). A baker's dozen of jazzers!
The songs du jour included "Groovin' High," "Birk's Works," "Heaven," "Have You Met Miss Jones," "Alfie," "East of the Sun," "Mean to Me," "Dear Old Stockholm," "Wave," "Nature Boy," "It Had to be You," "Lover Man," "West Coast Blues," "The Song Is You," "I Thought About You," "My Funny Valentine," "Embraceable You," "How Insensitive" and "Got My Mojo Workin'."
In the photos: Up at the top is Candy playing viola (very nice on "My Funny Valentine"), followed by Todd and Jack on trumpets, then Annie and Ken and finally Kevin's guitar.And a last note: get well Gene!
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