Wednesday, July 15, 2015

July 13, 2015

It was good to see Ray back to play some bass for our group. Also present at the outset were two drummers, Gene and Tom; on alto and soprano sax, yours truly.  While the drummers set up, Ray and I began with Moonglow (II, 275). We got drums on Blue Skies. Wes rolled in with his tenor and clarinet; we played Thou Swell (I, 411) in a medium swing while he got things assembled to join us on Heat Wave (III, 143). Gene called for Creole Love Call (III, 88), which we tried to make work with clarinet and soprano. Wes thought we should give Robbin’s Nest (II, 330) a try, to moderate success.

By this time Annie had arrived, and we began vocals with Sweet Pumpkin, followed by I Don’t Stand A Ghost Of A Chance (II-173). For an instrumental, Gene suggested In Walked Bud (II, 200). Ray and Tom had to leave, but Annie had us try out a few others not in the Real Book’s first three volumes: Always On My Mind (Annie had the Willie Nelson version in mind); Don’t Worry ‘Bout Me; and to close things out, Bobby Hebb’s Sunny.

This week’s Picks
Bobby Hebb, Sunny
Marvin Gaye, Sunny
and this one, because I couldn’t believe my eyes

Willie Nelson, Always On My Mind
Same, with Elvis Presley and Brenda Lee

Tommy Dorsey, I’m Getting Sentimental Over You
(the 1935 version with the orchestra; I can’t find the original 1932 version)
Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass

Enjoy.

--SJH

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