January 27, 2018

For Feb. 3: Well, it looks as if a number of people really wanted to have the Workshop this coming weekend, so it's back on! Hook and Ladder, Minnehaha and Lake, 1-5pm.

Quite a crowd this week: OLD friends, new faces, and the usual gang coming together to play some jazz. On hand were Carl A. (soprano), Andy (guitar) Steve C. (piano), Waymond (bass and drums), Raphael (bass), Sam (trumpet and trombone), Jack K. (trumpet and drums), Wes (tenor), Carl S. (trombone), Lachel (trumpet), Lathieo (trombone), Dick (vocals), Craig (guitar), Victor (vocals), and Steve H. (alto and soprano). That gave us a rather large circle to get around each time, so there were fewer songs, but lots of solos. And with Wes bringing some drums, we had a bit of rhythm we haven't had for a year.

Things got rolling about 1:20 with Sam's Add-a-Tune, Monk's Well You Needn't (I-435). Steve C. requested a surprisingly peppy version of Darn That Dream (I-99). Raphael had the next call, going with Four (I-149). We (read: I) struggled with Waymond's choice, the pretty but surprisingly tricky (a peculiar number of bars per phrase) Beyond The Sea (II-40). Carl S. opted for a tune to entice younger players, going with St. James Infirmary (II-338). Yours truly decided on an easy swing on Easy To Love (I-128). Wes was ready for some Red Top (III-332). Lachel set off a run of Latin tunes with the lively St. Thomas (II-339). Carl A. had been waiting for quite a while to complete the circle, and finally got a chance at Blue Bossa (I-50).

Almost 3:30, and we got our first vocals. Dick took two: Black Orpheus (I-49), and All Of Me (I-20). Waymond suggested Sonny Rollins Alfie's Theme (II-14) as an instrumental, and everyone went along. Back to vocals, Dick took two more: Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars, a.k.a. Corcovado (I-335), followed by Out Of Nowhere (I-318). Sam got the call, and went with a dear old favorite, Dear Old Stockholm (I-102), a first time challenge for a number of our attendees. Next, Dick sang I Could Write A Book (I-186); Victor liked it enough to reprise it. Victor took another, Bye Bye Blackbird (II-73). A lot of people were packing up, but the remainder got one last opportunity on Baltimore Oriole (II-34), with my compliments.

Participant Picks

Well You Needn't
Thelonious Monk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRBxGmD32ZM
Carmen McRae
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYADfnI-iSs

Alfie's Theme
Sonny Rollins
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXFaJpb-reg

Baltimore Oriole
Hoagy Carmichael
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7bbcjPvhjE

Carmen McRae
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igtxK-MyO3w

Lorez Alexandria
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LbY2EANfe4

George Harrison(!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEmW4PdB0so

Enjoy!

--SJH