NEXT WEEK, FEBRUARY 17: TowerLight, 3601 Wooddale Ave. S., St. Louis Park, 11am to 3pm.
Apparently the word did not reach everyone in a timely fashion (we tried!), but we met at TowerLight this week for some workshop fun. Present were Raphael (bass), Steve C (piano), Wes (tenor) and Steve H (alto) to get the ball rolling; Carl (trombone), Annie (vocals), Waymond (bass) and eventually Craig (guitar) made there way to the basement theater. We finally got to playing around 11:25.
We began with your scribe's choice, a lightly swinging version of I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face (III-192). Steve C opted for one of our work-on tunes, Red Top (III-332). Intrigued by last week's rendition of The Rainbow Connection (III-330), Raphael requested a reprise. Wes chose old friend Donna Lee (I-123). Annie, not feeling entirely in voice, decided to forego the usual multiple-vocals-to-one-instrumental pattern, then took a turn on All Of Me (I-20). Carl called for Blue Monk (I-52). Annie looked for something quiet In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning (I-210). Waymond wanted a very up version of Are You Havin' Any Fun (II-22), which we wouldn't have had any fun with, but we found a relatively upbeat compromise tempo that clicked. Back to Annie, we played Let There Be Love (III-236). Your truly had been thinking about Cherokee (I-77) for a few days, and the group went with it. Annie's next vocal choice was Easy Living (I-127). Carl pulled out his own transcription of Walkin'. Wes' desires won out on the next one with Along Came Betty (I-22). Make Someone Happy (II-258) was Annie's next vocal call. Craig took us in a new direction with Willie Nelson's Crazy (III-86). It being Black History Month, Annie decided to do some educating with Come Sunday (I-82). Raphael returned to the work-on tunes by asking for Groovin' High (I-166). Annie took another historical turn with the gospel-inspired I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free (I-196). We finished up with another completely different direction from Craig, Feel Like Makin' Love (III-119), proving once again that jazz-rock/funk is no place for old men.
Participant's Picks
Come Sunday
Duke Ellington (vocal: Mahalia Jackson)
Duke Ellington (instrumental)
I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free
Nina Simone
I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face
Paul Desmond
Are You Having Any Fun
Tony Bennett and Elvis Costello
Stritch
Enjoy!
--SJH
No comments:
Post a Comment