October 12, 2019

Next Time: Sat. 10/19, 11am-3pm, TowerLight (3601 Wooddale, St. Louis Park)

Sam's Add-A-Tune: Harlem Nocturne (III-140)

Small group again, but plenty of opportunity for us to get to work. Present were Raphael (bass), Sam (trumpet, trombone), Steve H (piano, soprano), and Serdar (guitar).

We got started with the first three aforementioned, taking on Sam's Add-A-Tune, There's A Small Hotel (II-391), mostly because Sam said he hadn't heard it for a long time. Your scribe, not wishing to look too far, chose These Foolish Things (II-392). The ever-adventurous Raphael decided it is, after all, a Workshop, and had us tackle Ezz-Thetic (II-124); it was weird, but we think we got a bead on it. Sam returned to something more traditional, Perdido (II-311). Yours truly again went to the next page, following Ellington with Bechet's Petite Fleur (II-312), which we tried as a tango. Raphael spared us the peculiar, but we worked hard to pull off a satisfactory Cheesecake (II-82).

Sam opted for a book change, going to Minor Swing (IV-284). The piano player was looking for a good soprano ballad, and called Come Rain Or Come Shine (II-88). Right around here, Serdar made his first appearance in a long time, and joined us for Raphael's pick, Gerry Mulligan's Idol Gossip (II-191). We made Serdar make the next decision, and he immediately said Four (I-149).

The piano player had to leave, but the remaining trio still had what they needed for a rhythm section. Raphael kept the notes. Sam wanted to return to Petite Fleur, and apparently they did. Raphael found another lesser-known piece, Spiral (II-365). Serdar went full on trad jazz with Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans (II-108). Miss New Orleans had no comment. Sam found another Latin bit, My Little Suede Shoes (II-282). Raphael went to the unusual but haunting Nature Boy (II-284). Serdar's turn brought them to old favorite Blue Bossa (I-50). They rounded out their afternoon with Sam's last, Swing 42 (IV-442).

--SJH