The Missing Report (Now The Found Report)

The Jazz Workshop happened on 9/18/10 but I wasn't there. A report by an independent witness is pending.

10/16/10: Thanks to roving reporter Josh, we have the report for the Jazz Workshop of 9/18/10! Present and accounted for were Wes (tenor sax), Peter (bari sax), Todd (trumpet), Owen (accordion), Paul (piano), Ross (piano), Gene (drums), Max (bass), Josh (guitar), Eric (guitar), Dan (I'm not sure I am getting his name right, I think I've now used about three different names for this poor guy- ukulele) and vocalists Toria, Dick, Dena and Cheryl.

Songs du jour included "On The Sunny Side of the Street," "Four Brothers," "Autumn Leaves," "Bye Bye Blackbird," "There Will Never Be Another You," "It Don't Mean A Thing," "Satin Doll," "September Song," "Bright Size Life," "Here's That Rainy Day," "One Note Samba," "When I Fall In Love," "Dream A Little Dream of Me," "I Cover The Watehrfront," "Lover Man," "Save Your Love For Me," "Bewitched," "Yesterday" (Or "Yesterdays"?), "When Sunny Gets Blue," "East Of The Sun," "The Song Is You," "Makin' Whoopee."

Thanks for the update, Josh!

The Late Update

The late update
for our last jazz date
when we kicked out some jams
but not like some hams
We had fifteen jazz hounds
so music did go down
and you should be there with us!

There's a reason I play jazz instead of hip-hop, I guess.

The Jazz Workshop got off to a fresh start on Saturdays at McRae Park on 9/11/10. We did have a head count fifteen including Max (six string electric bass), John (five string upright bass), Gene (drums), Owen (accordion), Peter (bari sax), Wes (tenor sax), Don (slide trombone and camera), Dan (ukelele), and this week's guitar orchestra included Josh, Bob and Tim. Our vocalists this week were Matt (who also bought baked goods), Toria, Annie and Cheryl. There were instrumentals from 12:00-1:00 and then the vocalists joined in from 1:00-3:45.

The set list included "All of Me," "Body and Soul," "Tune Up," "How Insensitive," "A Night In Tunisia," "But Beautiful," "What Is This Thing Called Love," "Angel Eyes," "Blue Monk," "Sunny," "Embraceable You," "I'm Just a Lucky So and So," "Let's Fall In Love," "From Russia With Love," "Come Rain or Come Shine," "My Funny Valentine," "Early Autumn" and "How About You."

Don brought his camera and took something like 56 photos. Here are a few of them. At the top we have Josh and Dan; Josh uses an unusual tuning on his guitar as he is also a banjoist and Dan is the first ukelelist we've had at the workshop. Next is Matt with Cheryl in the background. The third photo is Owen (accordion) and John (five string upright bass). Let's see, there should be one more.... OK, the last photo is John again, with Gene (drums) and Max (six string electric bass- which he built himself along with a four string. He plans to build a 9 string at some point).

Saturday Jazz Workshops Are Back!

The Jazz Workshop resumes its Saturday schedule beginning 9/11/10. We'll meet at McRae Park in South Minneapolis (near Chicago and 47th St.) at noon for an hour of instrumentals and then from 1:00-3:45 with the vocalists.

Hope to see you there!

Last Set

Thursday the 19th of August saw the last Thursday evening Jazz Workshop for the summer. The next sessions will be on Saturdays from 12:00-1:00 (instrumentals) and then 1:00-3:45 with the singers.

For the last Thursday set, we had Wes (tenor sax), Ira (tenor sax instead of his usual alto), Sam (trumpet synth), Gene and Scott (drums), Bob/Tim/The Other Tim (guitars) and Matt/Toria/Dick (vocals).

The set list included "Wendy," "Our Love Is Here To Stay," "Miles Ahead," "Lady Be Good," ""I Remember You," "The Very Thought Of You," "But Beautiful," "Embraceable You,""Look To The Sky," "That Old Feeling," "The Nearness of You," ""I'm In The Mood For Love," and Dick's original "What More Can I Say."

I brought my camera but forgot to commemorate the event in pixels!

OK, no more Thursday evening workshops for the rest of the summer. We swing back into the Saturday Schedule starting 9/11/10. See you then!

I missed another one (updated)

Thursday evenings have proven very hard to get to this summer (between the horrific traffic on I-94 and I-35W, versus the equally awful alternative of using side streets and spending 15 minutes trying to get across Hiawatha Avenue and the LRT line- making a 15 minute drive take 45 minutes) and I will be glad after the last one is over and we go back to Saturdays. OK enough grousing about things I cannot change.

I'll e-mail around to the likely suspects and see if anyone can give a report about what happened. And from Matt Ash:

"It was a brutally hot Jazz Workshop the Thursday before last. There was Wes, Annie, Gene,Tori, the other Tim, myself, and a new ukulele guy

I am not sure about other folks, but I sang How 'bout you, I'm in the mood for love, Hello Dolly, and possibly one other that eludes me."

Jazz ukulele. I'm sorry I missed that.

In the meantime, I'll remind you that there is only one Thursday evening workshop this summer, which is this Thursday. The park building will be closed for budget-cutting the following two Thursdays and then Labor Day, so we will resume the Saturday Jazz Workshop schedule on 9/11/10.

The Not-So-Late Report

Thursday August 5th found us together again at McRae Park kicking out the jams. Well, trying to play jazz, anyway. I even remembered to bring my camera and take photos!

Turning out on a warm, lovely summer evening were Josh, tim and the other Tim (guitars), Gene and Ron (drums), Ira (alto sax), Wes (tenor sax), Luke (flute and bass clarinet) and Dick and Toria (vocals).

The set list included "Tune-Up," "Road Song," "Groovin' High," "Invitation," "Out Of Nowhere," "Could It Be You," "Day By Day," "Just Friends," "Here's That Rainy Day," "I Should Care," "Look Too The Sky," "Corcovado," "Good Morning Heartache," "In A mellow Tone.

In the photos: at the top we have Josh and his lovely new Heritage 575; next is Ron on drums; in the third picture is Luke with his bass clarinet, Wes (tenor sax) and Gene taking a break from drum duties; and finally long-time Jazz Workshop vocalist Dick Jacques.

That's it and we hope that you can join us sometime soon. Remember that there will be no Jazz Workshop the last Thursday in August and the first Thursday in September due to the park being closed those days. After Labor Day weekend we will go back to meeting Saturdays with instrumentals from noon-1:00 PM and with vocalists from 1:00-3:45PM.

The Way-Late Report

OK, here's the report for Thursday July 29, 2010 which I didn't get around to posting for about ten days. Sorry about that!. As sometimes happens in the summer, turnout was a bit light at eight people. No matter, we had lots of fun anyway. In attendance were Toria and Matt (vocals), Wes (tenor sax), Kurt (trumpet), Gene (drums), Tim and Josh and the other Tim (guitars).

Songs of the day included "But Beautiful," "Killer Joe," "Black Orpheus," "Like Someone In Love," "Moonlight in Vermont," "That Old Feeling," "Take Five," "Beyond The Sea," "Every Time We Say Goodbye," "Fly Me To The Moon," "Let's Get Lost," "I'm Beginning To See The Light."

In the photos are Toria and Gene (vocals and drums, respectively); "the other Tim" on guitar, playing what looks like a Dmin9 chord; and the always-cool Wes on tenor sax.