May 9, 2015

HEY, EVERYBODY! Family Fun in the Park Day at McRae is Saturday, May 30. Members of the Jazz Workshop will be playing outside for the event that day.

This week's newcomer was an old-timer: Tom had not been to the workshop for about ten years, but he was there to play drums in the absence of Gene, who was recovering from sundry ailments this week. He was joined by Sam (bass), Wes (tenor), Jack K (trumpet), Steve M (alto) and yours truly to get things started with Song For My Father (I-373). Jack's choice of Satin Doll (I-349) was followed by Polka Dots and Moonbeams (II-318), Steve M's call. Wes had passed on his turn, so we went back to him for Groovin' High (I-166). I decided on Cole Porter's It's DeLovely (III-213). Oldcomer Tom requested St. Thomas (II-339). Sam wanted to work on something for an outdoor event, so we went through the arrangement of Four Brothers. Somehow, Sam got a second pick, and we went with one of his favorites, Dear Old Stockholm (I-102).

By this time, Annie and Carl had arrived, with Dick not far behind. Settling down to the vocalist portion, Annie chose two: A Fine Romance (I-140), and an off-the-Real Book tune, Sweet Pumpkin. Dick took two as well, starting with How High The Moon (I-180), and Corcovado (Quiet Nights) (I-335). An instrumental interlude had us playing Cousin Mary (II-93). Back to Annie, we cruised through Here's To My Lady (III-144), then tackled the more slippery Get Happy (III-128). Dick went with some familiar songs, Where Or When (III-438) and Black Orpheus (I-49). The generally reticent Carl surprised everyone with a call, the Gospel-based I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free (I-195). Annie picked Exactly Like You (III-116), followed by the Billie Holiday blues, Fine And Mellow. Dick looked to be finishing things off with Fly Me To The Moon, (II-135). However, as I was packing up to go, a discussion somehow got started about Poor Butterfly (II-325), and before I got out, they had pulled it out and were having a go at it. How much longer the session went, this tale does not tell.

Participant Picks
Lots of great tunes for you, the reader, to listen to this week.

Carl: Nina Simone, I Wish I Knew How It Would Fell To Be Free.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKY_TApM43o

Annie: Sarah Vaughan, Poor Butterfly

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0M_fun2wy7g

Steve M: Charlie Parker, Confirmation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XA_Jugejto

Wes: Charlie Parker, Au Privave

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNrWu-linSs

Dick: Michel Legrand, The Summer Knows

I found an interesting vocal version by Jessye Norman, followed by a favorite of mine, Phil Woods playing with the Michel Legrand Orchestra.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MhWpr5FOqo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwhzNvdvBYI

Steve H: Bob Brookmeyer and Gerry Mulligan, Makin' Whoopee

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mxtyq-LxrV4

May 2, 2015

We had a very different kind of Workshop this past Saturday. Having heard that a number of our regulars would not be attending, it looked as though there would be no meeting. I went anyway, on the off chance that some had not gotten the message or just wanted to play anyhow. After checking at the front desk to confirm that no one was there, I mentioned that I would wait around outside for a while. After a bit, a car parked next to me, but I didn’t recognize the man who got out, and paid no attention. A couple of minutes later, he came up to me and asked whether I was with the Workshop. Turns out it was an old friend of the group, Serdar, with guitar in hand. So we went in and played for the better part of an hour and a half, just the two of us. I can’t speak for him, but I had a great time. We played Blue Bossa, All of Me (at two very different tempos), Angel Eyes, Too Young, Black Orpheus, and one or two that I forgot to write down.

Around 1:00, as we were thinking about leaving, Annie and Carl popped in, so we had a nice four-person jam for another forty-five minutes. Annie brought in a Bill Henderson tune, Sweet Pumpkin, which we followed with The Folks Who Live On The Hill. Then we had the usual fun with the ballad It’s Wonderful, the old blues tune St. James Infirmary, and the classic Bye Bye Blackbird.

Participant Picks

Serdar: George Benson, Take Five

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tn27IcAapPI&list=PLesToqZHNJoc9do35kcV7EnIixXHfzfpZ

Carl: Jack Teagarden, St. James Infirmary

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9udjEXDpAg

Annie: Bill Henderson, Sweet Pumpkin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0C1o8vrqd4

Steve: Ray Eberle and the Glenn Miller Orchestra, At Last

I’d been listening to this one for years before I ever heard of Etta James.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Di5AWfFYjs

Enjoy.

--SJH