July 8, 2017

NO WORKSHOP NEXT WEEK (July 15)

The Early Segment of the Workshop was dedicated again to working on some group technique, this time "turnarounds" or introductions to songs. Present were Sam (bass), Steve H. (piano, alto), Jack D (trumpet), and Vic (vocals). Jim (alto, clarinet, piano) came in in the midst of our working.  After about an hour, we settled into the usual routine, adding turnarounds to get started--very useful.

As the afternoon wore on, Dick (vocals) arrived, followed by Annie (vocals) and Carl (trombone), then Wes (tenor) and Maureen (clarinet).

I didn't write things down; since we started with the technique, I forgot to start a list. But between several of us, we think this is a more or less complete account of tunes covered: Avalon, Just In Time, Gone with the Wind, Ain't Misbehavin', Let There Be Love, Mean To Me, Dindi, The Nearness of You, Ornithology, and Fine and Mellow.

Special Thanks to Carl for the performance of music copying chores. We really appreciate it.

Early Segment Homework
In the spirit of Wes' attempt to dedicate some Workshop time to putting together a repertoire of tunes we are actually prepared to play for a gig, Sam wants dedicate a portion of the Early Segment on July 22 to working on Jeannine (II-212).

Participant Picks

Dindi
Astrud Gilberto
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxrO-NQhiHc

Carmen McRae

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXBCqg9tUBM&list=PLYqrgbURYLsMw5csTegwfQxotQhYKGPbh

Wayne Shorter

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

Enjoy!

--SJH

July 1, 2017

Sadly, Wes' morning session is no more, due to a change of policy at Lake Nokomis Community Center. We'll work out some other way to do that work.

We made a change in time for this weekend, but it was a very busy weekend for your scribe, so I was not available for some of the afternoon session. When I arrived, Sam had put the group through some exercises on counting in, tempo, playing together and following directions. (What? Workshopping at a workshop?) Besides Sam (bass), there was Wes (tenor), Jack D (trumpet), Carl (trombone), Annie (vocals), Arnie (is that right?) (vocals), and the woman on clarinet I met at Nokomis but whose name I have forgotten. Betty kept the notes until I got the piano set up.

By the time I arrived, the group had already played a few tunes: Pent Up House, Double Clutching Equinox, and Avalon. We picked it up with Annie's vocal on One Note Samba. Wes took the next call with Red Top.

It was a good thing I pulled out the piano, because at this point Sam had to head out, leaving me with the entire rhythm section duties (which he had bravely been shouldering until my arrival). We picked it up now with Stanley Turrentine's Sugar, Annie's call. I got the next choice, going with a loping version of Easy Living. Arnie wasn't sure what to go with, but we all concurred that Ain't Misbehaving would fit his style perfectly. Carl decided on In A Mellow Tone. We closed out with Lullaby of Birdland. It was an early wrap, because I had to roll.

Participant's Picks

Sam gave me a few choices several weeks back, but I've been a bit remiss in keeping up with the blogging duties.  However, most of them are currently unavailable (don't know why), except this one.

Will Kjeer, Living

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhCvj2EoMxs

Here are some others:

Sonny Rollins, Pent Up House

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIlpEnsa2d8

John Coltrane and Kenny Dorham (1958)

Double Clutching

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

Enjoy!

--SJH

June 24, 2017

Well, it was the weekend of the St. Paul Jazz Festival, and some were attending, in particular Wes, so his morning session was cancelled. (Full disclosure: I attended the evening before, and Debbie Duncan sang Happy Birthday to me, which was very cool.)

However, this did not mean a highly attended afternoon session. It was Ray (fiddle and bass), Sam (bass and trumpet), and yours truly (soprano and piano). Nonetheless, we had an excellent time rotating through instruments and played some fun tunes. I was too busy having a good time to write them down.

--SJH

June 3, 2017

It's been a few weeks, and we've undergone some changes.

Wes has started a group of workshoppers who want to consider more prolonged preparation of a smaller number of songs. They meet Saturday mornings at Lake Nokomis Community Center, this week (6/10) at 9 am, until summer hours kick in next week (6/17), when the start time is 11 am.
The regular workshop, following the standard format, continues, generally at the Hook and Ladder from 3 pm (set-up at 2:30) until 6 pm. Occasionally (as was the case this week) we play at TowerLight from 11 am to 3 pm.

Our gathering at TowerLight was not large, but enthusiastic. Jack D (trumpet), Steve H (soprano), Sam (bass), his wife Betty (roadie), Annie (vocals) and Carl (trombone).

Yours truly got things started with an OLD standard, My Blue Heaven (III-xxx). Same kept us in that groove with Bye Bye Blackbird (II-73). Jack opted for one he admired when Chet Baker played it, Let's Get Lost (II-238). Annie got her first vocal, choosing Thou Swell (I-411). Carl called one of his favorites, Two Degrees East, Three Degrees West (II-408). Back to Annie, who sang The Party's Over (III-313), though not in such a way that we thought this was true.

Sam got the next one, pulling out Old Cape Cod (II-307). Another vocal for Annie, this time the lovely Skylark (III-356). My turn again, and we went with On A Slow Boat To China (III-309), though not too slow. Speaking of slow, Annie really tried to keep things sultry on Teach Me Tonight (III-387). Jack's turn again, and we went smoothly through When I Fall In Love (I-439). Carl has a thingus for Mingus, and we played his tribute to Mr. Morton called  Jelly Roll (I-226). Sam decided to do a bit of three-quarter time on West Coast Blues (I-436). We struggled to get started on Annie's next call, Lazy Afternoon (III-233), so we changed tunes in midstream to Melancholy Baby (III-xxx). I got one more chance, and picked Jersey Bounce (III-223). We finished off the afternoon with Annie's rendition of Witchcraft (III-452).

It appears likely that the sessions will take place at their regular locations and times this Saturday.

Participant Pick
At Annie's insistance
Aretha Franklin, Skylark

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

Enjoy.

--SJH

POSSIBLE New Location and Time This Week UPDATE

The session organized by Wes at Lake Nokomis went OK--but the afternoon session is still on!

This morning we had Wes, Sam, Steve H, Jim D, and Becky on vocals (thanks to Steve M for the tip!). 

Sam will be coming this afternoon, and maybe Becky. 

--SJH