November 3, 2017

Next session: Hook and Ladder, 3010 Minnehaha Ave. S., MPLS, Saturday, November 11, 1-6pm.

Early session work-ons: Groovin' High (I-166), Red Top (III-332), Robbins Nest (II-330)

Add-A-Tune: Swing 42 (IV-442) (Sam will have copies in concert key.)

Sorry about missing last week's post. Your scribe forgot to scribe; not a single note about what we played. 

This week, however, all is as usual. For a while it was just yours truly on piano, with Steve M on alto. We started working through the A's in Vol. I: Afternoon in Paris, Alice in Wonderland, All the Things You Are, Angel Eyes. Soon Jim D (alto, clarinet, piano) dropped in, followed by Craig (guitar). I got out the alto for Beautiful Love, and turned the keyboard over to Jim for a couple of tunes. Craig asked us to give the Beatles' Michelle a whirl, but after several attempts it slipped our grasp. It's not a hard tune, but being creatures of ancient habits, we struggle with songs that are not in an old pop standard form (AABA, ABAC).

By now, Annie (vocals) and Carl (trombone) had arrived. While they got comfy, I returned to the ivories, and we took Jim's request of Cheesecake (II-82). Dick (vocals) also arrived, followed by Vicki (vocals), and finally Sam (bass). The vocals got rolling with Annie's choice, Autumn in New York (I-38). Dick took a turn with Where Or When (III-438). He returned the mic to Annie, who gave us a fun rendering of You Made Me Love You (III-459). Vicki took a swing at Fly Me To The Moon (which is in vol. II, but we played in a key with music supplied by Miss V). Dick sang about The Nearness of You (II-  ); Annie offered a rebuttal to his position with It Never Entered My Mind (II-205). This caused Vicki to sing Cry Me A River (another version supplied by the singer). I'm Confessin' (II-185) was Dick's next call. 

Jim decided he wanted to get in a vocal for the day, and he performed a vocalese version of Red Top (III-332). Sam had been waiting for an instrumental, and requested Grover Washington's funk tune, Mr. Magic (II-268). (I have frequently said that people of a certain age got no business playing funk, but this turned out not so bad.) Back to the singers, Annie declared Let There Be Love (II-236). Vicki handed out another tune, this time You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You. Dick's last call was I Could Write A Book (I-186). As some packed up, Vicki and the Remainders gave us Bye Bye Blackbird.

Participants' Picks

Afternoon in Paris

John Lewis

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYJDev3O1oY

Alice in Wonderland

Bill Evans

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

All the Things You Are

Laura Osnes and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir

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

Charlie Parker

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTORd2Y_X6U

Angel Eyes

Gene Ammons

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=If77_P8v7iE

Julie London

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVrWf9oYzWc

DeeDee Bridgewater

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXjuBG-eOXo

Enjoy!

--SJH

October 21, 2017

Attendees:  Wes (Tenor Sax),  Jack D. (Trumpet), Jim D, (Piano/Vocal), Sam  (Bass), Victor (Vocal)
                    Ken (Piano), Andy (Guitar), Dick (vocal), Craig (Guitar).

Songs Played:  Fly Me To The Moon
                         I Could Write A Book
                         Pure Imagination
                         Foggy Day
                         Red Top
                         All Of Me
                         Basin Street Blues
                         Cherokee
                         Robbins Nest
                         I Thought About You
                         Dear Old Stockholm

September 30, 2017

NEXT WEEK (October 7), and probably the following week (October 14) at TowerLight, 3601 Wooddale Avenue S., St. Louis Park, 11am-3pm.

Early Segment: Groovin' High (I-166), Red Top (III-332), Robbins Nest (II-330)
Add-a-Tune: Take Five (I-397)

Another busy day at the Workshop. Things got started with Wes (tenor sax), newcomer Bob (baritone sax), Jack D. (trumpet), Craig (guitar), Sam (bass), and Steve H. (piano and alto). We worked first on our Add-a-Tune, Nica's Dream (I-299), a shifting, drifting dreamy Latin thing that we started to get hold of after several run-throughs. Then we worked on three Early Segment numbers: Groovin' High (I-166), Red Top (III-332), and Robbins Nest (II-330). This is all we did from 1:30 until close to 3:00, when the singers and others began arriving.

By 3:00, we had assembled the above, along with Victor (vocals), Annie (vocals), Carl (trombone), Serdar (guitar), and Dick (vocals), with Steve M (alto) arriving shortly thereafter. Victor, being the first to arrive, chose Avalon (II-25). Annie took the next two, first doing the less familiar Sammy Cahn tune, Day By Day (II-100), followed by the more familiar Dearly Beloved (I-103). Dick took a swingin' swing at A Sunday Kind Of Love (I-392). We took an instrumental break with Lullaby of Birdland (I-256), which I think Sam ordered up. Back to the vocals, Dick took another turn, this time on I Thought About You (II-180). Victor passed to Annie, who requested Without A Song (II-428), though none of us could imagine her without one. Victor in the meantime had come up with one that we had in the books, I Can't Give You Anything But Love (I-185). Imagination (II-195) was on Dick's mind next, so we obliged. Annie opted for a nice ballad, The Folks Who Live On The Hill (II-137). Dick was feeling all Latin, and called Black Orpheus (I-99). Serdar followed suit with the instrumental Speak Low (II-364) in alternating Latin and swing. As time wore late, Annie decided to cut loose A Good Man Is Hard To Find (III-133). Dick kept things going with I'm Confessin' (II-185). We finished up a smidge late because of the need to play St. Thomas (II-339).

Participant Picks

Nica’s Dream

Art Blakey/Jazz Messengers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Lju13U1zEE

Horace Silver

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

Wes Montgomery

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZ0ybQnhsvc

Dee Dee Bridgewater

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

Day By Day

Frank Sinatra

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3VcD0F-5Is

Sarah Vaughn

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3YF5v6ZAM8

Doris Day

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqFfe6Y97Yc

Jimmy Scott

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyrwUrZomb8

Enjoy!

--SJH

September 23, 2017

A lot of bodies in the house--13--this session at the Hook. We got rolling with Jim D (clarinet and alto), Craig (guitar), Jack D (trumpet), Jeffrey (piano), and Steve H (alto). We got started on My Funny Valentine (I-287) because Jack was playing it as a warm-up. Craig suggested Limehouse Blues (I-244), which we took a bit down tempo. Wes (tenor) arrived, and we got on to the Early Segment tunes, working on both Robbins Nest (II-330), and Red Top. We took a regular call from Jim for There Will Never Be Another You (I-  ) before another Early Segment tune,  Groovin' High. By this time, Ken (piano) and Kelly (harmonica) had arrived and joined in the festivities. Ken and Jeffrey alternated a few tunes before Jeffrey, Craig and Jack had to pull out before the main vocal segment. We got in a few tunes which Dick (vocals) and Serdar (guitar) joined on. We cruised through another Early Segment song, Out Of Nowhere (I-318), with Dick throwing in a vocal, before struggling with Cole Porter's tricky Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye (III-173). We rebounded with Dick's choice of Don't Blame Me (I-121).

By this time, Victor (vocals), Annie (vocals), Carl (trombone), and Steve M (alto) were on hand to replace the people who left, and we got full bore into the vocals, starting with Annie's choice of Let There Be Love (III-236), followed by I Don't Stand A Ghost Of A Chance. For the instrumental break, Carl put in the call for Blue Monk (I-52). Dick went to a favorite, Mean To Me (III-274). Next up was Annie, who sang It Could Happen To You (II-204). Victor took a turn on Avalon (III-25). Dick and Annie did a duet on Centerpiece, with Carl providing music. Ken got a swing at a pick, and went with a very quick version of One Note Samba (I-314), which most everyone had a hard time keeping up with, though it was entertaining for all. Serdar and Dick both wanted to work on Black Orpheus (I-49). We wrapped up with an Annie vocal, I Wish You Love (III-172).

Participant Picks

Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye

Ella Fitzgerald

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nP-8dzS1_rM

Nat King Cole

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7xwIXqlT7w

Chet Baker

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vP02sgYrHsw

John Coltrane (soprano sax)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=By88wMU1pIQ

Limehouse Blues

Django Reinhardt/Stephane Grapelli

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIeGrOo6JDk

The Mills Brothers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8cTub3Y28M

Cannonball Adderly and John Coltrane

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTAjh1pjsFI

Enjoy!

--SJH

September 16, 2017

Next Time: Saturday, Sep. 23 at the Hook and Ladder (Minnehaha Ave. just below Lake St.), 1:00-5:00 pm.

We met at TowerLight again, and quite a crew it eventually was: Sam (bass, trumpet, valve trombone), Wes (tenor), Ray (bass, violin), Carl (trombone), Annie (vocals), Serdar (guitar), yours truly (alto), and a couple of newcomers to the workshop, Jeffrey (keyboard), and Josh (tenor). Good to have a bit of young blood in here.

Sam, Wes, Jeffrey and I got the Early Segment going with Sam's Add-A-Tune, Cantelope Island (II-76), once again proving the wisdom of the ancient Greek proverb, "Never mix old men and jazz funk." Still, we gave it a gallant effort, then moved on to the possible gig tune, Robbin's Nest (II-330). Wes called the next one, and while we forbade him from choosing anything ending in "-ology," we left ourselves open to picking Groovin' High (I-166), which went better than expected. Meanwhile, Ray got set up. Your scribe got to call Up Jumped Spring (I-425). Jeffrey's first choice was another possible gig tune, Out of Nowhere (I-318).

Serdar, Annie and Carl had arrived, and Josh showed up at some point soon thereafter, so we got cooking on vocalist time with Annie asking for Dearly Beloved (I-103), followed by Bye Bye Blackbird (II-73). Carl had the option on the first instrumental, and went with old favorite Two Degrees East, Three Degrees West (II-408). Annie next pulled out the sultry Angel Eyes (I-28), and then the bouncy Let There Be Love (III-236). Josh got his first shot at a call, and went with All The Things You Are (I-22). Autumn Leaves (I-39) and Fine And Mellow (III-122) were Annie's next two vocals. Sam decided on Dear Old Stockholm (I-102). Annie tackled One Note Samba (I-314), and finished things off with a lively version of On The Sunny Side Of The Street (II-298).

Participant Picks

Herbie Hancock, Cantelope Island

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

Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Groovin’ High

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

Freddie Hubbard, Up Jumped Spring

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khby51sf82s

Dear Old Stockholm

John Coltrane

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVXoS21Xojc

Stan Getz

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2qnZ3cW7bw

Enjoy!

--SJH

September 9, 2017

Next Session: TowerLight, 3601 Wooddale Ave.  11:00am to 3:00pm

Early Segment: Robbins Nest (II-330)

Work-In Tune: Cantaloupe Island (II-76)

Back to the Hook and Ladder, we had a merry gathering for Annie's birthday. Serdar (guitar) got the place opened up, followed by Wes (tenor), Jack D (trumpet) and your scribe (alto and piano). Along about 2:30 Annie (vocals) and Carl (trombone) swung by, followed shortly thereafter by Dick (vocals) and finally Steve M (alto).

The first four of us got started just playing, even before the Early Segment. Serdar got it going with All Of Me (I-20), followed by my request for Autumn in New York (I-38). We moved next door to Autumn Leaves (I-39), and sung back for Jack and Angel Eyes (I-28). Then we took on the Early Segment tune of the day, Red Top (III-332), which we worked on a few times.

After the Early Segment tune, we continued with a medium speed version of Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise (II-   ). Annie, having gotten settle in, wished for a reprise of Autumn Leaves, which we were now all warmed up to cover. Carl suppled his sheet music for Walkin', which we have promised to keep working on. Annie's next call was the 3/4 time Lover. Wes took a turn choosing an instrumental, and we took on Sweet and Lovely (III-383).

Dick was ready by now to sing one, and we did Out Of Nowhere (I-318). Always looking for stuff we've never done, Annie asked for Never Will I Marry (I-298), which was oddly arranged in the book, but we worked it out. Dick had some sheet music for By The Time I Get To Phoenix, but it was only in concert, so we did not do a lot of soloing. Song For My Father (I-373) was Annie's next song, followed by Dick and Serdar's combined choice of Corcovado (Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars)(I-335). We rocked through A Good Man Is Hard To Find (I-133) for Annie, and Dindi (II-105) for Dick. Steve M wanted Skylark (II-351), which was a nice instrumental moment near the end. We finished up with a swingy The Nearness of You (II-285), with Dick on vocals.

Participant Picks

Never Will I Marry

Anthony Perkins!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhCDTmHTv4s

Nancy Wilson/Cannonball Adderly

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWQH1hFsC18

Buddy Rich Swingin’ New Big Band

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGRL4DdU9GE

A Good Man Is Hard To Find

Bessie Smith

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ__LskVx0Q

Brenda Lee

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVWl76ZVvn0

Fats Waller

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QaOf4Vu5rk

Walkin’

Miles Davis All Stars

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMW3RloxEyA

John Coltrane

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKNBTZ0TJ4g

Enjoy!

--SJH 

September 2, 2017

NEXT TIME: September 9, at the Hook and Ladder.
Early Segment: Robbin's Nest (II-330)
Add A Tune: On the Trail (IV-318)

We were out at TowerLight this session. It was Sam (bass and trumpet), Serdar (guitar) and I (alto) to get things started. Annie (vocals) and Carl (trombone) joined us a little before 1:00.

Without the usual people to do the Early Segment work, the three of us got things rolling by running through our chart of Double Clutching. Then, at Serdar's request, we had some fun with Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise (II-355). Yours truly also had a request, On The Street Where You Live (III-310). Sam decided to work on a chart we hadn't looked at for a while, Irv Williams' Swiggles.

Serdar realized that we could do some work out of Volume IV of The Real Book which, since the Workshop is dedicated to working out of the first three volumes, is typically out of bounds. We spent the remainder of the session in IV. We started with a slow version of Summertime (IV-435). I have a favorite from that book, Days Of Wine And Roses (IV-99), which the others accommodated. Sam found Adios (IV-11), which we tried out. Serdar thought Sunny (IV-436) would be fun, and so it was. We then went to Doctor Jazz (IV-112).

Carl, with his penchant for strange little blues tunes, supplied the chart for Walkin'. Annie asked for Save Your Love For Me (IV-376), a lovely tune with a complicated set of chord changes, which we did not butcher as badly as we could have. Sam suggested Minor Swing (IV-284), which swung fine. Annie's next call was The Best Is Yet To Come (IV-41). Serdar suggested Kansas City (IV-238), which hit a pretty good groove. The arrangement of Mr. Wonderful (IV-293) too us a few minutes to work out, but once done, it worked fairly well until the ending. Somebody called for Night And Day (IV-304), which was straightforward enough for us to get through successfully. We finished with Annie's idea, I Got You (IV-183), but it turns out that one of the things that disappears with age if not practiced regularly is the ability to get down with James Brown. Sad!

--SJH