We played for an hour in the Lobby of TowerLight. The crowd from the Dining Room appreciated it--at least that's what one person said.
This week, December 9: Back at TowerLight, 11-3. (Another time conflict at the Hook.)
--SJH
Friday, December 8, 2017
Wednesday, November 29, 2017
November 25, 2017
NEXT UP: December 3, 2017 at TowerLight.
Meet at 11:00-11:30; play set in lobby Noon-1:00.
Sorry I don't have time for a well worked out version of the posting this week. I can say that we had a good crew on hand: Ray (bass), Sam (trumpet and valve trombone)), Steve H (alto), Jack K (trumpet), Serdar (guitar), Carl (trombone), Annie (vocals), Jim (clarinet) and newcomer Steve C (piano), for whom yours truly is especially grateful.
About half the time we played Christmas tunes, because this coming weekend we will be playing a one hour set for the residents of TowerLight, in thanks for their generosity in letting us use their space.
So, just to be clear, our next workshop is not a workshop, but a gig.
--SJH
Saturday, November 25, 2017
Thursday, November 16, 2017
November 11, 2017
This Saturday, 11/18 and next week, 11/25:
11am to 3pm at TowerLight, 3601 Wooddale Avenue S., St. Louis Park.
Early Segment: Usual Work-on Tunes
Add-A Tune: Bluesette (I-56)
I'm afraid I don't have as much time as usual to put this week's edition together--and besides, I had to leave early, and I only have Serdar's report about the happenings--so let me just give a list of the personnel and tunes (kind of like liner notes).
Sam (bass and trumpet), Steve H (piano and alto), Steve M (alto), Jack K (trumpet), Wes (tenor), Ray (bass). Serdar (guitar), Dick (vocals).
Steve H: Lullaby of Birdland (I-256); Sam: Swing 42 (IV-442) and Swiggles (copies); Wes: Donna Lee (I-123). Jack: There Will Never Be Another You (I-407); Steve M: I Could Write A Book (I-186); Steve H: Alice in Wonderland (I-17); Sam: Softly As In A Morning Sunrise (II-355); Serdar: St. James Infirmary (II-338); Ray: This Masquerade (II-396); Dick: Dindi (II-105) and Nature Boy (II-284); Steve H: Mr. P.C. (I-276).
A Night In Tunisia (I-302); I Could Write A Book (I-186) reprise; Robbins Nest (II-330); I'm Confessin' (II-185); Avalon (II); Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars (I-335); All Of Me (I-20); St. Thomas (II-339); The Nearness of You (II-285).
Participant Picks
Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli
Swing 42
John Coltrane
Mr. P.C.
Enjoy!
--SJH
Wednesday, November 8, 2017
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
Alice in Wonderland
Bill Evans
All the Things You Are
Laura Osnes and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir
Charlie Parker
Angel Eyes
Gene Ammons
Julie London
DeeDee Bridgewater
Enjoy!
--SJH
Wednesday, October 25, 2017
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
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
Monday, October 2, 2017
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
Horace Silver
Wes Montgomery
Dee Dee Bridgewater
Day By Day
Frank Sinatra
Sarah Vaughn
Doris Day
Jimmy Scott
Enjoy!
--SJH
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