August 26, 2017

NEXT MEETING: September 2, 2017
Meet at TowerLight, 3691 Wooddale Ave. S. (Enter from parking lot)
11:00am-3:00pm

Early Segment: Out of Nowhere (I-318)
Add-A-Tune: Softly As In A Morning Sunrise (II-355)

A busy Saturday afternoon at the Hook and Ladder this time around. Sam (bass), Steve H (soprano and piano), Steve M (alto), Wes (tenor), Jack D (trumpet), Carl (trombone), Annie (vocals), Serdar (guitar), Dick (vocals), Jim D (alto), and Victor (vocals).

The first four of us chatted about the kind of song list we should develop for playing at gigs. Once Jack D was there, we set to practicing on Cherokee (I-77), and threw in Out of Nowhere (I-318) and Red Top (III-332). We made Annie wait until 3:00 by picking up Jack's request, Only Trust Your Heart (I-315); it's a lovely tune, but we made a hash of it, so it was time to move on to the vocal portion.

We've been trying to get back to flow of playing and vocals that is more like we used to do when we were operating out of the park system. So until 3:00, it's all instrumental, and after 3:00 vocals with fewer instrumental solos, and every three or four songs an instrumental.

Annie kicked things off with Dindi (II-105), including an a capella introduction. Next up, Dick took a turn on Stormy Weather (III-382), which seemed appropriate. Annie called the moody and difficult Detour Ahead (I-105). Dick gave us a flirty/swingy Sunday Kind Of Love (I-392). Victor was there to give away Halloween music, so he took a turn on Avalon (II- ). Instrumental time, and Steve M thought a slow-swingy version of Here's That Rainy Day (I-175) would do well, which it did. Back to vocals, Annie picked Without A Song (II-428). Dick kept the swing going with There Will Never Be Another You (I-407). Victor took another spin with All Of Me (I-20). We all grooved to Annie's next call, A Good Man Is Hard To Find (III-133). Serdar got the instrumental choice, and St. Thomas (II-339) was it. Dick did a reprise of Out Of Nowhere, so we cooked just fine. Victor pulled out a great oldy, The Birth Of The Blues (II-49). We finished the afternoon with all the vocalists sharing time on The Glory Of Love (III-131).

Participant Picks

Benny Carter, Only Trust Your Heart

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1lhxQ26uWs

Bessie Smith, A Good Man Is Hard To Find

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

Enjoy!

--SJH

August 23, 2017

We were off this past weekend. Just a word on what to expect this coming week at the Workshop.

Early Segment: 2 to 3.
Cherokee I-77.

Regular Segment: 3-5
The usual pattern.

See you there.

--SJH

August 5, 2017

It was a quiet week at the Workshop, especially for the first two hours. Your truly arrived just before 1:00 to open up the action. I set up the piano and warmed up my soprano. Finally, Wes (tenor) rolled in. And that was it until close to 3:00, when Dick(vocals) arrived, followed a bit after by Craig (guitar), and finally (and most importantly) Ray (bass).

Wes and I spent a while talking about the kinds of tunes he would like to prepare for any sort of gig opportunity. We went through Book I and a little in II and III, considering songs that were fun, but also trying to rule out tunes that were beyond our group ability to play well. There are plenty of songs we admire (and they are the sort that Wes likes to work on) that fit into this latter category: a lot of Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, John Coltrane, and Theolonius Monk numbers are cool, but too tricky for us, or at least for us to play well together. But we found a few--Blue Monk, for example, or Au Privave--that we could make work. Still, there are plenty of standards and jazz tunes that we could do well with, so we compiled a list. Sam's picks for the Early Segment for next week are on that list.

Wes and I noodled around on a couple of things until others showed up. We did not have a microphone set-up, so Dick had to get by with just his own lungs. Being as I was a bit busy, and things were a tad discombobulated from the get-go, I never did take notes, but we did mostly vocals until about 4:45. Victor arrived when we were packing up (sorry, man!).

FYI: I will only be able to be there this week (August 12) until 3:00, and next week (August 19) not at all. Here's hoping we have piano or guitar.

Early Segment
Nancy With The Laughing Face (III-298)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DMo4Ht_91w

BR2 (a blues chart Sam will provide)

--SJH

July 29, 2017

Watch this week for changes in time or venue.

The Early Segment got started this week with the two Jacks (trumpet), the two Steves (one alto, one piano and soprano), Wes (tenor) and Sam (bass and trumpet). We worked on Charlie Parker's Au Privave, then moved on to other concentrated work on our list, most notably Pent Up House. They are starting to sound like something.

Next week early segment: Wave (I-31). Here's a version by Paul Desmond.

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

Shortly before three, we moved to the Mostly Vocal segment. Dick got that running with A Night in Tunisia, shifting back and forth between Latin and swing. We followed that with another favorite of his, Fly Me To The Moon. Annie (vocal), Carl (trombone) and Vic (vocal) had settled in by then. Somewhere in here we did Avalon with Vic. Annie wanted to work from her own music on Let The Good Times Roll. Sam then pulled out his trumpet and called an instrumental version of Stardust, (I-367) doing an unaccompanied verse before we joined on the chorus. Dick next sang one that's been getting a lot of attention by us recently, Dindi (II-105). We moved to the harmonically complex (and thus difficult to sing Detour Ahead (I-105) for Annie, which she naturally carried off with aplomb. Victor wanted to consider making Sugar Blues into a new genre, and demonstrated a capella; we promised to look in Book IV so some of us would have it the following week. Dick looked to sing the excellent My One and Only Love (I-288), and he did so excellently. Annie looked to make us cry with Old Man From The Old Country (I-308). Dick requested There Will Never Be Another You (I-407). We finished up with Annie's version of Watch What Happens (II-413), where she discovered that she likes it as a Latin tune better than a swing.

Participant Picks

Sugar Blues (Clyde McCoy)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjemjB3kgAM

(Old Man from) the Old Country

Shirley Horn

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=norUV0lcvXQ

Nat Adderley and the Big Sax Section

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agfyAs4QK88

Enjoy!

--SJH

July 22, 2017

After a week off, we returned to the Hook and Ladder for the usual fun and games. There for the beginning of the Early Segment were Sam (bass), Steve H (soprano and piano), Steve M (alto), and Jack D (trumpet). Victor (vocals) was present but waited until the Later Segment at 3:00 to join in. Carl (trombone), Annie (vocals) and Dick (vocals) were there in plenty of time for that as well. Jim D swung in close to 5:00, so he just listened.

The first four of us got things rolling at about 1:40 with a round of Beautiful Love. At 1:55, we set to work, checking out intros and the tricky timing of Jeannine (II-). Carl and Annie had arrived by this point, and we worked on the unusual counterpoint of Double Clutching (Carl had supplied the music). We then took time on another tricky tune, Pent Up House (II-). Finally Sam had us do some work on Sidney Bechet's tango, Petite Fleur (II-312).

Now came vocal time, and Victor kicked things off with Basin Street Blues (II-37). Annie brought in a version of the excellent blues, Let The Good Times Roll. Dick went with one of my favorites, There Will Never Be Another You (I-407). Second round, Victor went to the reliable Avalon (II-25). Annie opted to work on one suggested to her a while back, the melancholy Detour Ahead (I-105). For Dick, we played Black Orpheus (I-49). We took an instrumental break with Carl's call of Mingus' Jelly Roll. Back to vocals and Victor, we covered the OLD standard Dinah (II-104). On the next page, we found Annie's choice, Dindi (II-105). Even with only one Book IV among us, and even without drums, we managed to work out the constant switch between Latin and swing in On Green Dolphin Street for Dick. For the last round, we stumbled through Victor's choice, the deceptively simple-looking In The Still Of The Night (II-). Annie's last tune of the day was Why Do I Love You (II-245). We finished the afternoon with Dick's pick, I Could Write A Book (I-186).

Our plan coming up is to open up shop at 1:00 pm, set up (and play, if anyone's ready), then open the Early Segment at 2:00. At 3:00, we'll go to the regular program, with emphasis on vocals, until at least 5:00, or however long it takes for everyone to give up.

Early Segment work: Au Privave (I-37)

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

Participant Picks

Jeannine (Watch Manhatten Transfer work it out, then perform)

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

Sidney Bechet, Petite Fleur

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7x9ILhSYiI

Louis Jordan, Let The Good Times Roll

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdQJ3Q0uhYE

Billie Holiday, Detour Ahead

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

Enjoy!

--SJH

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