December 22, 2018

NO WORKSHOP this week (Dec. 29).Next time: Saturday, Jan. 5, 11am-3pm, TowerLight

More catch-up work this week, sans details. Back soon with the blog posts you have all (assuming there is more than one of us) come to know and love.

The Musicians:

Raphael (bass), Sam (trumpet, trombone), Jack K (trumpet), Steve M (alto), Carl (trombone), and Steve H (piano).

The Songs:

Work Song (I-4xx) Sam

My Romance (I-2xx) Jack K

Round Midnight (I-3xx) Steve M

I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm (III-188) Steve H

Deluge (I-106) Raphael

Softly As In A Morning Sunrise (II-355) Sam

Stella By Starlight (I-382) Steve M

Jelly Roll (I-226) Carl

West Coast Blues (I-436) Steve H

Night In Tunisia (I-302) Raphael

The Girl From Ipanema (I-158) Sam

You Brought Me A New Kind Of Love (I-458) Steve M

Blue Bossa (I-50) Carl

Baby It's Cold Outside (II-28) Steve H

Three Flowers (I-412) Raphael

Wave (I-431) Sam

On A Slow Boat To China (I-309) Steve M

--SJH

P.S. I have no idea why half of this report is showing up in red, nor how to stop it. 'Tis the season of surprises...

December 15, 2018

Next Time: Saturday, Dec. 22, 11am-3pm, TowerLight (3601 Wooddale, St. Louis Park)

Bring your holiday music along with the regular stuff. No telling what someone might request this close to Christmas!

Finally catching up on the blogs after getting through a lot of other Important Things like work, holidays, and family fun.

It's been awhile, and your scribe no longer remembers the details, though it is possible to list the players and the songs from this date.

The Players: Craig (guitar), Sam (trumpet, trombone), Jack K (trumpet), Waymond (drums, alto, vocals), Raphael (bass), Steve H (piano, alto), Ari (trumpet), Annie (vocals), Carl (vocals), and special guest Caitlin (vocals).

The Tunes:
All Of Me (I-20) Sam
Broadway (I-61) Steve H
Au Privave (I-37) Raphael
Alice In Wonderland (I-17) Waymond
I'm Old Fashioned (III-186) Jack K
High Hopes (III-145) Ari
Dear Old Stockholm (I-102) Sam
Merry Christmas Baby (Christmas Book) Annie-vocal
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas (Christmas) Caitlin-vocal
The Nearness Of You (II-285) Waymond-vocal
Santa Claus Is Coming To Town (Christmas) Annie-vocal
The Christmas Waltz (Christmas) Caitlin-vocal
So What (I-364) Carl-instrumental break
What Are You Doing New Years Eve (Christmas) Annie-vocal
Winter Wonderland (Christmas) Caitlin-vocal
Never Let Me Go (III-299) Annie-vocal
White Christmas (Christmas) Caitlin

--SJH

December 8, 2018

NEXT TIME: Saturday, Dec. 15, 11am-3pm, TowerLight, 3601 Wooddale, St. Louis Park

Bring your Christmas songs along (Real Book and Sam's collection)

TowerLight residents and personnel were kind enough to let us play for them in appreciation of their allowing us to play throughout the year in the theater space. We played Christmas tunes for an hour in the lobby. Annie and Victor did the singing. The band was composed of Sam (trombone and trumpet), Carl (trombone), Steve C (piano), Serdar (guitar), Raphael (bass), Waymond (drums), Steve M (alto), Steve W (alto), and Wes (tenor). Special mention to Jack K, who showed up, but did not play.

--SJH

December 1, 2018

NEXT TIME: Dec. 8, 2018, CHRISTMAS SONGS FOR TOWERLIGHT FOLKS, noon-1pm.

We need to be ready for a downbeat at noon, so we hope you will arrive between 11:15 and 11:30 to help set up.

This week we had a suitable contingent: Sam (trombone and trumpet), Raphael (bass), Craig (guitar), Jack K (drums), Carl (trombone), Annie (vocals), Wes (tenor), and Steve H (piano). 

We played most of the songs in our Christmas folder. When we left, it was snowing very hard.

--SJH

November 24, 2018

Next Time: Saturday, December 1, 11am-3pm, TowerLight (3601 Wooddale Ave., St. Louis Park)

Bring Christmas Real Book if you have one; Sam is supplying another set in concert key as well.

We'll be playing Christmas songs for the listening pleasure of the TowerLight folks from noon to 1:00pm on Saturday, 12/8, in place of our regular Workshop.

Assembled for practicing Christmas songs and other Workshop delights were Craig (guitar), Sam (trumpet, trombone), Steve C (piano), Steve H (alto, drums), Raphael (bass), Jack K (drums), Serdar (guitar), Wes (tenor, drums), Carl (trombone), Ari (trumpet), and Ray (just visiting, thanks), and Victor (vocals).

Mostly Christmas songs today. We worked on Sleigh Ride, Silver Bells, Jingle Bells, Christmas Time Is Here, Let It Snow, Feliz Navidad, Santa Monk Is Coming To Town, The Christmas Song, Winter Wonderland, Happy Holidays, All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth, Frosty the Snowman, and White Christmas. We also played a few non-holiday tunes: Basin Street Blues, Stardust, and a couple of others that your scribe forgot to scribe.

Next week: more of the same.

--SJH

November 17, 2018

Next Time: Saturday, Nov. 24, 11am-3pm, TowerLight (3601 Wooddale, St. Louis Park)

Coming up: December 8, noon-1:00, Christmas performance for TowerLight folks.

Add-A-Tune: Christmas Songs!

The usual gang showed up again for the Workshop this time: Sam (trombone, trumpet), Raphael (bass), Craig (guitar), Steve H (piano), Ari (trumpet), Wes (tenor), Jack K (trumpet), Bob (guitar), Carl (trombone), Annie (vocals), Jim D (piano, percussion), and Victor (vocals).

Things got swinging (gently) with Sam's first pick, All The Things You Are (I-22). Jack K kept the mood with an easy-going Time After Time (III-408). Craig changed tempos by going to Pure Imagination (III-327). Your scribe, manning the piano today, called for Makin' Whoopee (III-261). Raphael changed speed with a lively version of The Lady Is A Tramp (III-227). Wes moved over to some Charlie Parker (at a reasonable tempo) by calling Donna Lee (I-123). Ari let the bass set the pace with All Blues (I-18). Back to Sam, we went to Horace Silver's Lucky Southern (I-255), which sounds like it should be a train song, but is actually a bossa. Craig went traditional with Satin Doll (I-349).

Vocal time, and Annie got in the Blue flow with two very different tunes: The Blue Room (I-53), and Little Girl Blue (III-243), which by all reports went a bit better than last week. Yours truly, just before departing for the afternoon, asked for Skylark (III-356), which turned out a bit swifter than planned, but still held its own. Jim D arrived just in time to take over piano duties as Annie sang about the Old Man From The Old Country (I-300), then lightened things up on Without A Song (II-428). Bob had missed a chance on the instrumental rounds, so he got to call Georgia On My Mind (II-145). Annie next reprised Time After Time (III-408), a little lighter than before, and followed with What a Diff'rence A Day Made (III-430). Victor got a shot and went to old reliable Avalon (II-25). Sam wrapped up the afternoon with St. Thomas (II-338).

--SJH

November 10, 2018

Next Time: Sat., Nov. 17, 11am-3pm, TowerLight (3601 Wooddale, St. Louis Park) 

Your regular scribe was feeling irregular, and was not present for this edition of the Workshop. He is taking the report from the trusty Raphael and passing it on to you. 

Present were, of course, Raphael (bass), along with Sam (trumpet and trombone), Wes (tenor), Jack K (trumpet), Bob (guitar), Carl (trombone) and Annie (vocals). The songs played are as follows:

In A Mellow Tone (I-206), Sam
Now's The Time (II-293), Jack
Salt Peanuts (II-340), Raphael
Blue Trane (I-54), Wes
Out Of Nowhere (I-318), Sam
The Nearness Of You (II-285), Jack
It Could Happen To You (II-204), Raphael
Along Came Betty (III-22), Wes
'Deed I Do (III-92), Annie
Little Girl Blue (III-243), Annie (Really struggled to get 3/4 to 4/4/ transition.)
2 Degrees E, 3 Degrees W (II-408), Carl
You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You (II-438), Annie
The Way You Look Tonight (II-415), Annie
Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise (II-355), Bob
Old Man From The Old Country (I-308), Annie
Jersey Bounce (III-223), Raphael
On The Sunny Side Of The Street (III-312), Annie

Reference recording of Little Girl Blue (Ella Fitzgerald)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qU7cp_7jurA

--SJH