First Saturday Workshop of the Season

On 9/12/09 the Jazz Workshop will start meeting on Saturdays. We meet from 12:00-1:00PM to concentrate on instrumentals and from 1:00-3:45 with the vocalists in the mix.

The Jazz Workshop in the Park at McRae Park in South Minneapolis has been helping people develop the ability to play jazz for three decades. We meet every Saturday (from 12:00-3:45PM) between Labor Day and Memorial Day. The Jazz Workshop has been happening since about 1978, giving aspiring jazz musicians an opportunity to hone their chops and learn the craft of playing fine music. Musicians of all ages are welcome and there is no cost. We mostly play songs from the Real Book(s) and other Great American Song Book standards (and we'll try to play almost whatever jazz charts you bring). The basic skills you need are some facility in playing in all 12 keys, knowing some scales (major, minor and pentatonic are helpful), and being able to read a lead sheet reasonably well (perfect sight reading not required). It's a workshop, so we figure it's likely that you'll need to develop your skills rather than coming in with smoking chops ready to take the jazz world by storm. Instruction is informal- this is mainly learning by doing. If you have questions, ask!

If you play piano, we have an upright provided by the park (but the tuning is unreliable as the weather changes); we also have a small drum kit (bring your own sticks and brushes, and you might want to bring your cymbals in case you don't like ours). If you're a singer and you want something in a different key than the various "Real Books" provide, please bring at least a half-dozen copies of charts in the key you desire; transposed charts for Bb and Eb instruments are really appreciated.

Hope to see you there!