The Roving Reporter Reports

Having missed the Jazz Workshop on 10/23/10 due to scheduling conflicts, we turn to the report of Sam Fiske, roving jazz reporter, for a report on events at McRae Park. According to Sam, the attendees included Bill (ukulele), Owen (accordion), Paul (piano), Gene (drums), Wes (tenor sax), Craig (guitar), Sam (trumpet synth), and vocalists Annie, Matt and Cheryl.

Most of the songs of the day: "Jump Monk," "My Funny Valentine," "Petite Fleure," "C'est Si Bon," "Alfie," "Ornithology," "Down Home Blues," "Cheek to Cheek," "Bewitched," "Work Song," "I Could Have Danced All Night," "From Russia With Love," "East of the Sun."

Thanks, Sam, for the report!

Timing is everything.

OK, this report is over a week late. Jeez. I'll make up for it with an embarrassing photo in which I appear to be impersonating the latter-day Jerry Garcia. Jeez. Don't get me wrong, I love Jerry's playing and the Grateful Dead along with the Allman Brothers were my introduction to improvisational music. But I don't particularly want to share morbid obesity with him. That's me on the right with Jeff (bass) on the left. In my defense, my wife says I'm not as fat as it appears.

This is the Jazz Workshop report for 10/16/10. Yes, eight days ago. This is not the report for the Jazz Workshop which happened yesterday because I missed that one.

On 10/16/10, the attendees included Bill (uke)- who I have been mis-naming as "Dan" week after week after week, Josh (banjo), Jeff (bass), Gene (drums), Paul (keys), Wes (tenor sax), Tim (guitar) and vocalists Annie, Matt and Cheryl.

In the photo to the left, you will find two jazz musicians even though it looks more like a bluegrass jam at first glance. That's Josh on the banjo and Bill (not "Dan") on the ukulele.

The tunes de jour included "Misty," "Girl From Ipanema," "Autumn Leaves," "Freedom," "Bop Shop," "We'll Be Together Again," "East Of The Sun," "Tune Up," "Imagination," "Late, Late Show," "Angel Eyes," "Close Your Eyes," "Dream A Little Dream Of Me," "Summer's End," "Call Me Irresponsible," "Let's Fall In Love," "Touch Of Your Lips," "Miss Otis Regrets," "Basin Street Blues," "Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans," "I'll Be Around," "Here's That Rainy Day" and "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered."

And here we've got (from the left) Matt, Wes, Annie and Paul. Annie is the Jazz Workshop coordinator; it was her husband Sam Favors who started the Workshop about 1978.

OK, that's it for last week. Hopefully some more responsible participant (than me, anyway) at the Jazz Workshop this week took notes. My apologies for my inattentiveness.

Another Late Report

Sometimes in jazz you play behind the beat, but this is ridiculous. Here's the report for last week's Jazz Workshop, typed up before I go to this week's Jazz Workshop!

On 10/9/10 we had another full house of seasoned and aspiring jazz musicians including:

Gene (drums), Max (bass), Bob (guitar), Tim (guitar), Josh (banjo), Dan (ukulele), Sam (trumpet), Paul (piano and Keytar), Peter (bari sax), Wes (tenor sax), Dick (guitar), Kevin (drums), Toria (vocals), Anie (vocals).

The set list was comprised of "Tune Up," "Peace," "Ladybird," "Three Flowers," "Always On My Mind," "I've Never Been In Love Before," "Take The 'A' Train," "I Should Care," "Softly As A Morning Sunrise," "Down Home Blues," "Close Your Eyes," "Summer's End," "Cousin Mary," "We'll Be Together Again," "Once In A While," "Well You Needn't," "'Round Midnight," "I May Be Wrong" and "Forest Flower." There may have been a couple of others I forgot to write down.

No photos this week, I forgot my camera again. I'll look through the archives for photos of some of the attendees.

The Not-Late Report

Thanks to roving reporter Same Fiske, who was at the Workshop while your editor was out of town for a wedding, we have an on-time report about the Jazz Workshop of 10/2/10:

"A good time was had by all.

"Attendees:
Trumpets: Steve and Sam
Reeds: Peter
Piano: Paul
Drums: Gene
Bass: John and Max
Guitar: Bob
Ukelele: Dan
And Vocals: Annie, Vickie, Dick, Matt


Tunes played: Blue Moon, Caravan, Up A Lazy River, Cantelope Island, Lets Fall In Love, Lullaby Of The Leaves, Autumn Leaves, Dream, Moonglow, Day By Day, Am I Blue, Blues In The Night, Flying Home, I Cover The Waterfront, Down Home Blues, From Russia With Love, What More Can I Say, Waltz For Debbie, Don't Explain, Somewhere My Love."

Thanks, Sam, for the info!

The Late-But-Not-Missing Report

Jeez, you'd think spending five minutes updating a blog was difficult or something- from the way I procrastinate, anyway. On 9/25/10 we had massive turnout at the Jazz Workshop. We had a couple of Jazz Workshops-worth turn up: 15!

In attendance were Annie, Toria and Dina on vocals; the "guitar orchestra" of Tim, Bob, John and Pat (Pat and John were, I think, newbies at the workshop); Josh on banjo and Dan on ukelele; Max on bass; Gene and Scott on drums; Paul on piano; and the horn section was Sam (trumpet), Ira (also sax), Wes (tenor sax). That's a full house.


Songs du jour included "Summer's End," "Lady Bird," "I Mean You," "Body and Soul," "Ain't Misbehavin'," I'll Remember April," "Easy Living," "When I Fall In Love," "The Nearness of You," "Work Song," "One Note Samba," "All Of You," "How Deep Is The Ocean," "Save Your Love for Me," "Lady Be Good," "It Never Entered My Mind," "It Don't Mean A Thing," "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life" and about a half dozen other songs for which I was out of the room.

In the photos, which were taken by Don Lehnhoff a couple of weeks ago, are: Dan with his ukelele; Max with his self-made six string bass (including winding his own pickups); and Annie and Toria looking more like parliamentarians than jazz singers at that particular moment. Thanks again to Don for taking providing so many photos for the blog!

OK, that's it for this week. The next Jazz Workshop is 10/2/10 at McRae Park-hope you can join us there!

The Missing Report (Now The Found Report)

The Jazz Workshop happened on 9/18/10 but I wasn't there. A report by an independent witness is pending.

10/16/10: Thanks to roving reporter Josh, we have the report for the Jazz Workshop of 9/18/10! Present and accounted for were Wes (tenor sax), Peter (bari sax), Todd (trumpet), Owen (accordion), Paul (piano), Ross (piano), Gene (drums), Max (bass), Josh (guitar), Eric (guitar), Dan (I'm not sure I am getting his name right, I think I've now used about three different names for this poor guy- ukulele) and vocalists Toria, Dick, Dena and Cheryl.

Songs du jour included "On The Sunny Side of the Street," "Four Brothers," "Autumn Leaves," "Bye Bye Blackbird," "There Will Never Be Another You," "It Don't Mean A Thing," "Satin Doll," "September Song," "Bright Size Life," "Here's That Rainy Day," "One Note Samba," "When I Fall In Love," "Dream A Little Dream of Me," "I Cover The Watehrfront," "Lover Man," "Save Your Love For Me," "Bewitched," "Yesterday" (Or "Yesterdays"?), "When Sunny Gets Blue," "East Of The Sun," "The Song Is You," "Makin' Whoopee."

Thanks for the update, Josh!