January 18, 2025

Next Time: Sat., 1/25, 11am-2pm, TowerLight (3601 Wooddale Ave., St. Louis Park)

Bring your own stand. We generally play from the Real Book vols. I-III.

An instrumental-only group assembled to play at the Workshop this week: Jan (trumpet), Jerry (guitar), Jack (trumpet), Serdar (guitar), Steve (piano, soprano), Raphael (bass), Bill (drums). Strangely, there was still some singing...

Jan got things off to a Latin start with How Insensitive (I-xxx). Jerry was feeling more funky, calling Cantaloupe Island (II-76). Jack took us down a wistful path, opting for, and singing on, Long Ago and Far Away (I-251). Serdar changed directions with the Parker blues, Billie's Bounce (II-44). Your scribe returned to a bit of melancholy with Hoagy Carmichael's Skylark (III-355). Raphael turned the Workshop into a workout with an uptempo version of Lover, Come Back To Me (III-238). Bill returned us to the Latin mood, calling Desafinado (I-108). 

Round 2 began with Jan's choice of Black Coffee (I-45). Yours truly had to leave at this point, but he has it on good authority that the jam continued with Jerry's vocal stylings on Gee, Baby, Ain't I Good To You (I-153). Serdar next chose the classic Autumn Leaves (I-39). Raphael turned to a great tune in 3/4, Bluesette (I-56). The session finished up by playing Jan's call, Black Orpheus (I-49).

Hope to see you next time!

--SJH

January 11, 2025

Next Time: Sat., 1/18, 11am-2pm, TowerLight (3601 Wooddale Ave., St. Louis Park)

Bring your own stand. We usually play out of the Real Book vols. I-III.

We had a roomful again, and bass players to spare (though another horn player or two would not be frowned upon). Present were Jan (trumpet), Matt (vocals), Charlie (trumpet, piano), Jerry (guitar), Raphael (bass), Owen (bass), Carl (bass), Serdar (guitar), Bill (drums), and Steve H (piano, soprano). 

Jan was first up to the plate, swinging at, or on, Alright, Okay, You Win (I-27). Matt got the vocal selection, opting for Fly Me To The Moon (II-135). Jerry went Latin, choosing Black Orpheus (I-49). Charlie brought us back to a nice swing with Lullaby of Birdland (I-236).

Yours truly was up next, and went to a little-played Ellington ballad, Warm Valley (II-412). Matt backed this up with another ballad, When Sunny Gets Blue (I-440). Owen had had enough of the slow stuff, and picked things up a bit with the easy swing of Satin Doll (I-349). Bill changed pace entirely with So Nice (Summer Samba) (I-362). 

Back to Matt, we did a rollicking version of All Of Me (I-40). Raphael turned us on our heads with the curious Off Minor (II-295)--after all, it is a workshop. Jerry called a much more familiar tune, Ain't Misbehavin' (III-13). Matt made us do a bit of (pleasant) work again, while he sang Beyond the Sea (II-40).

As your scribe and a couple of others had to leave, Charlie took over at the piano, and there were still plenty of participants to run things out to 2:00pm. 

Hope to see you next time!

--SJH

January 3, 2025

Happy New Year!

We opened up 2025 with Jan (trumpet), Matt (vocals), Carl (bass), Steve H (piano, soprano), Owen (bass), Raphael (bass), Craig (guitar), Jerry (guitar) and Jack (trumpet).

We kicked things off with Jan's call, Dancing on the Ceiling (I-98). Matt got his first vocal (and first ballad) on For All We Know (I-145). Carl got his first turn ever at the Workshop, going with Paper Doll (I-319). Matt pulled out a handout for us to work on, Nice and Easy. 

Your scribe opted for a popular classic, All the Things You Are (I-22). Next up was Owen, who turned to Ellington's It Don't Mean A Thing (I-224). Matt was ready to sing again, calling Young At Heart (I-461). Craig returned to Ellington, this time Satin Doll (I-349). 

Raphael made the unusual move of picking a tune with straightforward melody and changes, i.e., Beautiful Love (I-40). Jerry surprised us by turning to a show tune, I Could Have Danced All Night (III-156), although with a Jerry-type swing to it, and Matt on vocals. Matt had his own vocal to wrap up the afternoon, Come Fly With Me (III-80).

--SJH