February 21, 2026

Next Time: Sat. 2/21, 11am-2pm, TowerLight (3601 Wooddale Ave., St. Louis Park)

Bring your own stand. 

The gang seems to be growing each week! This session we had on hand Bill (drums), Maria (bass), Raphael (bass), Steve C (piano), Steve H (alto), John L (trumpet), Ari (trumpet, flugelhorn), Jerry (guitar), Serdar (guitar), John P (guitar), Scott (guitar), and Mike (tenor). 

Here's what we played, and what volume of the Real Book to find it in.

Raphael: Easy Living (I)

Maria: Boplicity (I)

John P: I Remember You (II)

Ari: Au Privave (I)

Jerry: Moanin' (II)

Serdar: Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans (II)

Steve C: Beautiful Love (I)

Raphael: Hocus Pocus (II)

Maria: Cherokee (I)

Scott: Now's The Time (II)

When your scribe departed at 1:30, they were still going strong, with reports that they went on to play Stella By Starlight (I), Blue Bossa (I), and Blue Monk (I). Great fun!

Hope to see you next time!

--SJH

February 14, 2026

Next Time: Sat., 2/21, 11am-2pm, TowerLight (3601 Wooddale Ave., St. Louis Park).

Bring your own stand.

Who showed up?

Maria (bass), Raphael (bass), Bill (drums), John P (guitar), Randy (alto, flute), Ari (trumpet), Jack (trumpet), Matt (vocals), John C (piano)

What did they play?

L-O-V-E (III), Boplicity (I), Horace Scope (II), Blue Moon (handout), Alice in Wonderland (I), There Is No Grater Love (I), Beyond the Sea (II), The Girl From Ipanema (I), My Funny Valentine (I), Bye Bye Blackbird (II), When the Red-Red-Robin Comes Bob-Bob-Bobbin' Along (handout).

See you next time? Here's hoping!

--SJH

February 7, 2026

Next Time: Sat., 2/14, 11am-2pm. TowerLight (3601 Wooddale Ave., St. Louis Park)

Bring your own stand.

Thanks to John C for taking notes.

Present were Steve C (piano), Raphael (bass), Maria (bass), Bill (drums), Scott (guitar), Serdar (guitar), Randy (alto and flute), Jerry (guitar), John C (trombone), John L (trumpet), Jack (trumpet), Ari (trumpet), Matt (vocals).

Tunes Played: 

All of Me (I)

I'll Remember April (I)

You Brought A New Kind of Love To Me 

Nostalgia in Times Square (I)

I Won't Dance (III)

Horace Scope (II)

Rubber Duckie (handout)

Candy (II)

Wave (I)

--SJH

January 31, 2026

Next Time: Sat., 2/7, 11am-2pm, TowerLight (3601 Wooddale Ave., St. Louis Park)

Bring your own stand. We usually work from the Real Book vols. I-IV. 

A surprisingly large group of musicians found themselves congregating in the basement theater for our weekly jump, jive and wail. Present were Matt (vocals), John C. (trombone and piano), Jack K. (trumpet), Ari (trumpet), Steve H. (piano and soprano), Raphael (bass), Jerry (guitar), Maria (bass), Bill (drums), Carl (bass), George (trombone), Serdar (guitar), and a harmonica player whose contact information I failed to get before he had to leave (so please come back).

As a result, there were fewer tunes, but more solos per tune. Here's what we covered before your scribe had to leave:

Matt: L-O-V-E (II)

John C: I'll Remember April (II)

Matt: How About You (handout)

Raphael: Dearly Beloved (I)

Serdar: Billie's Bounce (II)

Matt: It's Only A Papaer Moon (II)

George: Mercy Mercy Mercy (II)

Matt: When the Red Red Robin Comes Bob Bob Bobbin' Along (handout)

Jerry: In A Mellow Tone (I)

Matt: Angel Eyes (I)

At this point, yours truly had to pull up stakes, but things were still going strong.

Hope to see you one of these weeks!

--SJH