September 24, 2022

Next Time: Sat., 10/1, 11am-2pm, entrance to McRae Rec Center (906 E. 47th St. MPLS), weather permitting.

Bring your own chair and stand.

The weather did not look good shortly before our time last week, and your scribe had a number of tasks to do at home, so was not present. To date, I have not heard that anyone else was there, but I may hear otherwise soon. If so, I will report here. This weekend, however, promises excellent weather. Hope to see you at the Workshop!

--SJH

September 17, 2022

NEXT TIME: Sat., 9/24, 11am-2pm, entrance to McRae Rec Center (906 E. 47th St., MPLS), weather permitting.

Bring your own stand and chair.

Only two of us--Sam (bass) and Steve (alto)--managed to make it on a glorious mid-September Saturday afternoon. We had fun. 

Tunes played:

There'll Be Some Changes Made (I-408)

There Is No Greater Love (I-406)

All Blues (I-18)

A Child Is Born (I-79)

Countdown (I-92)

I Love Paris (I-189)

Song For My Father (I-373)

Solar (I-363)

Waltz For Debby (I-432)

We do hope you will be there Next Time!

--SJH

September 10, 2022

Next Time: Sat., 9/17, 11am-3pm, entrance to McRae Rec Center (906 E. 47th St., MPLS), weather permitting.

Bring your own stand and chair.

Your scribe is sad to report that, despite the gorgeous weather last Saturday, not enough people showed up in a timely fashion to hold a Workshop session. So here's hoping this week is better!

--SJH

September 3, 2022

Next Time: Sat., 9/10, 11am-2pm, entrance to McRae Rec Center (906 E. 47th St., MPLS), weather permitting.

Bring your own chair and stand.

A fun group showed up for our last gathering: Sam (trumpet, trombone), Steve (soprano), Raphael (bass), Wes (temor), Jim (trumpet), and Ari (trumpet, flugelhorn). 

Sam got the first call, Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise (II-355), which we took at a medium tempo. Raphael chose one that hardly anyone knew, a Hoagy Carmichael tune, One Morning In May (II-302). Your scribe, even though he left his alto at home, opted for a Paul Desmond tune, Wendy (II-418). A good piece for trumpet, I Could Write A Book (I-186), was Jim's choice. 

Back around again, with more players ready to contribute, Sam went with the Parker Latin bit, My Little Suede Shoes (I-xxx). Raphael went with classic Irving Berlin, Blue Skies (II-58). Wes kicked in with It's Only A Paper Moon (II-209). Yours truly moved up a few years to the Illinois Jacquet classic, Robbin's Nest (II-330). Ari felt the need to get some more Latin on the board, asking for The Girl From Ipanema (I-158). Before he left, Jim called for Have You Met Miss Jones (I-172). Before all the rest of us left, we finished with Sam's pick, Broadway (I-61).

Some good playing, stories, and encouragement were had by all. Hope to see you next time.

--SJH

August 27, 2022

Next Time: Sat., 9/3, 11am-2pm, entrance to McRae Rec Center (906 E. 47th St., MPLS), weather permitting.

Bring your own chair and stand.

Besides Sam (trumpet, trombone), Steve (soprano), and Raphael (bass), there was someone we had not seen for quite a while--Bob (trombone)--and an old timer on the Twin Cities music scene, but a newcomer to the Workshop--Jim (trumpet). Much chatting and exchange of stories ensued. Also, jazz.

Bob was given the first call and, thinking to keep it simple, got us started with All Of Me (I-20). Yours truly kept it easygoing with C'est Si Bon (I-65). Jim flipped through the pages and landed on Black Coffee (I-45), which was played in a suitably bluesy fashion. Sam went with the trickier A Night In Tunisia (I-302), which kept us busy for a while getting the form right, until we found the groove. We then played Happy Birthday for four-year-old Stella, whose party was happening nearby. A bit of rain, prompted Raphael to move his bass under the cover of the front entryway, but then we slid into the obvious Stella By Starlight (I-382).

The swinging Gershwin tune Somebody Loves Me (I-369) was Bob's next choice. Your scribe changed the flow with a somewhat Latin version of Django's Nuages (I-307). After getting the tune under our fingers at a slow pace, we settled into a decent clip on Jim's pick, Oleo (I-309). Sam went Latin again, but on a typically non-Latin All The Things You Are (I-22). Raphael wrapped things up by calling J.J. Johnson's Lament. A lot of people had to leave at that point, and the weather go pretty threatening, so we packed things up.

Here's hoping we see you next time!

--SJH

August 20, 2022

Next Time: Sat., 8/27, 11am-2pm, entrance to McRae Rec Center (906 E. 47th St., MPLS), weather permitting.

Bring your own chair and stand.

A smaller group this time out, despite the excellent weather. Sam (trumpet, trombone), Steve (alto), John (trombone) and Raphael (bass) were on hand.

We opened with a choice by your scribe, East of the Sun (III-104). Sam went Latin with Aquellos Ojos Verdes (III-25), better known to most of us as Green Eyes. Raphael dug back into the history books for My Lucky Star (III-293). John also stayed with jazz roots, opting for At Sundown (III-33). 

We came back around again to yours truly, who called a medium-up version of How Deep Is the Ocean (III-150). Sam chose an easy-going swinger for his second tune, Mean To Me (III-274). Raphael, apparently feeling nostalgic, pulled out Irving Berlin's Let's Face The Music And Dance (III-278), which is tricky to improvise on, given its varying length passages. Don't know what got into John, but he decided on Benny Golson's Stablemates (III-378), which we managed to get through without much incident.

Third time around. Your scribe sent us back to the 1930s again, going with Kalmar and Ruby's Nevertheless (III-300). Ever the contrarian, Sam went to the quicker Bernie's Tune (III-39). Raphael's choice was I'm Sitting on Top of the World (III-187). Fats Waller made an appearance on John's pick, Ain't Misbehavin' (III-13). 

Three of us had to leave at 1:30, so we finished off with On the Sunny Side of the Street (II-312). Another session when we played everything out of the same volume of the Real Book!

Looking forward to seeing more of you this coming weekend at the Workshop.

--SJH

August 13, 2022

Next Time: Sat., 8/20,, 11am-2pm, McRae Rec Center (906 E. 47th St., MPLS), front or back entrance, weather permitting. 

Bring your own chair and stand.

We had a decent crew at the last Workshop: Sam (trumpet, trombone), John (trombone), Steve (soprano), Carl (trombone), Raphael (bass), and Serdar (guitar). We also had an appreciative audience at a kid's birthday party by the pool, which is always a plus.

Sam got the motor running with the lengthy Nica's Dream (I-299). John opted for the more traditional Satin Doll (I-349). Your scribe decided a medium swing version of Beautiful Love (I-40) would work. It did. Carl returned us to Ellington with his choice of In A Mellow Tone (I-206). Raphael felt it necessary to change books with Bolivia (III-56). It took us quite a bit of work and vocal counting to get hold of the form correctly, but when we did it was satisfying. 

Sam changed moods entirely with Stanley Turrentine's Sugar (I-387). Serdar felt the need to work on something in 3, picking Alice In Wonderland (I-17). John decided we all needed to work on a favorite of his, Wave (I-431); he was correct. Taking us back to roots, yours truly went with a bit of Gershwin from 1924, Somebody Loves Me (I-369). We completed our afternoon, as a number of us had to leave, with a spirited if choppy rendition of Sam's call, Four Brothers (II-282).

Hope to see you next time!

--SJH