Northeast Jr High Music Festival

On March 13, 2015, I got to rehearse and conduct one of the Jr High Music Festival bands.  It was a great day.  Really good bunch of kids.  The flute and clarinet sections were fantastic and the trumpet and alto saxes were really good, too.  One really good trombone, and Mike O played euphonium parts.  The tenors wouldn't play the same things twice, and the bass clarinets, bari saxes, and even electric bass could barely be heard.  I honestly couldn't tell if they were playing most of the time.  The drummers had various issues, including playing the melody instead of their written part.  I'm not being negative - it really was a good day, but I had to prioritize the issues.  I was expecting to focus on dynamics and articulations, but instead tried to get the low and tenor instruments to be heard at all.  I worked on the countermelody in the trombone2 and tenor sax part way too long, because I never heard it again after I thought we made some progress.

The concert went well, really:

Themes from "Jupiter" - We started off with a huge chord that sounded great.  Triangle came in, saxes played their melody, we nailed the syncopation but then we couldn't hear the trumpets or horn parts.  Something happened when the woodwinds started in on their 8th notes and the percussion didn't come in, but we all sort of stopped together.  The andante went well, and although the percussion came in on the wrong beat they fixed it at the next section.  I think the ending went okay.

Saxophonic Boogie - This was fun.  I don't remember any problems, and the dynamics and repeats seemed to be followed.

Cruisin' in Five - FIVE MINUTES to get the triangle on her hand!  We all waited in painful awkwardness as she tried to get it right.  If she'd just done as I'd suggested it would have been fine!  But she played the part fine.  Woodwinds were awesome, although the clarinets had a hard time with a rhythms that we'd worked on, and that imitated what the flutes did for three measures before they played it.  And we worked on it several times that day.  I'd thrown a little solo at the conga player that wasn't written, and he nailed it.  Dynamics were nonexistent.  Low instruments may well have been absent also.  But we were together.

Colonel Bogey - I'm so glad that Jane played along!  The drummer played the melody instead of their part, and I don't understand why!  We worked on it!  Whistling part of the melody was really cool, and the kids had fun with it.  Never heard the countermelody from anyone other than Mike O.  That was very frustrating.  Barely heard the low instruments.

In discussing the concert with parent/teacher, she said she could hear the low instruments.  I guess it might have been that they were just way quieter than I'm used to.

ETA at the Legion

The Evansville Transit Authority played at the American Legion in Orleans on 3/7/2015.  Their regular bassist Chris couldn't do it, so I joined them for another substitute gig.  When Kyle's parents arrived, they had a hat for me:

Cowboy Hat!

The gig started right on time, at 7:00.  There wasn't really a set list, Travis just yelled out the tunes and we played them.  There were a few songs that I didn't have in my binder, and had never played before, but it was really ok.  I fell right into place with them, although sometimes I felt like I need to make sure I stayed with Travis a little better.  He's a great drummer, but I haven't played with him quite enough to completely lock in with him.  I think I noticed it when we played Folsom Prison Blues.  But overall I think we sounded really good.  Somebody in the audience (MG) offered us $100 to play "Jeremiah Was a Bullfrog" so between the 2nd and 3rd sets we jotted it down and then played it for the first time ever.  I hope they add it to their list, although there was at least one chord that wasn't quite right.....but he still paid us $100!

During the 2nd set there was this really annoying guy who wanted us to play whatever song he could think of, including everything from Metallica to Garth Brooks.  He asked for two songs we'd already played.  Very drunk.  And he kept coming to me.  I was worried about him falling over on stuff.  He tried to request a song before Long Train Running was done.  I hope I didn't sound too annoyed.  Another woman came up and asked for a twostep or a waltz.  I think she'd asked Kyle for a waltz earlier and we'd played To Love Somebody.

Here's a list of what we might have played:

Already Gone

Amie

Bad Case of Loving You

Brown Eyed Girl

Fast As You

Feelin Alright/You Can't Always Get What You Want/Season of the Witch

Folsom/Cocaine Blues

Gimme Three Steps

Good Hearted Woman

Green River

Honky Tonk Women

Hurt So Good

Jenny (867-5309)

Johnny B Goode/Let It Roll

Keep Your Hands to Yourself

Little Sister/Get Back

Long Cool Woman

Long Train Running

Mustang Sally

Oh, Lonesome Me

Roadhouse Blues

Runaround Sue

Spooky

Stuck in the Middle

Sweet Home Alabama

The Break-Up Song

To Love Somebody

Up On Cripple Creek

Wagon Wheel

Wild Night

There were a few others, too, that I need to add to their list:
Shout (Isley Bros, not Tears for Fears!)
Friends in Low Places
Mony Mony
Polk Salad Annie
Turn the Page

Big Whiskey Social Club at Brewski's

Big Whiskey Social Club played the first of what was supposed to be four engagements at Brewski's.  The deal was that we'd get extra money for extra people brought in.  We filled the place TWICE.  The dance floor was full the whole night, and people had a great time.  We did get paid extra!

.

My two songs:

SET ONE

Drink in my hand - Stu

Watermelon Crawl - Stu

Little less talk - Stu

Cocaine Blues - Stu

I hold on - John

Sweet Home Alabama - Andre

Born on a Bayou - Stu

Get rhythm - Stu - I think we skipped this one, which is good.  We weren't quite ready for it.

Big Green Tractor - Stu

Friday night - Andre

God bless Texas - Stu

Kickit in the Sticks - John

SET TWO - There was great energy in the room when we played this one.

Neon light - Andre

Cruise - John

achy breaky heart - Stu - We were playing along, and all of a sudden I went to a D, right out of nowhere.  It sounded so bad, but just for a second.

Something about a truck - Stu

Country Girl - John

Folsom Prison - Roger came up and joined us for this one.

Can't You See? - Stu

How I got to be this way- Bill - I think we sounded pretty good on this one, but we were hesitant with the stops.

Take a little ride - Stu

Wagon Wheel - Stu

My kind of night - Andre - This one was awesome.  The crowd was SO into it, we probably should've stopped here.

Booze Cruise - Stu- BUT we went on to this tune.  We were all pretty hesitant, but we got through it!

SET THREE - I was REALLY tired for this set, and I think Andre was, too.

Parking Lot Party - Andre

Save a horse - John

Homegrown Honey - Stu - we played this WAYYYY too fast.

Aw naw - Bill - I felt pretty good about this one, but when listening back to it I found that I was definitely out of tune.  It was really hard to hear myself.

Sweet Caroline - Stu - I kept jumping to the next chord too early.

5-1-5-0 - Stu

In the AM - John

Turn the Page - Stu - The beginning went a lot better than usual, but we still need to practice it.

Boys 'round here - Stu - Stu started playing this song when John & I started Turn the PAge!  We switched pretty quickly, though and joined him.

Red Solo Cup - Andre

Family tradition - Stu - I felt like people didn't really know this one, but sang along more and more as the tune went on.

Honky Tonk Be-donk-e-donk - Stu

SET FOUR - I drank a V8 before this set, and felt a lot better.  While we were playing though, I stepped on a broken glass.  Not sure where it came from!

Copperhead Road - Stu

Ain't Worth the Whiskey

Good hearted woman - did not play

Coming to your City - John

Gimme Three Steps - Stu (FILL) - this was as far as we got.  The owner shut us down and turned on the lights.  There were too many fights going on!  Apparently they were being started by the same guys who really liked our playing, too.

Move it on over (G) - Stu

That's alright momma - John

Tush - John

Call me the Breeze - John

Who do you love - John (FILL)

REPEAT

REPEAT

Big Whiskey Social Club at Darlene's Party

It feels like it's been a long time since I've updated this, but gigs have not been numerous lately.  This gig was really successful, though, we made lots of good contacts, and picked up at least two gigs.  I felt really good while playing, like I was invincible.

At one point I was moving my mic stand and the song started - I began the Johnny Cash bassline by tapping it with my right hand.  Another time my strap came off, but since it was in A, I didn't even miss anything....!  I only sang Aw Naw, but it went really well.


-->

Drink in my hand - Stu

Watermelon Crawl - Stu

Little less talk - Stu

Cocaine Blues - Stu

I hold on - John

Sweet Home Alabama - Andre

Born on a Bayou - Stu

Get rhythm - Stu - first time we ever played this tune.  It was a little rough.

Big Green Tractor - Stu

Friday night - Andre

God bless Texas - Stu

Kickit in the Sticks - John

-->

Neon light - Andre

Something about a truck - Stu

achy breaky heart - Stu

Cruise - John

Country Girl - John

Folsom Prison - Roger

Take a little ride - Stu

How I got to be this way- Bill  - didn't play this one

Can't You See - Stu

Wagon Wheel - Stu

My kind of night - Andre

-->

Parking Lot Party - Andre

Save a horse - John

Homegrown Honey - Stu

Aw naw - Bill - listen to it HERE

Sweet Caroline - Stu

5-1-5-0 - Stu

In the AM - John

Turn the Page - Stu

Boys 'round here - Stu

Red Solo Cup - Andre

Family tradition - Stu - I don't think we played this one

Honky Tonk Be-donk-e-donk - Stu

NCUHS JAZZ BAND...

...at Jay

    The Jazz Band played a gig for the Northeast Vermont Development Association in September, 2014.  As I've said to many people, usually we learn 3 or 4 tunes in 3 months, but for this gig we attempted 10 tunes in a month.  Obviously many songs were easier than usual, and we used some pep band tunes, but it was great to be able to do this.
    As we got close to the gig it became apparent that one of our guitarists, one bassist, and one drummer wouldn't be making it.  That threw a lot of responsibility on a freshmen guitarist and bassist, but they did just fine.
    The gig itself went well.  We were background music during their social hour.  Volume was perfect, as it was a big room.  Pressure felt low because we weren't the main attraction.  We received many compliments.  They made a $250 donation to the band.

NC Jazz Band at NVDA

...at the Reindeer Farm Fall Festival

    The Jazz Band played a few week later, on October 11th, at the Reindeer Farm Fall Festival in Brownington.  We all met there, and two band members followed me down the wrong road.  That added some time, but we still arrived there plenty early.  We played for a good-sized crowd of people, as well as ponies and reindeer.  Although we were background music, several people sat and enjoyed listening.  Marty McRae and his wife showed up to listen and had good comments for us -

• there's value in learning lots of songs really fast, different from in-depth learning of a few songs
• playing gigs is an education in itself



NC Jazz Band at RFFF

• Get those bells up!

Jay Peak - Northeast VT Development Association

Setlist - September 25, 2014

·         Louie Louie

o   Chandler, drums

·         Fever

o   SOLOS: Nathan & Cody

o   Chandler, drums

·         All About the Blues

o   SOLOS: ?

o   Jon, drums

·         American Patrol

o   No solos

o   Jon, drums

·         Fly By Night

o   Chandler, drums

·         Tongue N Groove

o   No solos

§  Skip m67-87

o   Chandler, drums

·         Sticks

o   SOLO: Cody

§  Skip 81-109

o   Chandler, drums

·         I Saw Her Standing Ther

o   SOLO: Nathan

o   Jon, drums

·         Happy

o   Jon, drums

Reindeer Farm Fall Festival

Setlist – October 11, 2014

·         Louie Louie

o   Elliott, drums

·         Fever

o   SOLOS: Nathan & Cody

o   Chandler, drums

·         All About the Blues

o   SOLOS: ?

o   Jon, drums

·         American Patrol

o   No solos

o   Elliott, drums

·         Fly By Night

o   Elliott, drums

·         Tongue N Groove

o   No solos

§  Skip m67-87

o   Chandler, drums

·         Runaway Baby

o   Chandler, drums

·         Sticks

o   SOLO: Cody

§  Skip 81-109

o   Elliott, drums

·         I Saw Her Standing Ther

o   SOLO: Nathan

o   Jon, drums

·         Happy

o   Jon, drums