Yesterday and next week

Wow, the jam continues to grow. Yesterday had to be our largest crowd yet; around 50 people showed up and 25 of them were musicians that jammed! Amazingly, everyone got to play several songs each. Dan is running a very efficient jam - we played 19 songs yesterday. That's the most tunes we've played at one of our jams by far. If you want to hear how you sounded the tunes are posted.

The 1st set tunes for March, starting next week at Liliana's ( that's right, a jam three weeks in a row, whew), are Coming Home Baby and There Will Never Be Another You. Coming Home Baby is a blues so that should be straightforward. There Will Never Be Another You is not difficult but has more to it. A brief analysis of the tune can be found at Jazz Standards.com.

Coming Home Baby was originally done by Mel Torme and his version is worth checking out just to understand its origins. Herbie Mann had a big hit with it also. Here's a version by David Sanborn that I like. Check out his use of rhythm and riff-like phrases.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ox3CPi9q7yw

And here's Chet Baker and friends doing There Will Never Be Another You. Lots of easy swinging ideas here.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCnkfFOip2A&feature=fvst]


Tunes from yesterday are up

Yesterday was probably one of the most fun jams at Talula we've had. The band was cooking, the audience was a little larger, and I felt like I was playing better (that always makes it more fun). I'm not sure why except maybe I was still relaxed from yoga that morning. It's so much easier to play when relaxed but finding that state can be elusive.

Tunes from yesterday are posted. If you plan to play Blue Bossa this coming Sunday at Liliana's listen to both versions from yesterday. In the second one you can hear the difference it makes to think rhythmically while soloing over a bossa.

This coming Sunday at Liliana's, Feb 26th, we'll be doing Footprints and Blue Bossa in the first set again. We'll have Rand Moore's rhythm section to back us up: Rand on drums, Paul Muench on keys, and former UW Music Dept Chair John Schaefer on bass. It's nice to mix up the rhythm section but there's also something to be said for playing with a working band. It should be fun!

Lastly, if you like to work ahead check out the schedule page. It lists upcoming jams, house band members, and first set tunes.


Chris Wagoner & Mary Gaines will lead IMW, Sunday, February 26 with Randy Sabien

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A JAZZ STRING FIESTA,  SUNDAY FEB, 26th!!! Laurie will be gone this IMW but the fun and exciting duo: Chris Wagoner and Mary Gaines will lead a conversation with Mr. Sabien about his approach to music-making.  Mr. Sabien will also take questions from the audience and invite musicians from the audience (both amateur and professional) to the stage to make music together.

 

Madison Music Collective, Mad Toast Live, Improv Music Workshop,

Ward-Brodt Music, and WORT 89.9 FM present

 

“Jazz on a Sunday”

February 26, 2012

The Brink Lounge, 701 East Washington Avenue, Madison

THE RANDY SABIEN STRING QUARTET (+2)

 

Randy Sabien / Violin

Mike Dowling / Guitar

Matt Turner / Cello

Jeff Eckels / Bass

With guest artists Mary Gaines & Chris Wagoner

Concert at 3:30 pm

Improvisational Music Workshop (IMW) at 6:00 pm (free and open to the public)

General Admission: $15 at the door / $12 advance

Discount rate for members of Madison Music Collective, Madison Jazz Society, and students w/ID:

$10 at the door/$8 advance

Advance tickets available online at http://www.thebrinklounge.com/February.html

Madison Music Collective and Mad Toast Live kick off their 2012 Winter-Spring Series at The Brink on Sunday, February 26th with a concert by jazz violinist Randy Sabien’s String Quartet (+2).  Joined by Mad Toast Live hosts Chris Wagoner and Mary Gaines, Sabien’s group will lay out some righteous string jazz on 2 violins, 2 cellos, guitar and bass.  Following the concert, Chris Wagoner and MAry Gaines will lead a conversation with Mr. Sabien about his approach to music-making.  Mr. Sabien will also take questions from the audience and invite musicians from the audience (both amateur and professional) to the stage to make music together.


Footprints

There are several published chord changes to Footprints. In the article below Dan discusses the changes we'll play when we perform Footprints at the jam. We'll see if we can get Dan to explain what a "tri-tone substitution" is when we see him at the jam.

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When approaching Wayne Shorter’s “Foot Prints,” think of the tune as being a double length 3/4 blues in “c” minor.  The changes do not follow a standard progression.  In bars 19 and 20, a tri-tone substitution is employed in place of the five chord. A good approach for those less experienced with this tune is to enlist the help of the “c” blues scale. (C, Eb, F, F#, G, Bb, C)  Once this is comfortable, then dig in to the intricacies of the harmony.  Remember that this is a minor blues.  Lastly, be aware of this tune being in 3/4, and approach rhythms accordingly.

Here are the chords:

| Cm7 | x 8|

| Fm7 | x 4|

| Cm7 | x 4|

| D7 | D7 | Db7 | Db7 |

| Cm7 | x 4 |

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XvJFW0DHbU]