Jazz workshop 2008 going again in West Sussex

We had a gig last Saturday at Yapton in the big barn they use for private parties. Very atmospheric for jazz.

Everyone seemed to enjoy it, the pic shows Andy the Tenor under the hat, playing some delightful melodic solo with Steve the guitar in the background.

Steve makes the fun in the band, though he always looks serious. On Saturday, he broke into his own solo with the riff from Cliff Richard's Summer Holiday, and made the audience laugh.

Workshop back with a vengenace on Sunday 3rd Feb. I'm thinking of getting them all to play their solos adding something they've never done before. Going atonal, loud and soft, play sparingly, use chord tones, whatever.

For me, I'm going to try and stay in the correct key throughout. That'll be a first.

7.30 Sunday Creek End, Smugglers Lane, Bosham, po18 8qp
John
www.jazzenthusiasts.com

Tenor sax - playing tips for jazz workshops

We might have a new Tenor jazz player coming on Sunday boys and girls. Richard. Sounds good. Just be on your best behaviour. Brian on trumpet can't come this week but he wants to join in the Woolpack when we do the gig.

Have you seen the correspondence in The Times on the subject of jazz training. Old arguments coming out - you can't train for it, just do it etc. I don't have a view, each to his own I say. Would be a bit awkward if no one read well at all - I'd have to do it and I'm not good at it.

Tips for jazz workshops.

I'll do comments on the blog from time to time if anyone is interested.

It is always possible to run your own jazz workshop even if you don't have a professional leader. Cheaper that way, especially if someone has a space you can use.

Takes a bit of organisation and a couple of people need to know what they are doing but after that it is not difficult. Tip one, make sure everyone is on e-mail - too much work if you have to use the phone. We can't use a good gig drumemr because of this.

Three of us knew each other from another local jazz workshop, we advertised for a few others, rang up a few contacts, built a mailing list, twisted a couple of arms and we had a group.

We started out with a few songs to play. We got them from the Real Books, bit of photocopying and we were off.

For us we started with fairly straightforward jazz standards with uncomplicated key changes. We used Watermelon Man, a 16 bar blues format, to start with and an "oldie" not usually recognised as a jazz song, Blue Moon. This has regular 11 V 1 changes.

We got the players in, and we were off. The horns usually looked after the melody and everyone took a solo - well, more or less.

Next Sunday
Now it is more advanced than that. We start the New Year season next Sunday. We'll have a look at developing a new intro using a Eurythmics riff, we'll have a go at doubling fours, and twos, and then maybe a three bar solo with a one bar fill, repeated. Good discipline. Perhaps on Sun day we might try an d solo sparingly, "less is more" a good idea for jazz players.

Or maybe we won't do any of this, and try something else. Its jazz - anything can happen.

We've got a singers night lined up for the 20th, and we'll need some songs for that.

7.30 if you are free. Come. Creek End, Smugglers Lane, Bosham, next Sunday 13th Jan.
John
The Smugglers Jazz band for weddings and functions in the South of England
The weekly Jazz workshop for players and amateurs