FESTIVAL JAZZ MONTH BLOG CREATED BY SMUGGLERS

To the Jazz Smugglers followers, would you please help us out. 

I've created this new blog site to publicise the events in the Hillier Jazz Month - not just the Smugglers gigs.

THE PROBLEM IS Google takes a few weeks to list new sites properly, and I need to give them a boost.

IF YOU OWN A WEBSITE would you please put in a quick link to the new Blog site url. That will give Google a push. If you can share it on your Facebook page that would be kind, thank you. I'll ask you to do that again when the press releasses get added.

The url is

http://jazzsmugglers.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/the-hillier-jazz-month-programme.html

The new Hillier Jazz Month blog, Festival of Chichester

(There I've just done it for this blog site, the one you are reading. We need about 6)

I'm going to publish on it the press release for each gig, one by one. 

John

The Jazz Smugglers bands in Sussex

The Jazz Smugglers workshop, Bosham, Sussex

This site is to help the Jazz smugglers workshop group and provide information about the following weeks work. We will be working on widening our range of playing styles as individuals, working together in a band, and practising the more difficult things. You need to be able to read.

In this blog We will produce tips for jazz piano, and jazz guitar together with jazz saxophone. We will cover jazz chords, jazz guitar chords, and we will deal with jazz scales. We will cover jazz songs. This site is all about jazz improvisation. you can sign up directly to this blog site as a FOLLOWER, bottom rh side panel, you'll get all the posts.

ANDREW WE'VE FOUND SOMETHING DIFFERENT

THIS IS PAUL DESMOND PLAYING A LOVELY VERSION OF GREENSLEEVES WITH THE MJQ. Really typical of Paul Desmond, Milt Jackson and John Lewis. Remarkable sound and beautiful, and so original. I love creative people, don't you?


Andrew, you really ought to try this out with us some time when we have it perfected. At first it did not really work.

We tried proper Question and Answer, where one states a theme and the next develops it further. Not our usual Call and Response. Over 8 bars it did not work - you could not see any effect. 4 bars was better but we all got into our usual habit of playing without referencing anyone else.

Then Geoff had a breakthrough, he started with long notes and they were picked up immediately by Mike. This sounded good. Separately we played a Bossa in strict time with no swing at all, Latin style. This also worked very well as a different sound.

What we need to do is to try out some radically different sounds each time - these two ideas could be part of it, playing very fast could be another. We need sounds that are really different each time from what we normally play so that the audience will easily realise what is going on.
Got any other ideas anyone - 3/4 time perhaps? We'll do it next Sunday.

Here is the song list for Sunday workshop, last before the Chi Inn gig the following Friday. You coming in Nettie to try out some percussion thingys?
All Instrumentals unless Nettie want to sing some of them

Greensleeves
How Insensitive/End of a love affair.
It could Happen
Chameleon
Dindi
Shadow of your smile
Mash
Side by Side
Spooky
Wave
I can't get started
So What
Ain't no Sunshine

John


The Jazz Smugglers bands in Sussex

The Jazz Smugglers workshop, Bosham, Sussex

FACEBOOK JAZZ SMUGGLERS SUSSEX BAND

If you have a Facebook account can you LIKE our band page on Facebook please,

This site is to help the Jazz smugglers workshop group and provide information about the following weeks work. We will be working on widening our range of playing styles as individuals, working together in a band, and practising the more difficult things. You need to be able to read.

In this blog We will produce tips for jazz piano, and jazz guitar together with jazz saxophone. We will cover jazz chords, jazz guitar chords, and we will deal with jazz scales. We will cover jazz songs. This site is all about jazz improvisation. you can sign up directly to this blog site as a FOLLOWER, bottom rh side panel, you'll get all the posts.

BURPHAM FETE SATURDAY 2.30

These are the folks.

Dave on gtr, the other Dave on bass, Bob on drums, Geoff on tmp, Mike on tenor and alto and little me, keys.

Here are the instructions for reaching it. 30 minutes from Chichester centre.

BURPHAM VILLAGE GREEN. SAT MAY 24. 2.00 to 4.30 Beside the Church BN18 9RR. Heather Birch, favourite client of ours. Use Arundel by-pass to far roundabout, then it will be the 1st turn left, through small hamlets, Warnincamp and Wepham. Tricky road. £250 or £300 if they make a profit.

Song list as we did last night

Perdido.  Intro Guitar sets up Ska rhythm, 4 bars. Tmp melody. Coda last 2 x 3 stop beat 1. Bb
Alfie's Theme  Straight in  Rythmn section Break bars 31/32.  Solos in 16's Call and response guitar tmp. Finish dead.                   Cm
Autumn Leaves  Piano intro.  Solos  Repeat last 4 bars to end.     Cm
Blue Bossa Intro perc 4 bars each. Solos inc  Congas solo.      Cm
Blue Moon Keyboard to take 1st 16 melody tmp tune last 16 Solos in 16's Last 2 bars x 3 to end.      F
Afternoon in Paris Straight in. Guitar tune Guitar/tmp solo.   C
Journey Home    Tmp tune, solos F
Caravan  First 16 bars Tmp tune with LATIN perc backing altern. bars Bridge with SWING rhythm Tmp tune as before. Solos. Tune repeat Fm
My funny Valentine  Latin Bossa.  Percusion intro congas. Piano/Guitar/tmp solos with backing in bridge. 8's 4's 2's??.  Cm
Lullaby of Birdland. Gtr tune and solo with tmp, exchange 4's kit and tmp. gtr tune Bb
interval
Blues / Watermelon Man -Usual arrngmnt  F
Greensleeves  tGtr free form, Tmp joins, Tmp sets up swing, Kit sets up funkl solos in Dm, Gtr to finish 
So What Gtr Use me riff. Solos all Dm
Mash  Intro last four bars? Tmp. Solos  Am
Little Sunflower Piano 1st 16, tmp Bridge, piano last 8. Solos. Repeat tune Dm
Cantaloupe Island Gtr then piano set up intro. Tmp tune, solos. Tmp finish
How High the Moon/Ornithology  Ballad start speed to 180. Tmp tune  Gtr Ornithology.  Solos in 8's Tune Bars 29/30 x 3 to end. G
Moonlight in Vermont Tmp plays coda unaccomp as intro. Tmp tune  Solos Tmp tune coda to end. Eb
Summertime 100bpm Keys intro Tmp solo then tune.  Solos 2 verses. Keys intro double time.  Solos 2 verses  Coda last 4 bars x 3  Am
EXTRAS
Song for My Father Intro congas 8 bars, keyboard strings 8 bars Fm Eb7.  Alto melody. 8  bar solos.  Coda bars 29/30 x 3 Fm

John

The Jazz Smugglers bands in Sussex
The Jazz Smugglers workshop, Bosham, Sussex

This site is to help the Jazz smugglers workshop group and provide information about the following weeks work. We will be working on widening our range of playing styles as individuals, working together in a band, and practising the more difficult things. You need to be able to read.

In this blog We will produce tips for jazz piano, and jazz guitar together with jazz saxophone. We will cover jazz chords, jazz guitar chords, and we will deal with jazz scales. We will cover jazz songs. This site is all about jazz improvisation. you can sign up directly to this blog site as a FOLLOWER, bottom rh side panel, you'll get all the posts.

FESTIVAL OF CHICHESTER HILLIER JAZZ MONTH

The Jazz Smugglers bands in Sussex

The Jazz Smugglers workshop, Bosham, Sussex

This site is to help the Jazz smugglers workshop group and provide information about the following weeks work. We will be working on widening our range of playing styles as individuals, working together in a band, and practising the more difficult things. You need to be able to read.

In this blog We will produce tips for jazz piano, and jazz guitar together with jazz saxophone. We will cover jazz chords, jazz guitar chords, and we will deal with jazz scales. We will cover jazz songs. This site is all about jazz improvisation. you can sign up directly to this blog site as a FOLLOWER, bottom rh side panel, you'll get all the posts.

HOW DO YOU KNOW HOW WELL YOU PLAY JAZZ?

You don't, unless someone tells you.

Praise could be from a member of the audience, that is always so appreciated, could be from a tutor. It could be from another band member, and you really appreciate that. As a performing artist, when you get praise, wow, does that make you feel good! When you get occasional criticism that burns you up for days.

I've just sent an email to Terry Seabrook, thanking him for the jazz funk workshop he did with us, and also for writing a brilliant arrangement of The Sidewinder for us. That man is absolutely brilliant at what he does. He has made our jazz what it is.

We had a jazz concert last Friday and it was outstanding, the way the band played. The two girl singers were wonderful together, we all interacted with everyone else in the band. First time we had ever played most of the songs in public. Absolutely fabulous night - and yes some of the audience came up and said so. Yes, I emailed everyone and told them, individually as well.

I'm naturally inclined to say nice things if I honestly can do so. But I never say anything if I don't mean it. If you say things are good and you don't mean it then it is just crummy - and people know. If I feel critical then I say nothing. (You have to read between the lines). I might say something, but it would be face-to-face and there would be a purpose in doing so.

I have just sent an email from all of us to Terry thanking him for the work he has done with us. I know he will appreciate it, anyone would. If I am at the Snowdrop pub to-night when Terry's session ends I will say something to each musician if I think they are good. They will be. They always are.

QUESTION FOR EACH OF YOU PLAYERS.
When was the last time another player said how well you played? And when was the last time you told someone else how well they played as opposed to just thanking them for playing?

People have different levels of performance, the key is whether they play at the top, or beyond, their usual level of performance. It is not about whether they are the best in the world.

COULD YOU PLAY BETTER?
Yes, if you practise. What will make you practise harder? Praise.

John
ps. Some individuals in our lovely band have often thanked me for putting in all the effort to get them gigs and organise things - Vic did the other day. They are really really nice. Thanks for that boys and girls.

But I have no idea of whether I'm playing ok, or whether I'm just tolerated. Ok, so a bit of moaning can't do much harm......but maybe they are trying to tell me something if I read between the lines.


Our guitar man Dave told me about this CD. Jim Hall's trio. The guitar and piano are exchanging fours at the end and copying/feeding each other. Really nice sound. You, know this other business of playing and repeating patterns - which is what this is - must have been post bebop. It is in the mid 50's jazz onwards.

Has anyone got any other CDs where they do this? Tell me?
Ps. Dave is as good as Jim Hall was. I mean it.

The Jazz Smugglers bands in Sussex
The Jazz Smugglers workshop, Bosham, Sussex

This site is to help the Jazz smugglers workshop group and provide information about the following weeks work. We will be working on widening our range of playing styles as individuals, working together in a band, and practising the more difficult things. You need to be able to read.

If you have a Facebook account can you LIKE our band page on Facebook please, 
FACEBOOK JAZZ SMUGGLERS SUSSEX BAND 
and LIKE our workshop page as well.
FACEBOOK JAZZ SMUGGLERS WORKSHOP BOSHAM

In this blog we will produce tips for jazz piano, and jazz guitar together with jazz saxophone. We will cover jazz chords, jazz guitar chords, and we will deal with jazz scales. We will cover jazz songs. This site is all about jazz improvisation. you can sign up directly to this blog site as a FOLLOWER, bottom rh side panel, you'll get all the posts.

WE ARE GOING TO PLAY WITHOUT MUSIC THIS SUNDAY

That's right. You have no idea of what we will be playing on Sunday, and we will not hand out any charts. We need to play by ear. You won't know the key either. How will be achieve that?

By magic. Just wait and see.

Scat singing, little riffs. What do you think girls, Andrew? Any use to us?


The concert last night was great. I may put up a post about it.

Keep the music by for these, we will do them some day.
CANTALOUPE
FOUR
STARDUST
DARN THAT DREAM
WHAT ARE YOU DOING FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE? Just the instrumental version
LADYBIRD
BLUE IN GREEN
BLUESETTE

John

The Jazz Smugglers bands in Sussex
The Jazz Smugglers workshop, Bosham, Sussex

We still have places for front line in the workshop.

This site is to help the Jazz smugglers workshop group and provide information about the following weeks work. We will be working on widening our range of playing styles as individuals, working together in a band, and practising the more difficult things. You need to be able to read.

If you have a Facebook account can you LIKE our band page on Facebook please,
FACEBOOK JAZZ SMUGGLERS SUSSEX BAND 
FACEBOOK JAZZ SMUGGLERS WORKSHOP BOSHAM



In this blog We will produce tips for jazz piano, and jazz guitar together with jazz saxophone. We will cover jazz chords, jazz guitar chords, and we will deal with jazz scales. We will cover jazz songs. This site is all about jazz improvisation. you can sign up directly to this blog site as a FOLLOWER, bottom rh side panel, you'll get all the posts.

FISHBOURNE CENTRE. FRIDAY 7.30. SHOULD BE GREAT FUN. TICKETS AT DOOR

We have a complete new programme of songs to do on Friday. Really pleased with this show. Hope you can come and brings friends. Tickets at door, £12. Organised by the Fishbourne Lions in aid of the Snowdrop Trust.
John