Duck Deli Performance Tomorrow!

Hello everyone. Just some words on what's going on tomorrow:

Call time for all band members who do not play in the Doylestown Heat and/or are not French Horns is 3 PM in back of the parking lot across from the Duck Deli (where many will be parking for the event). That parking lot belongs to an old framing factory, and you should see other cars parked there. We will be quietly warming up, tuning and focusing on "First Circle" (getting our heads in the zone). French horns have a call time of 3:30 and that's the time that we'll make our way across the street (202) to examine the set up, as the Heat will be done at 3:45.

Help the Heat as much as you can in clearing the performance area. I'm not saying that Bill Kuder has a tendency to talk a lot between pieces and go overtime and it may cut into our set up time... but that kind of is what I am saying and let's "help" them get off the performance area as quickly as possible. Chris has informed me that the Duck Deli has about 30 music stands, so we don't need to bring our own (but I'm leaving one in the car anyway), and the rhythm section is taking care of their own equipment, so decisions regarding that is up to Pete and Bill R.

Make sure your system for dealing with page turns and playing outside is in place. The best thing is probably a binder with glare-free sheet protectors, but I know some will want to use plexi-glass or clothespins.

If you're going to eat at the Duck Deli, know that food per person costs no more than $10 (I think it's usually around $6), and that Jazz West plays after us, so you have time to sit back and relax and enjoy the BBQ if you wish afterwards, or you can arrive early (the event starts Saturday at 11 AM) and listen to music to your heart's delight.

Dress is the same as it was at the church - solid colors and black, but be aware that since we're outside and taking into consideration the temperature forecast, just make sure you're comfortable as well. Full suit jackets, etc., are not necessary for this gig if you wore them last time (though you looked snazzy). :) You might want to wear sunscreen, but we should be under a tent while we play. Furthermore if you have guests coming, with the number of people invited, I would recommend having them bring beach chairs or blankets to sit on the grass.

Band members can contact me directly with any individual concerns, but that should be about it. The address of the Duck Deli is

524 East Butler Ave.
New Britain, PA 18901

if you need it. Weather is supposed to be awesome tomorrow, and I'm sure we'll have a great time playing our charts. And finally, the lineup of pieces is, again:

"In the Stone"
"The First Circle"
"Samba Ti Kaye"
"Ride the Wind"
"Malaguena"

Let's have a great time!

A New Piece of Literature!

Wait, did you think this was going to be about a new chart? Hehe, no, actually, I stumbled across the fact that on May 15th of this year there will be a new BOOK published on Stan Kenton titled "Stan Kenton: This Is An Orchestra!" by Michael Sparke. You should be able to find it at www.amazon.com (and perhaps elsewhere) if you search for that title. Anyway, it's a hardcover and the price tag is (considerably) pretty low, so if anyone's interested... that's nifty. :)

Interesting this isn't being published next year on Kenton's Centennial. Curious.

Practice Next Week: 26 April 2010

Hey guys! Great job at practice on Monday. I know the room felt a bit hot and there was a lot of yawning (all in all everyone had some sort of a tired day) but we got a lot of good work done. And the run-throughs we did of "The First Circle" were impressive - we're making great strides with that piece. Some of it is probably the fact that once the pulse/rhythm locks in - and by this, I don't mean the rhythm section but rather the band with the section - the piece becomes more comfortable (comfortable is probably not the operative word) and the other parts about it can catch up, like intonation and dynamics and articulations. Ideally, we've been doing this all along, but when there's an all-consuming feel issue...

Anyway, I want to stress the importance of not going on autopilot in this piece. I don't think people are, but it could happen, and I think everyone on autopilot in that piece is more dangerous in the sense of "we're going to crash" than just worrying about "not crashing." "The First Circle" to me is a double-edged sword. Just when you think you've got it, the music introduces a whole new level of demand for focus and perfect concentration. It really is a masterpiece.

At any rate, next week we will be working more on "The First Circle" and the horns will be during the last 30-40 mins. or so to work "Malaguena" which we haven't done in the past few weeks. And then on May 3rd, we start heavily working the new stuff, like "Begin the Beguine."

So take care and have a good rest of the week, and see you all on the 26th! :)

Great Job on Hard Work

Hey everybody! Good job working "The First Circle" last night. I know the work was tedious and required a lot of patience on everybody's part while small parts across all sections were worked as well as transitions in and out of the chunks of the piece (like out of the sax soli into meas. 72, in and out of the solo, in and out of the repeated section (beginning of meas. 72), the end, the beginning, etc.

But the great news is we've now comfortably put the piece together and I get the sense that a lot of that chart is moving into muscle memory. That's good - it's not an excuse not to focus - but that's a good thing, I believe. We even removed the guidance of the bass drum on the downbeat at the beginning and we were okay.

Get ready to work some small parts on that chart next week and to really run through it a number of times on Monday, April 26th (the fourth Monday of April). That night we will be bringing the horns in around 8:30 to do a final rehearsal with them to clean any parts of Malaguena. Also, next week, we will be doing cleaning on a few things in "In the Stone" and "Ride the Wind," but I feel that these pieces are mostly comfortable to us now.

Once we are beyond the Duck Deli, we will start looking at the new charts at practices and as we get comfortable with them, we will start phasing out some of the older ones and replacing them with the new ones. Hopefully by mid-June we should have some new ones at a performance level.

As stated at rehearsal last night (if for whatever reason you were not there), the Duck Deli gig has been pushed back (time-wise) to 4 PM. Chris, the owner, called me yesterday and finalized that time. That means that the Doylestown Heat is no doubt on at 3:30 PM, and we are being followed by the final act, which is Jazz West, under the direction of Ed Protzman. This has to be one of his final performances around town as he's moving to Kansas City soon; this is his last year as band director of C. B. West.

And yes, May 23rd is a Sunday, not a Saturday. Gil Guglielmi, who runs the hosting band (Southampton), has told me that the event is from 3-6 PM, and that we will be in the latter half, so plan on playing any time between 4 and 6 PM that day. That gig is also outside.

I will send more information about directions and parking for the Duck Deli as soon as I have it, so check the perfomance info side-bar on the blog for that info.

Stay safe and see you all next week. :)

Great Job Everyone! And See You Tomorrow!

Hey band!

Great job tonight for our first performance. By the time I had turned around, the audience was already on their feet. I think we really woke them up, and not just literally. To a lot of things, like the abilities of good players working good charts, because that's what this whole thing about. And a group that has a lot of fun.

Now, that being said, tomorrow's rehearsal is probably going to seem tedious, because we need to get comfortable with "The First Circle" (or as comfortable as one can get with that chart). Take a look at "But Beautiful" if you have time, because we'll probably warm up on that, but we're going to be doing a lot of Metheny tomorrow night.

I only heard compliments from everyone, and we ran out of programs, so I'll make sure to have copies on hand for people at rehearsal tomorrow night so band members can get them.

Thank you all for a good night, get some rest, and gear up for working on the monster chart.

New Charts and Updates

The new charts handed out at Monday's practice are for some time in the future, with the exception of "But Beautiful."

"Begin the Beguine" and "Intersecting Lines" are for the summer, and it is recommended to start looking at those charts on your own time until work starts with them in mid-May. There are various recordings online of these charts, "Intersecting Lines" being available as a sample at www.marinamusic.com and through iTunes. Northwestern University had a solid performance of "Begin the Beguine" and it can be watched on YouTube at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3sagWZsfts&feature=PlayList&p=A76C7ECD1ED69DE7&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=11

as well as at www.marinamusic.com.

"Rhythm of Our World" is probably for the fall, and it will take multiple listens to the music to get somewhat comfortable with the various grooves, so it would not be suggested to attempt to figure it out without listening to it - there's are samples of this song online as well.

Therre is an update on the pedestrian who was struck by the SUV outside the church on Monday night, and the news is reporting that he is in fair condition at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia (so he probably was flown down from Doylestown Hospital that night). Hopefully he will be okay.

Again, call time is 6:30 PM at the Church on Sunday and 6:50 PM for the french horns. Be ready to get set up and dress has already been covered. You know who to contact if you have any questions. Feel free to invite whomever you wish to the performance, but just let them know to be quiet when entering and to head to the Sanctuary, bypassing the other activities in the Parish Hall (the gym/auditorium to the left after you enter).

This week there are some other concerts in the area. Up at West Chester University on Friday, April 9th, there is the WCU Criterions Jazz concert starting at 7:30 which is free and open to the public (see www.wcupa.edu for more information) and the Delaware Valley College Jazz Band will be playing in the student union building on the DVC campus at 3 PM on Sunday, April 11th.

Pleaes Use Caution...

I sent a message around via Facebook to all members of this band's group page, but I just wanted to reiterate here the information contained therein.

Last night, as we exited practice, there was a line of emergency personnel vehicles to our left on S. Main St. and my later suspicions were correct. Someone (though no information as to his/her identity has come out at the current time) crossing the street there, right outside St. Paul's by Dairy Queen was struck by a car. Again, I don't have any information on the person or the severity of their injuries, but please, please, use caution while crossing the street there and exercise common sense, especially at night, when entering or leaving the church. As someone who regularly crosses the street there and walks a mile and a half to work almost every day passing by that spot, I can tell you without hesitation that that is the worst spot in town traffic-wise and that I have told others for years now that if something were to happen, it would happen somewhere between the gas station at the intersection of Union and Main Sts. and the Farmhouse (the intersection by Wendy's). I do not feel that those traffic lights are coordinated (its terribly difficult to cross), and people are almost always speeding because of a.) coming from the center of town on Main St. down the hill from the Court House, b.) coming off Old Dublin Pike or 313 (611 becomes Main St.) and not reducing speed to 25mph from 40 mph and c.) general idiocy, especially considering there's a relatively new, large residential area right past Dairy Queen. And please keep in mind that when you exit St. Paul's, that front drive is a "Do Not Enter."

I'm not going to speculate, but if you want to follow this, just look around the local news websites. The article I found this morning was:

http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/local/the_intelligencer/the_intelligencer_news_details/article/27/2010/april/06/man-struck-crossing-main-street.html

I hope the person struck is okay, but again, please be careful whether you're in the car or not. And if you run across the street before practice for any reason (including getting ice cream), look both ways before you cross and don't take any chances at that spot for the reasons listed above. I don't want to dwell on this, as some may find it upsetting, but the issue had to be addressed in full and as briefly as possible. Please let me know if you have any concerns.

Practice Recap and Performance Info

Hey everybody! Great job at practice last night. The cold run-through (though there were longer than normal pauses between charts last night) went (musically) verywell, and then I thought that we cleaned up some key spots, especially in In the Stone and Ride the Wind.

Making it all of the way through "The First Circle" was exhilarating the first time, and now that we know we can do it, we just need to: a.) learn to do the opening minus the bass drum, and b.) clean, clean, clean followed by c.) polish, polish, polish. We have April to finish this, because we intend to perform this monster chart on May 1st.

To reiterate it here, call time is at 6:30 at the church on Sunday and dress is conservative concert attire, meaning white, black or solid colors for tops and black for pants, etc. or all black attire (if women want to wear dresses). Know that a good third of the members of the band will be coming over from the DVC jazz band concert at 3 and will no doubt be in white/black apparel already. Just use your common sense.

Also, remember, and I can't stress this enough (and I know I have at this point), to not make any sound upstairs, especially when you're coming in and setting up. When you walk in the doors (by the time 6:15 rolls around), be aware that right to the left of the church entrance there is a performance going on. Quietly talk or whisper and head downstairs, and then stay quiet. If you are warming up downstairs, you must keep it at a piano/pianissimo level, play only when the door is closed, and only in groups of less than three. We know how bad that room echoes, and we know how the sound carries. I'm not trying to be strict here, but we need to be disciplined and give all the respect to the performers upstairs that we can.

Next week we will be focusing on cleaning "The First Circle," so we need to keep the focus up (I think I will be saying this for all time) and the non-musical chatter to a minimum. With the acoustics of our practice room, everything that is said is amplified and so, whenever directions are being given from whoever is giving them, the sound level needs to drop. We're usually very good about this, so I'm not really that concerned, but it's something we want to keep in mind.

I think we can all look forward to the performance on Sunday, but just bear in mind the above information, and look for a post later this week with links to the recordings of the new charts. Remember, the only one we will play through soon is "But Beautiful" as it is not an advanced chart, and that "Begin the Beguine," "Intersecting Lines," and "Rhythm of Our World" we will begin practicing in full after May 1st, giving you about a month to take some time on your own with them.

Thanks again for all of your hard work, ethusiasm, and dedication to the group. I think we all know of the value of our players, our mission, and the legacy of the music that we are working. See you all Sunday.

Upcoming Rehearsal: Monday, 5 April 2010

Hello everybody! Is everyone looking forward to Monday? You know, the journey this band has been on has been a great one, from our first rehearsal almost four months ago (can you believe it?) to a nearly full band now, looking at charts for the summer, and looking to the first performance, which is next Sunday, April 11th.

I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone for their hard work and dedication, and to ask them as humbly as I can to keep it up, for we will only get better and have more fun making great music together. Malaguena is really starting to peak and maybe back in the sections or in the recordings stuck in acoustically-odd rooms (is that a nice way of putting it?) you cannot hear so well just how well this piece does sound. What a closer!!! When we get outside, all that hard work in dealing with the acoustic difficulties and focus and concentration to be precise will pay off big time. In the Stone is strong and so are Samba Ti Kaye and Ride the Wind, and the parts only require some cleaning to be more than decent.

And we made it from meas. 35 to the end The First Circle without crashing. That's really quite something. The saxophones worked hard at a small sectional during practice, and I'm sure everyone could hear that. There are some seriously cool powerhouse players in that section.

Oh, and the trombones had their third sectional on Friday night. Again, it's the energy and dedication thing. I am so absolutely happy with this.

Anyway, I wanted to send this message out tonight as I will be out all day tomorrow, and I don't want to update the blog last minute on Monday. So in the meantime, check the blog for call-time for Sunday, but expect it to be at about 6:30 PM at St. Paul's on the 11th (french horns can come in at 6:45), and you can hope to be out by about 8:15. I will post a blog message just about that gig as the date rapidly gets closer.

Happy Easter to all who celebrate it in the band, and looking forward to Monday night. Moving right along... and coming soon... the Duck Deli...