MJJ Sep12, 2011

Friday night at the Leinster

Nice easy slow start with Frank, Ted and myself playing some soft ballads. (Apparently I lost a few bars somewhere. If you happen to see them could you return them to me as they are of no possible use to anyone else). Kaye turned up early with her potpourri of standards to sing. Taariq started on drums then moved to the bass. Peter (acoustic guitar) and Cindy (vocals) arrived to add more class to the evening. Late comers Louis, Maria and Anne rounded out an interesting jam. Anne came specifically to get onto the drum kit but Glen came out from behind the bar and beat her to it. (that could be a joke....maybe not) We all had fun, enjoyed each other's company and managed to play a lot of music. Why not join us next week.

Miles Davis
It is 20 years since Miles Davis died at age 65. ABC Jazz is celebrating the man in a variety of ways. Tune in if you can to an interview from 1986 on ABC Jazz at 2pm on Thurs Sep 15th. You can tune in on-line at http://abcjazz.net.au/ or on digital radio or if you have a set top box you could record it.

Jam Sessions at the Leinster Arms Hotel Friday 7:00pm till late Sunday from 4pm
Miles Davis 1955, taken by Tom Palumbo
(Wikimedia Commons licensed)

Sunday at the Leinster

All chips and nonsense really. What had started as a quiet afternoon with Frank, Brian and Col 66 Gold Street, Collingwood performing the opening stanza for the benefit of Don For dinner bookings and meself, turned out to be one of those typically phone chaotic ballad mangling sessions with the likes of 9417 5720 Maria, Deb and Kay taking it in turns on the tonsils, www.leinsterarms.com.au whilst the rest of us (that is once Keef, Jack, and Jim had joined in) had a quick loop through the Captain Chaos book of songswhatcolknows, some young drummer turned up, turfed the world's 4,578th worst drummer off the skins, tweaked the tempo and entirely disconcerted the string section toasting by the fire. Then a casual passer by got up to sing Summertime as casual passers by occasionally do, only she really could sing. Jam Sessions Frank the indefatigable played Route 66 without resorting at the Leinster to his Melways, Debbie sang One Note Samba so fast it Arms Hotel Friday sound like half a note samba, and the evening ended in style, with Maria, Deb, Kay and POCKOTL taking turns 7:00pm till late Sunday from 4pm round Bye Bye Blackbird. A wonderful song sung with such vigour that by the end of it, there was not a single blackbird left in the Leinster Arms Lounge Bar and Lunatic Soup Kitchen, and not many paying customers either . . . so we all rolled out into the gathering dusk, reflecting on the fact that some jazz tunes might sound better with a bossa, swing and country feel all emanating from different corners of the pit orchestra, only we don't know which ones . . . and nor, given the afternoon's entertainments, which proved many and varied, should we care . . .

The Leinster Arms Hotel

Jammers Newsletter
The Newsletter informs interested people of Jazz Jammers events, CD launches and jam sessions. It reviews past sessions, promotes events being put on by Jammers and encourages people to get involved in live performance. It also provides an informative and friendly network for musicians and followers of jazz.

The Jam Sessions

The jams feature a blend of accomplished musicians and those beginning their jamming careers. A great opportunity to drop in, meet other musicians, blow your heart out on your favourite tune or kick back and listen in. The music may be good, bad or bebop, swing, blues, latin or lousy anything can happen and often does! All are welcome. Bring charts, instruments, voices.

Festival Goers Please note: Wangaratta Festival of Jazz & Blues

http://pbs.org.au/node/10343

Friday 28 October 2011 - Monday 31 October 2011

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from the editor As noted the ABC is celebrating the life of Miles Davis but it is on ABC Jazz, the digital radio station. How many of us have a digital radio? How many of us know we can get reception throught the internet and through a set top box? Even better, if we have a recorder attached to our set top box or digital television we can simply record the program for later listening. The Miles interview is on at 2pm in the afternoon not too friendly a time to listen. As far as I can see the interview or other special programs are not available as downloadable Podcasts. This is common with music programs where copyright is often protected. For more on Miles go to the ABC website http://abcjazz.net.au/features/talking-jazz-miles-davis In 1925, the year before Miles was born, The St. Louis Blues was a hit for Bessie Smith and her cornet player, another Louis. I cant see that Miles ever recorded it but you can listen to other versions below. John Perri posted a comment last week on the website has anyone had any thoughts on it. By the way John is looking for some work, drumming that is. I am thinking of opening a seek.com on our web site for such ads is this good? Feedback or comments can be emailed to melbournejazzjammers@gmail.com Rob McCue 12 Sep 2011

Announcing the Young Elder of Jazz Commission!

PBS 106.7FM and the Melbourne International Jazz Festival are delighted to announce a brand new initiative promoting innovation and excellence in jazz composition and performance. The PBS Young Elder of Jazz Commission will award a Victorian Jazz composer/ performer $10,000 for the creation and presentation of a new work to be broadcast on PBS and performed exclusively at the 2012 Festival. The Commission aims to provide support for composers at a pivotal point in their career, and to encourage creative flair and distinction in the jazz idiom. Applications open Monday 19 September and close on Friday 7 October 2011. Visit www.pbsfm.org.au for more details.

Have an enews item? Send by Monday night to

melbournejazzjammers@gmail.com

Jammers website
http://melbournejazzjammers.com/ 3

The St. Louis Blues The St. Louis Blues published in 1914 and written by WC Handy was for many years one of the most recorded pieces of music in the world. It succeeded as a popular song while never leaving the blues and jazz tradition. The verse is classic 12 bar, 3 chord blues though the chorus has been described as a tango by Handy himself. It was a hit for Louis Armstrong and Bessie Smith in 1925. Listen to it here. http://youtu.be/jNWs0LsimFs Other hits that year were Paul Whiteman & his Orchestra with Charleston and Ethel Waters with Sweet Georgia Brown. It was the year Blind Lemon Jeffersons recording career began and Oscar Peterson and Art Pepper were born. Musically, it wasnt all good news with such classics as Dinah, If You Knew Susie (Like I Know Susie) and Yes Sir, Thats My Baby being launched into an unsuspecting world and becoming top hits on shellac. Other versions of St Louis Blues include Helen Shapiro (I kid you not) at http://youtu.be/PewF0LYmYtk and Herbie Hancock and Stevie Wonder at http://youtu.be/0Lkg8mBFjEA The version that shows off that tango that Handy mentions is by Dave Brubeck with Bobby Militello on sax in a 2007 recording at http://youtu.be/NCXElQY6TBo Below is an early edition of the sheet music published by Handys own company. Library of Congress

Margaret has given us another link to give us a few laughs and tide us over the winter. This one is really worth a look and . . . if you look very closely I am told you can see Hortense in the background, though this has not been confirmed at the time of publication. The Very best of Jazz Club http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TebUMhJAKSM&feature=related