LH Jazz Fest.

[Marye]

Originally posted by treebeau:
The running joke is that it moves all women to tears and the men just don't get it.

Not this women...

[1st_oboe]

Greetings all!
We are back safe and sound and with 700 more miles on the school vans. I had a blast driving those monsters. The weather through the mountain passes was much better than expected.
The band played very well. We have not listened to the judges' taped comments yet, but the one that came and talked to us after we played was very positive. It was obvious that our band has improved greatly in the last year. The clinician's comments last year put a lot of emphasis on basics, intonation, interpetation, etc... This year the clinician told us that we need to put more 'colors' and 'nuance' in our playing. Looks like we've got the basics down!

The concerts were OUTSTANDING! Wednesday night featured the outstanding solo students in 8th grade and below. There was one kid, looked to be about 11-12 who played some amazing harmonica (?) I don't remember right now what it was he played (some old standard, I'm too tired to remember at the moment) but he received a standing o for his efforts. There was also a fabulous young trumpet player who (I'm sorry to say this) could probably outplay all of the trumpet players here at the college.
Last night featured an organist. I was completely amazed by him. He was not only comping and adding little whiffles to the songs, but he was playing the bass line as well. It took me about 5 minutes to figure out where the bass player was, then they showed his hands on the jumbo-tron and I noticed that HE was playing the bass line! His solos were insane (in a good way) as well. I'm going to see if I can talk my professor into letting mt take the college's organ to my apartment so I can start getting my jazz organ chops in shape

Cheers!
Aaron
Jazzed-out! (Time to listen to some MAHLER! AHHH! That's better...)

[EJA]

Originally posted by 1st_oboe:
Ethan's story is accurate. I find the whole thing quite amusing, even though it is quite a bummer.

I'm glad you see it that way. I nearly laugh out loud every time I think of how I was sitting there thinking, "where is this guy" and trying to get hold of you on your cell phone when you were probably not 50 feet away. And you were probably sitting there thinking the same thing. "Bummer" is a good description. Were you wearing your Beethoven Radio hat?

The harmonica playing kid is local talent, I think. I tried to find some information on him, but couldn't. I'm not sure if he is even 10 years old. He's won a number of contests and gets in the newspaper frequently. I tried to play the harmonica and never had much success. I guess, according to my brother, I'm still "trying" to play the violin, with similar results.

[1st_oboe]

Unfortunately, I have a habit of taking off my hat when I enter a building (between grandma and bootcamp, it's automatic), but I did have it sitting on the table in front of me.

The harmonica kid was awesome!
I think this is him: Outstanding Jr Division Woodwind Solo
McDonald Elementary - Benjamin Walden

(Elementary!)

Aaron
(Thong!!?... I just heard the new commercial... gotta go check that out!)

[1st_oboe]

I just listened to the judge's tape! He liked me! He made several references to the bass trombone, all of them but the last one positive. He told me I needed a fatter sound! I can't believe it, I was playing as fat and bass-tromboney (ok, blatty) as I could! Time for a new mouthpiece (or bass trombone )

He was really critical of our intonation, but he has no idea how bad it used to be. It's perfect compared to years past. Oh well, I guess he has to find something to nail us on.

Oh and he said that our trumpet players sounded 'like Jr. High students with no concept of tone' It was cranked all the way up and I couldn't hear it from where I was. It's pretty much nonexistant on the tapes. She (the bassist) played an awesome solo in our blues tune (I could hear that at least), but unfortunately, the amp was so pathetic, you can't hear it on the tape! We're bringing our 60's vintage tube amp next year, even if it does require 4 people to carry it!

Cheers!
Aaron

(YES! The Swan of Tuonela is playing right now... The English hornist within me is pleased!)

[EJA]

Yes, that's him: <img src="http://www.today.uidaho.edu/photos/BenjamanWalden31Web.jpg" alt=" - " />
It says he's twelve years old. I guess maybe they use the Junior-High system in Moscow.

[Selma in Sandy Eggo]

Originally posted by 1st_oboe:
We're bringing our 60's vintage tube amp next year, even if it does require 4 people to carry it!

So don't carry it. Push it.

I think it's Carvin that makes a wide assortment of wheeled amp trolleys, with mounting hardware so that the equipment can be strapped down securely to the trolley and doesn't fly off the wheels, even on truck ramps. Guitar Center usually has the catalog. If they don't, or if you haven't got them, I think Carvin is also on-line.

Also, if you're either handy or friends with a design major, or a good carpenter, custom trolleys are a good solution to the 400-pound amp problem. (Custom = properly homemade).

Third option, find the guy at the performing art center who always has the gaff tape hung on his tool belt and ask him what sort of appropriate trolley-type equipment he uses and might be willing to loan the jazz band. Offer free labor in trade.

You really can bring your own equipment. The Stones do it all the time!

[1st_oboe]

Selma,
It does have wheels, but there are plenty of stairs between the performance area and the loading zone. It will be worth it though.

There might be some problem trying to use our own equipment, for example our drummer (erm, percussionist...) tried to remove the cymbals from the set to use his own, but a festival authority of some sort wouldn't let him do it. I told him he should have done it anyway, but he's not aggressive enough to say no to somone wearing a "staff" shirt. I wonder what's going to happen when we wheel the amp on stage and move their pathetic little tubeless amp out of the way?


Aaron

<small>[ 02-28-2004, 03:45 AM: Message edited by: 1st_oboe ]</small>

[Selma in Sandy Eggo]

Originally posted by 1st_oboe:
I wonder what's going to happen when we wheel the amp on stage and move their pathetic little tubeless amp out of the way?

I believe the technical term is "plotz".

Originally posted by 1st_oboe:
...but he's not aggressive enough to say no to somone wearing a "staff" shirt.

Rent the movie "Drumline" and make him watch it sixteen times. Tell him that's how polite drummers behave.

Seriously, if the young man is meek and mild of nature, buy him a violin and go hunting for a rowdier individual. Drummers are supposed to be the first ones into the bar fight. (This is because the brass has to case their instruments first.)

The best drummers I know are all fairly aggressive, with a bit of a mean streak, and a hostile edge. I like them.

[Selma in Sandy Eggo]

Harmonicas are a woodwind? I learn something every day!