Mile High Jazz Band - Virtual Jazz & Poetry #2 Resource Page
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"Jazz & Beyond: Carson City
Mile High Jazz Band Association The Mile High Jazz Band Association formed in 2001 as a nonprofit corporation to support the MHJB and its subgroup, the Millennium Bugs (jazz combo), promote live jazz performance in northern Nevada, educate the public about jazz, and enrich the cultural life of the community. Member benefits include mailings, discounts on admissions, and invitations to special events, plus the satisfaction of helping big-band jazz to thrive! To book the Mile High Jazz Band (big band) or Millennium Bugs (jazz combo), call 775-883-4154. |
Project overviewWe are doing a Second Virtual Jazz & Poetry in early 2021. I am setting up this "resource page" for the project at MileHighJazz.com/virtualjnp2.htm. Rita Geil and I have selected 8 poems to be read for this round of Jazz & Poetry, plus there will be a few lines from Shakespeare ("All the world's a stage...") that will be read at the introduction. We have also selected 8 tunes that we want the MHJB musicians to video record for after the reading of the poems. I have designed each part by a letter, but it does not determine the order in which these poems and tunes will be presented in the final video. Details of the plan will be updated updated either on this page or on an accompanying document.
Planned repertoirePart "A" - The Shakespeare quote will be read by Rita Geil. It is not followed by music. Part "B" - The poem "Jazz Jive Jam" will be read by Rita Geil. It will be followed by someone performing Ellington's "Come Sunday." Part "C" - The poem "Spin a Song" will be read by Rita Geil. It will be followed by someone performing Rodgers & Hart's "Dancing on the Ceiling." Part "D" - Krista Lukas' poem "Prolate Spheroid" will be read by the poet. It will be followed by someone performing Cole Porter's "I Get a Kick Out of You." Part "E" - Krista Lukas' poem "My Niece" will be read by the poet. The Carson High School Jazz Band will record, as an ensemble, "Born to be Wild." Their recording will serve as a "reference recording," and the MHJB musicians will, on their own, video record parts. We will be working off the same arrangement. Parts are posted on the resource page (MileHighJazz.com/virtualjnp2.htm). (See item #4.) MHJB musicians: I, David, would like you to video record yourself playing along with the Carson High School Jazz Band. The reference recording is available below. On this Resource Page (below) you can find the parts for the various jazz band instruments in PDF format. Please record your video in landscape mode. On the reference recording you will hear Nick Jacques at the beginning say "1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4" followed by a clap. He is essentially counting off four measure, with a clap on the first beat of the third measure. The fourth measure is silent. To help David coordinate your video with the video of the CHS group, please say the second "1, 2, 3, 4" along with Nick. Allow about 8 seconds before you turn off your camera. David would appreciate it if you could complete your video recording and send it to him (dcbugli@aol.com) by WeTransfer.com or Google Docs by Monday, April 19. Part "F" - Derek Mahon's poem "The Dream Play" will be read by Susan Sara Priest. It will be followed by someone performing "The Summer Knows." Part "G" - Timothy Rhodes' poem "A Handful of Dandelions" will read by the poet. It will be followed by someone performing "Gone With the Wind." Part "H" - Wayne Carlson's poem "An Act in Three Plays" will be read by the poet. The poem is in three sections of six lines each. For this, I will prepare a simple repeating riff for rhythm section. Each section will be in successively higher keys (probably C, D-flat, and D major). I will write out a rhythm for reading each section, and the MHJB members will video record themselves "rapping" the words to the song. We will open up eight bars between the first and second sections and between the second and third sections, and selected MHJB band members can d o instrumental improvisations during those sections. Similarly, at the end of the third section, the riff will continue in the key of D, and we will record improvisations. In production, these improvisations will be overlaid, and the whole business will probably fade away. (See item #5.) Part "I" - Maya Angelou's "Phenomenal Woman" will be read by Jakki Ford. Jakki will then sing Harold Arlen's "That Old Black Magic" in B-flat (her usual key). We will need to create a backing track (piano, bass, and drums) similar to the arrangement she usually does with the band. (See item #6.) Resources"Born to be Wild" Parts:
Lead sheets for proposed tunes:
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Last updated 4/8/2021