[Dixielandjazz] Music Man in Galilee (again!)

Elazar Brandt jazzmin@actcom.net.il
Fri, 15 Nov 2002 20:41:55 +0200


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Shalom Jazz fans!

Believe it or not, a year has come and gone since I pulled the brass band stunt at our last folk music retreat. Last week we had the
second annual event, and I was invited to take another stab at something interesting with my brass horns. This time I had a workshop
on the schedule. So I cooked up a new scheme to try to top last year's. Here's how it went.

I arranged  about 5 parts for the song (anyone know the title of this?) that goes "Well you blow in here, and the music goes round
and round, and it comes out here". I did it in Bb, and worked the arrangement so each player only has to learn a short riff that
repeats over and over again throughout the song, and when you put them together, the tubas are playing 1 and 3 and everyone else is
on 2 and 4 making chords. I played and sang the melody myself. On the bridge (the B part of AABA), I just had them all play quarter
notes on the G minor chord, then go back to the riffs for the final A phrase. We started by vamping on the riff parts, and did the
song twice, once vocal and once with me on trumpet playing melody.

I rented a little square backed Chevy Corsa, and somehow loaded it with 2 tubas, a bone, a baritone, 3 trumpets, a washboard and a
banjo, and 2 people plus luggage. Unloading the car should have been part of the act. It was something!

At the workshop, we started by letting people try to get notes out of the horns. After finding 6 people who could produce notes, I
passed out the sheet music (quarter notes and rests with the fingering for each note printed under it), sang each part for the
players, and got them to get the notes out of their horns. Then we started putting it together. We had about 1 1/2 hours altogether.
Believe it or not, by 4 or 5 times through the piece, it started to sound like music. So we committed to do it on stage in the main
program that evening.

At showtime, I opened with a couple banjo/vocal numbers, then got the brass band on stage. The 7-piece band plus 2 washboards was
impressive, and the players were enthusiastic. And we went for it. Some of them actually got their parts out. Others mostly blatted
nondescript notes, but at least in tempo and on the right beats. So there was enough there for me to sing and play over. And we did
it. This time, no other musicians were in the mix to carry the tune. Only me, with the 6 players on horns and 2 on washboard who
until that day had never played before. The audience bought it, and it was a great opening for an evening of folk music, some
amateur and some pro.

The clincher was that the director of the national folk music festival was there, and invited me to do the routine there this
spring. I am learning a little more each time, and I think I have a better chance next time of getting real music out of such a
crew. My objective is to show people how easily they can get started playing a horn, and I hope to flush some new students out of
the audiences. I am considering making this part of my jazz band show, but taking one person out of the audience and showing him or
her what to do right on the stage, then having them do a number with the band.

So, for those who read this far, my question is, has anyone else ever tried something this stupid... I mean... daring? Have you had
any success with the bit working, and/or with recruiting new students as a result? I'd be interested in any suggestions anyone might
have... Alright, you wise guys, but I'm going to keep doing the bit anyway!

In other news, I updated our website recently with some new pix and now there is an MP3 file of one of the tracks we've recorded
toward making a demo CD. It's still a little rough, but if anyone is curious about what we sound like, there is finally a sample.
Next week I'll have pictures of the brass band thing, but no sound sample, sorry. The world is not ready for it yet! Also there
isn't enough free space on my site.

That's the news for now. Keep on jazzin'. Bob Romans, you created a monster when you helped me get started on that trumpet. Thanks!

Elazar
Chief Brass Guy
Ministry of Jazz
Crazy Rhythm Band
Jerusalem, Israel
<www.israel.net/ministry-of-jazz>
Tel: +972-2-679-2537

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<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html; =
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<META content=3D"MSHTML 5.50.4134.100" name=3DGENERATOR></HEAD>
<BODY>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D320275217-15112002><FONT size=3D2>Shalom Jazz=20
fans!</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D320275217-15112002><FONT =
size=3D2></FONT></SPAN>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D320275217-15112002><FONT size=3D2>Believe it or not, =
a year has=20
come and gone since I pulled the brass band stunt at&nbsp;our =
last&nbsp;folk=20
music retreat. Last week we had the second annual event, and I was =
invited to=20
take another stab at something interesting with my brass horns. This =
time I had=20
a workshop on the schedule. So I cooked up a new scheme to try to top =
last=20
year's. Here's how it went.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D320275217-15112002><FONT =
size=3D2></FONT></SPAN>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D320275217-15112002><FONT size=3D2>I arranged&nbsp; =
about 5 parts=20
for the song (anyone know the title of this?) that goes "Well you blow =
in here,=20
and the music goes round and round, and it comes out here". I did it in =
Bb, and=20
worked the arrangement so each player only has to learn a short riff =
that=20
repeats over and over again throughout the song, and when you put them =
together,=20
the tubas are playing 1 and 3 and everyone else is on 2 and 4 making =
chords. I=20
played and sang the melody myself. On the bridge (the B part of AABA), I =
just=20
had them all play quarter notes on the G minor chord, then go back to =
the riffs=20
for the final A phrase. We started by vamping on the riff parts, and did =
the=20
song twice, once vocal and once with me on trumpet playing=20
melody.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D320275217-15112002><FONT =
size=3D2></FONT></SPAN>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D320275217-15112002><FONT size=3D2>I rented a little =
square backed=20
Chevy Corsa, and somehow loaded it with 2 tubas, a bone, a baritone, 3 =
trumpets,=20
a washboard&nbsp;and a banjo, and 2 people plus luggage. Unloading the =
car=20
should have been part of the act. It was something!</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D320275217-15112002><FONT =
size=3D2></FONT></SPAN>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D320275217-15112002><FONT size=3D2>At the workshop, we =
started by=20
letting people try to get notes out of the horns. After finding 6 people =
who=20
could produce notes, I passed out the sheet music (quarter notes and =
rests with=20
the fingering for each note printed under it), sang each part for the =
players,=20
and got them to get the notes out of their horns. Then we started =
putting it=20
together. We had about 1 1/2 hours altogether. Believe it or not, by 4 =
or 5=20
times through the piece, it started to sound like music. So we committed =
to do=20
it on stage in the main program that evening.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D320275217-15112002><FONT =
size=3D2></FONT></SPAN>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D320275217-15112002><FONT size=3D2>At showtime, I =
opened with a=20
couple banjo/vocal numbers, then got the brass band on stage. The =
7-piece band=20
plus 2 washboards was impressive, and the players were enthusiastic. And =
we went=20
for it. Some of them actually got their parts out. Others mostly blatted =

nondescript notes, but at least in tempo and on the right beats. So =
there was=20
enough there for me to sing and play over. And we did it. This time, no =
other=20
musicians were in the mix to carry the tune. Only me,&nbsp;with the 6 =
players on=20
horns and 2 on washboard who until that day had never played before. The =

audience bought it, and it was a great opening for an evening of folk =
music,=20
some amateur and some pro.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D320275217-15112002><FONT =
size=3D2></FONT></SPAN>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D320275217-15112002><FONT size=3D2>The clincher was =
that the=20
director of the national folk music festival was there, and invited me =
to do the=20
routine there this spring. I am learning a little more each time, and I =
think I=20
have a better chance next time of getting real music out of such a crew. =
My=20
objective is to show people how easily they can get started playing a =
horn, and=20
I hope to flush some new students out of the audiences. I am considering =
making=20
this part of my jazz band show, but taking one person out of the =
audience and=20
showing him or her what to do right on the stage, then having them do a =
number=20
with the band.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D320275217-15112002><FONT =
size=3D2></FONT></SPAN>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2><SPAN class=3D320275217-15112002>So, for those who =
read this=20
far, my question is, has anyone else ever tried something this stupid... =
I=20
mean... daring? Have you had any success with the bit working, and/or =
with=20
recruiting new students as a result?</SPAN>&nbsp;<SPAN=20
class=3D320275217-15112002>I'd be interested in any suggestions anyone =
might=20
have... Alright, you wise guys, but I'm going to keep doing the bit=20
anyway!</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2><SPAN =
class=3D320275217-15112002></SPAN></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2><SPAN class=3D320275217-15112002>In other news, I =
updated our=20
website recently with some new pix and now there is an MP3 file of one =
of the=20
tracks we've recorded toward making a demo CD. It's still a little =
rough, but if=20
anyone is curious about what we sound like, there is finally a sample. =
Next week=20
I'll have pictures of the brass band thing, but no sound sample, sorry. =
The=20
world is not ready for it yet! Also there isn't enough free space on my=20
site.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2><SPAN =
class=3D320275217-15112002></SPAN></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2><SPAN class=3D320275217-15112002>That's the news for =
now. Keep=20
on jazzin'. Bob Romans, you created a monster when you helped me get =
started on=20
that trumpet. Thanks!</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2><SPAN =
class=3D320275217-15112002></SPAN></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2><SPAN =
class=3D320275217-15112002>Elazar</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2><SPAN class=3D320275217-15112002></SPAN></FONT><FONT =

size=3D2><SPAN class=3D320275217-15112002><FONT size=3D2>Chief Brass =
Guy<BR>Ministry=20
of Jazz</FONT></SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2><SPAN class=3D320275217-15112002><FONT =
size=3D2>Crazy Rhythm=20
Band<BR>Jerusalem, =
Israel<BR>&lt;www.israel.net/ministry-of-jazz&gt;<BR>Tel:=20
+972-2-679-2537</FONT> </DIV></SPAN></FONT></BODY></HTML>

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