[Dixielandjazz] Music Man in Galilee (again!)

Bob Romans cellblk7@attbi.com
Fri, 15 Nov 2002 11:44:03 -0600


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Shalom, Elazar!!
When are you coming to California to sit in with Cell Block 7??? Let me =
know, so I can make sure my lip is workin' good!!
Bob Romans
Cell Block 7
Jazz Band
1617 Lakeshore Dr.,
Lodi, California, 95242
Phone.....209-368-3255
Cell...209-747-1148
Fax...209-368-3255
WebPages..click below
www.cellblockseven2002.net
>=3Diii=3D<0
  -----Original Message-----
  From: Elazar Brandt <jazzmin@actcom.net.il>
  To: Dixie Jazz Mail List <Dixielandjazz@ml.islandnet.com>
  Date: Friday, November 15, 2002 12:38 PM
  Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Music Man in Galilee (again!)


  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=20

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<META http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html; =
charset=3Dwindows-1257">
<META content=3D"MSHTML 6.00.2712.300" name=3DGENERATOR></HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Shalom, Elazar!!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>When are you coming to California to =
sit in with=20
Cell Block 7??? Let me know, so I can make sure my lip is workin'=20
good!!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Bob Romans<BR>Cell Block 7<BR>Jazz =
Band<BR>1617=20
Lakeshore Dr.,<BR>Lodi, California,=20
95242<BR>Phone.....209-368-3255<BR>Cell...209-747-1148<BR>Fax...209-368-3=
255<BR>WebPages..click=20
below<BR><A=20
href=3D"http://www.cellblockseven2002.net">www.cellblockseven2002.net</A>=
<BR>&gt;=3Diii=3D&lt;0</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=3Dltr=20
style=3D"PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px =
solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
  <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><B>-----Original =
Message-----</B><BR><B>From:=20
  </B>Elazar Brandt &lt;<A=20
  =
href=3D"mailto:jazzmin@actcom.net.il">jazzmin@actcom.net.il</A>&gt;<BR><B=
>To:=20
  </B>Dixie Jazz Mail List &lt;<A=20
  =
href=3D"mailto:Dixielandjazz@ml.islandnet.com">Dixielandjazz@ml.islandnet=
.com</A>&gt;<BR><B>Date:=20
  </B>Friday, November 15, 2002 12:38 PM<BR><B>Subject: =
</B>[Dixielandjazz]=20
  Music Man in Galilee (again!)<BR><BR></DIV></FONT>
  <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=20
  had 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=20
  parts for the song (anyone know the title of this?) that goes "Well =
you blow=20
  in here, and the music goes round and round, and it comes out here". I =
did it=20
  in Bb, and worked the arrangement so each player only has to learn a =
short=20
  riff that repeats over and over again throughout the song, and when =
you put=20
  them together, the tubas are playing 1 and 3 and everyone else is on 2 =
and 4=20
  making chords. I played and sang the melody myself. On the bridge (the =
B part=20
  of AABA), I just had them all play quarter notes on the G minor chord, =
then go=20
  back to the riffs for the final A phrase. We started by vamping on the =
riff=20
  parts, and did the 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=20
  backed Chevy Corsa, and somehow loaded it with 2 tubas, a bone, a =
baritone, 3=20
  trumpets, a washboard&nbsp;and a banjo, and 2 people plus luggage. =
Unloading=20
  the car should have been part of the act. It was=20
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=20
  by letting people try to get notes out of the horns. After finding 6 =
people=20
  who could produce notes, I passed out the sheet music (quarter notes =
and rests=20
  with the fingering for each note printed under it), sang each part for =
the=20
  players, and got them to get the notes out of their horns. Then we =
started=20
  putting it together. We had about 1 1/2 hours altogether. Believe it =
or not,=20
  by 4 or 5 times through the piece, it started to sound like music. So =
we=20
  committed to do it on stage in the main program that=20
  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=20
  went for it. Some of them actually got their parts out. Others mostly =
blatted=20
  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=20
  on horns and 2 on washboard who until that day had never played =
before. The=20
  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=20
  the routine there this spring. I am learning a little more each time, =
and I=20
  think I have a better chance next time of getting real music out of =
such a=20
  crew. My objective is to show people how easily they can get started =
playing a=20
  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=20
  of the audience and showing him or her what to do right on the stage, =
then=20
  having them do a number 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=20
  if anyone is curious about what we sound like, there is finally a =
sample. Next=20
  week I'll have pictures of the brass band thing, but no sound sample, =
sorry.=20
  The 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=20
  on 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=20
  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></BLOCKQUOTE></SPAN></FONT></BODY></HTML>

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