[Dixielandjazz] Jazz Vespers

[Steve Barbone]

Norman & Listmates:

Here's what works for Barbone Street & The Red Lions & several other bands
I've played Vesper services with here in the Philadelphia Area, including
Old Pine Street Church which you mention. They've had Jazz Vespers once a
month since Rev Davis started it in 1986. Some famous jazz guys played there
like Grover Washington, Mickey Roker, McCoy Tyner et al.

Firstly anything at all works. But what I do is try and match the songs to
the service, getting a copy of the service in advance. For example, last
year at Old Pine we did the following routine: (I would announce each tune
to the congregation)

PRELUDE: Before the service start, we played 2 songs as the congregants were
entering the church - We did Royal Garden Blues & Shine. Shine announcement
was a bit long explaining the tune origins in 1910, by a black composer, for
the black theater circuit, about a racial incident that occurred in NYC in
1901. Was this the first jazz protest song? (congregation 50% black)

CALL TO WORSHIP: After Rev calls them to worship with a short passage, we do
a JAZZ CALL and played "Alexander's Ragtime Band". Announced something like
"just as you are being called to worship, so did early jazz bands called
their audience to listen. Come on along, come on along, hear Alexander's
Ragtime Band." 

LITANY Rev spoke about how we take refuge in God's care. "When we cry out in
despair, God hears us and delivers us:

BAND LITANY We played "Precious Lord Take My Hand" and explained how Thomas
A. Dorsey, a typical jazz musician sinner changed his ways, became a Gospel
musician and how he struggled to gain Church acceptance and how he wrote
this tune from the depths of his despair.


SCRIPTURE LESSON (guest preacher) - GALATIANS 5:16-22 (No song followed
this:-) VBG  

MEDITATION    Rev then spoke about fear of weapons of mass destruction.
JAZZ MEDITATION  was "Down By The Riverside" complete with anti-war lyrics.
You can imagine my announcement of this tune.

OFFERING - GIFTS OF THE PEOPLE

GIFTS OF THE MUSICIANS - WE played I Can't Give You Anything But Love here
after an appropriate announcement about how jazz musicians have no money.

BRIGHT MOMENTS - Rev asks people to announce good things that happened to
them. Some get up and thank the Rev that they could hear good music. etc.


PRAYER  -   Rev asks people if they have anyone for whom the congregation
should pray. Several respond. Then Rev directs a prayer on their behalf.

BLESSING & POSTLUDE:

BAND POSTLUDE: "When the Saints Go Marchin In" complete with vocal.


Gospel tunes work great:

Besides the one above, "Lonesome Road" with vocal, "Just a Little While To
Stay Here", Just a Closer Walk" etc., etc. Depends upon Rev's message. If
he/she talks about the short time we have on earth, "Just a Little While" is
perfect etc.

We even did "Satanic Blues" a few years ago when Rev spoke about the battle
between Good & Evil. ("since good was winning, the devil has the blues")

Fun gigs. And we often get complimented on the relevancy of what we play.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone

"Norman Vickers" <nvickers1 at cox.net>
>
> This from Philadelphia press.  Didn't know this person.  Reason for posting
> is to get feed-back from listmates re what works and doesn't work for a jazz
> vespers service.
> 
> I know they do it at St. Peters Lutheran Church in NYC and sporadically
> elsewhere.
> 
> Any advice?  Our St. Christopher's Episcopal Church in Pensacola has a jazz
> service twice yearly, once on All Saints Sunday-lst Sun in Nov. - and then
> in May, halfway to All Saints Day.
> 
> PHILADELPHIA (AP) - The Rev. Warren H. Davis, a retired rector and jazz
> pianist who instituted jazz vespers at several churches where he ministered,
> had died. He was 79.
> 
> Davis, who died of pancreatic cancer Thursday at Bryn Mawr hospital, had
> initiated jazz vespers with his ensemble, the Gabriels, in 1986 at Old Pine
> Street Presbyterian Church in Society Hill.
> 
> He later played jazz vespers at churches where he ministered, at St.
> Gabriel's Church in Olney and at St. David's Church, in Manayunk.
> 
> "The marriage of jazz and religion worked well because in essence, the two
> are based on spirituality and expressions of the soul," said Davis, a 1951
> graduate of the former Philadelphia Divinity School.
> 
> The Gabriels also performed at local jazz clubs, and Davis had performed
> with the group as recently as June. A memorial service will be held at 11
> a.m. Friday at St. Peter's Church in Glenside.