harryc

ON A MISSION FROM GOD................

                  

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Played our gig in Chalfont on Friday night and had a fairly full house. It went very well and the 'take' for the charity (PACE) was impressive and exceeded last years.

For our Blues Brothers medley the whole training band (25 in all) sported Blues Brothers hats and shades.

That's me above - not a shot from the gig but a 'studio shot' for promotional purposes !!!

The rhythym section started the medley with just the opening bars of 'Everybody  Needs Somebody To Love' as the rest of the band shimmied in and took their places, with the crowd clapping in time.

We also had audience participation with competing sections clapping to the latin rhythm of the 'Peanut Vendor' .

All in all a great fun filled evening -  LOVED IT !!!!!!!!!!

I would like to wish anyone reading this blog a very happy Christmas and a bright and prosperous New Year .

TEMPUS FUGIT !!

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I find it hard to believe that it's just about a year since I joined the band to become 'a born again' saxophone player. The time has passed at frightening speed - but has been even more enjoyable than I expected.

We play one of our annual gigs, jointly with our concert band, next Friday, 14th December in Chalfont St Peter. This is a big occasion for us and we have been rehearsing hard for it over the past few months.

Our program will be :

A Blues Brothers Medley

What a Wonderful World

The Peanut Vendor

Christmas Carillon

White Christmas

We'll be playing the last two numbers jointly with our concert band.

The Blues Brothers Medley includes bits of 'Everybody needs Somebody to Love' , 'Gimme Some Lovin' and 'Jailhouse Rock' .  I watched the film on DVD again over the weekend - sheer enjoyable escapeism  - with some great music.!!!

In addition to playing with the band each week I have been having weekly lessons with a private saxophone teacher. Over the past few weeks we have begun to work on  jazz improvisation. Although I am only in the "foothills" of the subject I love it. It creates a very strong incentive to become very familiar with all the scales, major, minor,blues and pentatonic etc. I also find myself listening more intently to all sorts of music and the improvised solos by the various players. The stuff we are working on at the moment includes :-

Blue Monk  -  by Thelonious Monk

Watermelon Man  -  by Herbie Hancock

Cantaloupe Island  - by Herbie Hancock

Colonial Blues

Straight, No Chaser

The problem of course is time - practise time - and as a result I've had to postpone the garage clearance again !!!!!!!!