Brighton Jazz co-op

November 15 2022

The Bells: Peter & Charlie (guitars) Ed, Nigel & Clive (keyboards) Greg (bass guitar) Silvie (clarinet) Rita (Tenor sax) Simeon (trumpet) Paul (bass trumpet) 
The Nevill Jazz Chamber Ensemble play The Bells (big ben in G)
nb: I had intended to include another version performed in the 80's (that's the 1980's) by my band Elephant but I could only locate the first 50" so aborted on that one.

February 11th 2020

NB This is a follow up from the previous session February 4
Who was there?
Vocals: Annie
Alto: Sue
Guitars: Peter, Charlie
Keyboard: Nigel
Bass: Isaac
Drums: Tony

We played:
​

  1. "Are You Sitting Comfortable" (warm up with a good easy groove.)
  2. Thirty Spokes Meet In The Hub - Lao-Tzu (take 1) - The Annie, Nigel, Peter, Sue Quartet
  3. Thirty Spokes Meet In The Hub - Lao-Tzu (take 2) - The Tony, Isaac, Nigel, Annie, Charlie Quintet
  4. Freddie Freeloader (1)

February 4th 2020

  1. Improvisations on Lao Tse (thirty spokes in the wheel)
  2. Freddie Freeloader
  3. Improvisation on What It Is

Text

2-poems-and-a-quotation.pdf
File Size: 60 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
The pdf contains the 2 poems + a bonus of a paragraph of Bach talking about his idea of music.

12 improvisers

Vocal
  • Annie
Saxes
  • Luka (soprano sax)
  • Rita (alto sax)
  • Sue (alto sax)
  • Jane (tenor sax)
  • Linda (soprano sax)
Guitars
  • Dave Thomas
  • Peter Gates
Keyboards
  • Nigel (keys)
  • Paul (keys)
  • Ed (keys)
Rhythm
  • Tony (drs)
There are a number of special moments in both versions.
Unfortunately because of where I placed the mike Annie isn't as present in the recording as she should have been - my bad!
She, in performing the poem laid down the form which you could describe as Verse 1 / Interlude, Verse 2 / Interlude, Verse 3 / Interlude, Conclusion / Coda.
The first version finishes with a fade of Tony's heart beat which was very powerful.
Some ways to listen:
Try listening to your own contribution and then stepping back to listen again with perspective.
Go away and then come back to it a day or two later.
​On repeated hearings you will notice synchronicities: moments where something happens like Annie picking up a phrase or the other way round but which sounds so immediate and natural that it had to have come through from a collective intelligence instead of an intellectual cleverness.

Audio

Take 2 Listen to some fabulous playing from the 3 keyboards and 2 guitars at the beginning.  Remember this version was grounded by having 3 root notes V1 Ab, V2 Bb, V3 C.
Paul plays against the C tonality.  Whether he knows it or not doesn't matter.  It works!
I don't think this second version sounds more angry.  I think the horn players are getting more confident.
In some moments Annie sounds like she's singing plain chant.

Below is a rolling transcription of Freddie Freeloader

Keyboard players please note the base line mainly crotchets, good time, a lot of step wise movement.
Otherwise it's fun hearing the lead line and watching the notation scroll along.
Also the actual keyboard part.
​Enjoy!

What It Is (poem by Eric Fried.)

Many points to pay attention to but the following come to mind right now.
​The first moments and the last moments.

What It Is v1

Opening 20/30 seconds:  There's a sustained note from 1 keyboard and an arpeggio is repeated by another keyboard which sounds like the arpeggio before a train announcement on the French railways.  It's fun, inventive and un-premeditated (ie spontaneous).  It is magical and draws me in.
Very Last moments: All is again quiet (except for the pub quiz downstairs) 1 keyboard repeats F D C and another keyboard chimes in with some high octave Eb(s).  Once again it is magical and the stars come out.  In the context of the words it takes the subject of love to a high plain full of possibilities.

What It Is v2

June 4th 2019

1) The Politics of Snow
Luka: soprano / Annie: vocals / Peter: Guitar / Robbie: ​Drums
2) Bells (in D major)
Paul: keyboards / Paul: tenor sax / Joshua: trumpet / Dave: guitar
3) Dimensions in Time and Silence
Ed: keyboards / Noel: tenor sax / Reddie: tenor sax
4) Pointillism / What’s the pointillism!
Annie: vocals / Luca: soprano sax / Noel: tenor sax / Reddie: tenor sax / Paul: alto sax / Joshua: trumpet / 
Dave: guitar / Peter: guitar / Ed: keys / Paul: keys / ​Robbie: drums.

Comments

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Resources

You may / may not have heard of Paul Busby who is an established jazz pianist and composer and who wrote most of the repertoire of the One World Orchestra which was his orchestra until he retired in 2016.  He is very generous with his work and has made a large selection of teaching material available free of charge.  Please take a look and try not to be overwhelmed by the number of study sheets available.