River Cities at the Waupaca Ale House

Great nite last night!  Band was much better, all the way around.  There was a different sense of balance, intonation, and general musicianship.  Hopefully  we are on a permanent up swing.....
Many of the harder charts came together last night.  We still had some spots, but everyone was listening to each other, and we were able to get back on track quickly.

Rico Jazz Select

The reeds I use on my bari.... now I am using them on tenor as well.  Great full sound.  Still have to work for better control, but that will come with time.  I will get a nice practice session in this Thursday nite, right before RCJ.

Support our cause by purchasing tix for the April 9th Wisconsin Rapids Concert!

Looong rehearsal

6 hours of RCJ today!  We were at the Sky Club, set up in a square, and worked out many of the ensemble details that need to be rehearsed once in a while.  We are all looking forward to this trip, and want to put our best musical foot forward. 

And alot was accomplished!

#3 reed are the ticket!

I have graduated to #3 reeds again!!! This is a major accomplishment for me.  I worked out on a V16 tonite, and will try other Vandy cuts, as well as RRJS 3Med unfiled - like I use on the bari.  God, I hope this works!
Gearing up for a marathon rehearsal this Saturday in Plover.  Lots of playing and listening.

LL

3-17

Happy St. Patricks Day to all!

Practicing tonight was short, but productive. 

I have been playing on reeds that are too soft.  As I review recordings, my tone, and work with the tuner for tone nuances and intonation, I started to think about what I do on bari sax.  Baritone sax is my strongest axe right now.  SO, I have been playing a mouthpiece identical in size to the bari mouthpiece, but the reeds I have been using for the tenor are much softer.  Logic then told me to try a harder reed.  I have a 3 1/2 Vandy ZZ on, which is a little stiff, but playable, and solved some problems.  This is an area I will continue to work on and update.
Now to get the leak at middle C fixed.......

More tomorrow!

LL

The All American Jazz Orchestra 3/16

A nice evening reading charts with Chet Zientek and the All American Jazz Orchestra.  This band has been rehearsing for about 10 years.  I like subbing with them, because their charts are unique.  I rarely play the same charts on this band that I do on other.
An added suprise was Victor Cerda singing with us.  He sang a few Buble charts - one that we play in RCJ.  Good music, good people, and lots of fun.
My reeds are giving me fits, again.  I think they are too soft, so I ordered some harder ones.  I would really like to find some consistancy.......

3-15 Practice

The Ides of March are upon us!

Tonights practice work included some more rhythms and charts from RCJ, as well as pentatonic scales and blues scales. 

Mitch sent out recordings from this past friday, for our evaluation and reference.  As I listened, I noticed my tone is harsher than I would like it to be.  I also noticed that how I attack a note is weak.  This is somewhat disturbing to me, as I always thought I blow through the horn fairly solid.   Part of my problem may be the reed, but I think that part of it is also just me, so I spent some time blowing through patterns and recording myself.  I did put a different cut of reed on the tenor, and will try it on the All American Jazz Orchestra tomorrow night.  I am going to focus on how I get air through the horn, with more attention to an even tone.
Funny, with all of those who have worked with me over the years, this concept has never been mentioned.  Hopefully I can get it fixed.

LL

Scales and more scales.....

Ran through a short session of blues scales and pentatonics tonight, just to keep fingers working.....
got some personal clean up work on some of the sticky rhythms in a few charts.  We have some ugly key signatures that do not work easily on a saxophone, so took a look at that.  Also got to blow through some changes for solos.
I really like soloing with the rhythm section better - provided they are not playing to loud.

Tomorrow is another day  ;-)

LL

River Cities Jazz on 3-12

What a great day and nite!  It started off with opening the cottage for the year.  This is always a sure signal of spring, and better days ahead.  Then, after settling in, there was a sectional for the sax section of RCJ, followed by one the better Friday nite dances I have ever played with this group.  The section work was much better, across the entire band. 

BUT the most pleasant suprise of the night was our "guest" drummer - the band leaders 16 year old son, Carl.  He was FABULOUS!  Time was right on, the fills and hits were exactly were they needed to be.  He did a fabulous job reading the charts, and holding the band together.  I told our leader that this is the set up....  I'm pretty sure Carl will be our drummer on the Europe tour.  Which is good, he earned it last night.

I have pretty much shaken the playing demons of yesteryear, and have finally gotten it through my head that one has to play from the heart when improvising.  I will continue to keep parts clean, but my focus has to be on using more scales and tone colors in solos - I feel much more at peace with my playing.

Enjoyable practice

More of the same, with a few more play alongs with Bob Berg and Tom Scott. I love playing along with the iPod, really helps me learn how to control the tenor.  My intonation and tone become much better.  So does the altissimo range.
Hit all of the overtones tonite, and got in and out of altissimo range faster and smoother.  Phrasing during improv is getting better.  Tomorrow I will work pentatonic and blues scales.

Friday is open the cottage and River Cities Jazz!

YAY!!!!!!

Review nite

Played for about an hour tonight, just with scales, melodies, and changes.  Worked with improvising and stretching out the melodies.  Also got some overtone and altissimo work done.
It seems like I am blowing through reeds awful fast.... I only get a week or so out of them, then they get reedy and high pitched sounding - got to get that figured out.  It is getting very expensive.

Solo/Ensemble and sitting in

OK then.... a busy musical day with judging solo/ensemble at Milwaukee Lutheran HS.  I heard lots of well prepared students and nice solos.  It is a hard thing for most children to play all by themselves, even if there are very few other people in the room.  I give them lots of credit.

Tonight, I will sit in on flute with guitarists Dick Ellliot and my hubby, Steve.  Both are fantastic musicians and know lots of tunes.  Just as long as the fake book and music stands are put away!
I will report on how it goes.....

LL

Say "HI" tell me who you are....

It would be great to know you, the readers of this blog.  Drop me a message, subscribe, say hi.  I 'll be posting some video of the band at the Sky Club next week.

Parts practice

Did lots of tone work - long tone and overtones - for control.
Also got into some of the RCJ stuff for counting and changes.  Did some of the unusual solos, blues in Eb, the Flintstones solo, just to run the changes, without a rhythm section behind me. 
Very productive evening.  YAY!

Sitting in with Juli Wood

Did not play tenor tonite - sat in with the Juli Wood Quartet, on alto.  I have known Juli Wood since the age of 17, and have always respected her as a musician.  She graduated from UWM and went on to a career in music, moving to Chicago.  She returns to Milwaukee every now and then to work with the MSO as part of the ACE program.

Welcome, Juli, Mike, Jeff, and Joel and thank you for letting me sit in.  It was a blast!

LL