So, I realized I never wrote any more of these blogs.
In Jazz we ended up playing a big concert called Mambos & Mocktails with a couple hundred attendees. Our setlist looked a little like this...
St. Thomas - Sonny Rollins
Count Bubba's Revenge - Gordon Goodwin
Mambo Hot - Victor Lopez
El Taco Loco - George Shutack
The Chicken - Alfred James Ellis (Performed by Jaco Pastorius)
Pennsylvania 6-5000 - Carl Sigman & Jerry Grey
When I Fall In Love - Edward Heyman & Victor Young
Birdland - Josef Zawinul
Muy Caliente! - Scott Stanton
In The Mood - Joe Garland
Sway - N. Gimbel & Pablo Beltran Ruiz
Tequila - Chuck Rio
Angel Eyes - Earl Brent & Matt Dennis
Killer Joe - Benny Golson
Claudia - Chucho Valdez
Third Time Around - Jeff Taylor
Soul Bossa Nova - Quincy Jones
What'd I Say - Ray Charles
Sing, Sing, Sing - Louis Prima
Don't Get Around Much Anymore - Duke Ellington
Minnie The Moocher - Cab Calloway & Irving Mills
Jump, Jive and Wail - Louis Prima
Zoot Suit Riot - Steve Perry
I only ended up playing one solo, but as second Tenor, I wasn't expecting many. The song I played my solo in was Soul Bossa Nova, which you may remember as the theme song from Austin Powers. Overall, the gig was an absolute success. It raised enough money for the school to purchase two new Tenor Saxophones, four new Flutes, three new Trumpets, and four new Clarinets.
Jazz tour happened prior to Mambos & Mocktails. Tour was to Unifest at the University of Saskatchewan (Which I will be attending in 2009). We ended up with the #1 rating. The whole tour was a HUGE success...a bit of a miracle really, considering that in the band, 6/10 Saxophones were freshmen, 2/3 Trombones were in their first year of playing Trombone, and we only had 4 guitar players capable of actually playing the songs. On that tour we also played at an elementary school. That concert was a success as well. The kids looked so happy, and there was one part in which we allowed some of the kids to play the auxillary percussion...there was this little girl who looked like she wanted to go up there so badly, and the entire band/choir was shouting at the teacher to pick her
Jazz finished with the pep rally, and a final concert at the local elementary school. That was another success..thus making this year of Jazz a complete success. Things are looking bright for next year, with myself taking over the position of, not only lead Tenor, but lead Saxophone overall.
As for this semester, I have taken over the position of lead Tenor in concert band from one of the best Saxophonists I've ever played alongside. I've got the responsibility of mentoring some younger players, so that's an opportunity that I'm looking forward to doing throughout the semester, as my goal is to be a music teacher. This will certainly help me get there.
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Life as a Saxophonist: Issue 2 blog
