At last I know where my soft palate is
situated. We began the workshop with
vocal exercises, hums so that we could feel our soft palates enhancing the
sound, then we found our diaphragms for breathing exercises. We then sang ‘ooo’ on our chosen note,
sounding rather like Buddhist monks, quite spiritual, and the sounds tend to
come together to form a pleasing whole, surely a sign that human beings have a
natural tendency to co-operate, at least that’s my interpretation of it. Then
brave volunteers sang solo to the accompaniment of Alice’s fine band of keys,
guitar, bass and drums (named on the review of Saturday evening).
Four people were brave enough to submit
their singing for feedback, including Jen Errington who did a pleasing version
of I Thought About You, deservedly
praised. And we had such fun with the
singer of St Louis Blues, a lovely
bluesey voice, with us clapping and finger clicking along and singing as
well. All this led us to discuss ways to
count in the band, probably the hardest thing of the lot for singers, apart
from remembering the words of course. All very enjoyable and useful – thanks so
much to Alice and the musicians.
Other
Matters
Readers must by now have gathered that
other matters mainly concerns the Concourse and the Jazz Co-op stand, although
today had me looking eagerly through the fine selection of 2nd hand
CD’s which were for sale on the Jazz North East stand.
I entered the Sage at ten to two (did you
know that when you say ‘ten to two’ you have the rhythm for swing? I quote Jim Birkett), to hear what sounded
like free jazz, weird really, but it then materialised into a lively exciting
version of Well You Needn’t from a
woman singer, a real gem from the concourse to take me into the workshop. My
meal after the workshop was eaten to the accompaniment of the John Ellis Trio, keys, bass, drums and
vocals, starting with a rousing Norwegian
Wood, and including Hi Lili Hi Lili
Hi Lo, which took me right back to the sad film I saw as a child which has
this beautiful song in it. A good jazz/rock combo.
Then came Jambone, the Sage’s own superb youth big band, augmented on this
occasion by members of Manchester’s Beats
and Pieces band and conducted by Ben
Cottrell. They played for the
teatime session, which rounds off the concourse performances at GIJF, quite an
emotional part of the festival, as it’s nearly over by this time apart from the
evening gigs. They gradually built up to
a wall of sound for the first tune. A typical later tune began simply with keys
and a banana shaped shaker, a trumpet solo, then a build up to the tension of
ensemble playing, and all this being painted by the festival artist, busy at
her easel at the front of the cafe.
Another tune, a steady beat for quite a while, then horns rise out of
the sound. Then a drum solo with wisps
of horns playing about, and a strong loud finish.
People arriving for the evening gigs, some
of the women in circular skirts with masses of frills beneath, coming for the
Americana type music of Davina And The
Vagabonds. All quiet when the
gigs have begun, except for the sound of the gear being taken down on the
concourse stage. I chat to a few stragglers who come to the Co-op stand.
Over for another year.
Ann Alex.
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