Jazz Co-op Workshop @ The Globe: August 5/6

Tutors: Jilly Jarman and Jim Birkett

(Report by Ann Alex)

This is an account of what 22, or so, of us got up to at this very enjoyable and informative event. As Jim said, music is PLAYED so it should be done for enjoyment, which was what we had. We began with a plenary session of practising rhythms and pitches, singing notes 1, 3, and 5 of the scale, and clapping rhythms with eyes closed. DO try this at home and you’ll find out how difficult it is for everyone to clap correctly at the same time. Much laughter. We then became 2 groups, more advanced people upstairs with Jim doing goodness knows what heavy theory and 4 vocalists downstairs with Jilly and 2 keyboards, 4 saxes, drums and also some of the instrumentalists singing. A very unusual jazz combo indeed, and Jilly on bass guitar and keyboard.

We sang Ole Baby with call and response, lower and higher parts for voices and saxes, Recorda-Me (Joe Henderson), and the ballad You Don’t Know What Love Is. We’ll be eternally grateful for that last beautiful song as an addition to our repertoires. I thought that it was worth coming to the course for that song alone.

In the afternoon session, Jilly produced a penny whistle, all the better to let us hear the strong pure notes of Coltrane’s Equinox, another joy of a tune, and provide a useful exercise in learning both tune and lyrics by ear. Plenty to practise overnight!

On Sunday morning Jim treated us to some quite complex theory. It pays singers to know something of what instruments are doing with chords and you never stop learning about this. (I’m tempted at this point to tell the old joke about the difference between a rock musician and a jazz musician. You can email me if you haven’t heard it). We had fun practising all our songs, then realised that we had to perform for the other group, so we did a wild and free version of Ole Baby and sang a rendering of You Don’t Know What Love Is with a half chorus of solos for each singer, once through for instrumental solos, then a more rhythmic sung rendering. We didn’t do too badly. We then went upstairs to listen to the other band: approximately 2 keyboards, 4 guitars, 3 saxes, clarinet, flute, drums, but no bass. Was there ever a big band like this? They did rather well on Weaver of Dreams and a quirky version of Autumn Leaves, with solos all round.

Then it was time to pack up and go home. I had my usual struggle with my music stand. The Globe should put on a course about putting up and taking down these implements. I’d like to thank all those who made the day work well: the Tutors themselves, Derek for doing the sound as well as playing drums for our group, Sheila for organising the whole workshop which ran seamlessly, Hayley and Ali on the bar. I hope I haven’t missed anyone out.

It was really good - YOU should be there next year!

Ann Alex