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Jazz Band

Overview

 

Jazz Band is a performing ensemble that meets before school, three times a week, on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 7:00am – 7:35am.

Students will be allowed entrance to the building through the front door from 6:50am – 6:55am on Jazz Band days.

 

* There is no grade given for this ensemble. Students who play in the group are there purely for the satisfaction of playing great music with like-mind individuals.

 

Students are asked to please:

  • Be on time - to make every minute count.

  • Be prepared - to not lose crucial rehearsal time.

  • Practice and listen - outside of the group rehearsal.

  • Enjoy making music together.

 

Performance Information

 

There will be, at least, two performances during the school year.

Pittsfield City Jazz Festival – October 19, 2019– Exact times TBA

HMS Jazz Night – April 15, 2020

 

* At times, there may be other performance opportunities throughout the year. I will give as much advance notice possible before each event.

 

Performance dress is a light colored top and dark colored bottom.

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NEWS ABOUT THE PITTSFIELD CITY JAZZ FESTIVAL CONCERT
** The Pittsfield City Jazz Festival Youth Jazz Band will again be a combination of students from the Pittsfield secondary schools, essentially creating an "All-Star" Jazz Band for the October concert.

 

It has always been the vision and dream of Mr. Art Niedeck, member of the BerkshireJazz education board, to have a county-wide youth jazz ensemble for the festival main event. This is one step closer to his dream.
 

Pittsfield City Jazz Festival - Saturday, October 19, 2019

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Listening List

High Maintenance - Gordon Goodwin arr. Mike Story
High Maintenance - Gordon Goodwin - LIVE
High Maintenance - Gordon Goodwin
Sidewinder - Lee Morgan arr. Paul Murtha
Sidewinder - Lee Morgan
A Night in Tunisia - Dizzy Gillespie arr. Michael Sweeney
A Night in Tunisia - Dizzy Gillespie
A Night in Tunisia (Watch this one!)
The Chicken - Jaco arr. Kris Berg
The Chicken - Jaco

Stolen Moments - Oliver Nelson
Limbo Jazz - Duke Ellington (Lincoln Center)
Limbo Jazz - Duke Ellington
Limbo Jazz - Ellington arr. Berger
Swingin' On Down - Lennie Niehaus
The Blues Walk - Clifford Brown
A Little Blues, Please - Sammy Nestico
Walnut Creek - Jazz Ambassadors
See If I Don't - Jazz Ambassadors
Some Other Blues - John Coltrane
Isfahan - Duke Ellington

Bass Players:
12 Bars Blues


Other listening resources:
Vanguard Jazz Orchestra - Live at the Village Vanguard

Jazz House Kids

Tommy Igoe Big Band

Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers - Moanin'
- Children of the Night

Lester Young - Blues for Greasy

Sonny Rollins - Four

Louis Armstrong - Live in Berlin 1965

Dexter Gordon - A Night in Tunisia

Clifford Brown - Complete Studio Recordings

Jazz On The Tube

Practice tools:
Transcribing/play along:
Anytune - slow down music
The Amazing Slow Downer

Rhythm section play alongs:
www.jazzbooks.com
iTunes - Abersold

Metronome:
a.bestmetronome.com

Listening:
jazz appreciation for beginners
Jazz on-line
All About Jazz

Jazz@LincolnCenter


Listening to live shows:
Live Stream events
Jazz Near You

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Some very cool jazz history from our area.

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From the HMS Jazz Band Archives.
 

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