Vacation's almost done...

I stopped in at school today to do some straightening out in the band room. I finally put away the quads, which were last used on November 15, and I organized a batch of music so that the librarians can get it refiled. There were two cases that needed to be stenciled "Deerfield HS Bands," and I almost finished the second before my spray paint ran out. The bulletin boards have been refreshed, and there are more Downbeat magazine covers going up the I-beams (a ladder was necessary for this effort). There were concert papers to print out, emails to answer, and snail mail to sort through. The few hours of work I put in will make next week a lot easier.

My playlist for the morning:

The Indianapolis Saxophone Quartet, Jingle Sax
Nice arrangements and excellent playing--so many Christmas albums go overboard trying to be clever, but this one was very tasteful.

Pearl Jam, Ten
I was watching the Pearl Jam 20 documentary on Netflix last night. I can't believe that it's been twenty years since I started listening to them!

In other news, I saw Roy Hargrove's quintet at the Jazz Showcase on Tuesday. What a band! The place was packed with a diverse crowd--everyone from high school and college kids with their folks (like my son and me) to seasoned jazz listeners. Hargrove is a phenomenal trumpeter and a strong composer. He didn't say anything in between tunes; he simply stepped back from the microphone, played a quick lick, and the band kicked off the next tune. Although I didn't recognize most of the pieces, I was very excited that they played "Strasbourg/St. Denis." The DHS Jazz Band played this on the November concert, and it was one of our favorites. At this performance, they played the tune with a harder edge, not so much of a loose funk jam as on the original recording. They gave the pianist, Sullivan Fortner, an a cappella solo that he just tore up, with both hands jabbing back and forth as if in a well choreographed stage fight.

The encore of the first set had Hargrove and saxophonist Justin Robinson taking their blues licks into the audience and out the door. Then drummer Quincy Phillips left the stage, followed by Fortner, leaving bassist Ameen Saleem alone on stage to bring the tune to a close. It was quite a show, with Hargrove nursing a cold but resplendent in a purple cardigan over a colorful checked shirt and bow tie, with floppy winter boots to complete the look.

Hargrove will be at the Showcase through Sunday, 1/1. See details here, and read Howard Reich's review of the Tuesday show here. If you haven't been to the Jazz Showcase yet, I highly recommend it. It's a very classy room, and students are welcome if accompanied by parent/guardian.

So, until next Tuesday, enjoy your New Year's weekend! With the concert coming up on the 31st, you might want to do a little practicing...