[Harp-L] Low-Wattage Jazz at SPAH

[Tin Lizzie <TrackHarpL@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Aug 31, 2013, at 8:23 PM, Joe Leone wrote:

> From: Joseph Leone <3N037@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> Date: August 31, 2013 7:06:11 PM GMT-04:00
> To: EGS1217@xxxxxxx
> Cc: Harp L Harp L <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: Re: Subject: Re: [Harp-L] SPAH 2013
> 
> <snip>

> <Smokey Joe>  Problem has been..I don't know where to start. I have even flow charted the whole enchilada and I'm stuck for a starting point. I play by rote, some play by ear, some have to read. 

<Tin Lizzie>  My take on this is that there might be more than one constituency.  I place myself in the 1-2-3-but-wants-to-learn class.  Elizabeth(EGS1217) is in the 4-5-6 class, from what I can tell.

<Tin LIzzie> And as I think about it, I play neither by ear, nor by rote, nor by reading, but by thinking.  It’s a hard road, but it’s the road I’m on.


> <Smokey Joe>  Spah is too short to go into theory,

<Tin Lizzie>  Don’t underestimate me, Smokey Joe!  ]:-)


>> <Elizabeth(EGS1217)>   I don't want this 'Amateur jazz' dream to be an early morning or even  
>> afternoon seminar--to my mind that doesn't lend itself to jazz improv (at least  
>> for me).

> <Smokey Joe>  Right, not a seminar..but at least an introduction to the genre. I don't know theory, and we wouldn't have time, but we need at least a starting point. 

>> <Elizabeth(EGS1217)>   I'd love to have the room set up just for those willing to spend 
>> some  time with a couple of those great (and very giving) teachers such as 
>> Phil,  Smokey or Rob whom I already know are more than comfortable stepping 
>> back to  allow others to play while providing pointers.

>> <Elizabeth(EGS1217)>   To me there's nothing worse than the fluorescent lighting in the  typical 
>> Hotel seminar room. Atmosphere is everything and a 'supper  club'/evening 
>> type set up can be so conducive to better playing, and is  what I see in my 
>> mind's eye. ...so this will take some 'extras’.


<Tin Lizzie>  I learn by teaching.  So if there’s something that I think I’m  *almost*  ready for, I study it like mad and then try to work it up into something I can share with others.  I’m thinking I’ll try to work up a seminar (for people who like seminars) with the title,  “Jazz Under the Early Morning Fluorescent Lights: An Introduction to Jazz for People Who Don’t Play by Ear Very Well ”.  If I don’t get distracted by other ideas between now and then, that is.  (The year is young.)

<Tin Lizzie>  This is not intended in any way to undermine Elizabeth(EGS1217)’s idea.  But this troglodyte isn't ready for candlelight and tablecloths, yet, no matter how gentle the atmosphere.  Plus it would probably be past my bedtime.


> <Smokey Joe>  Right, the actual playing should be 'club' atmosphere. But the intro doesn't matter. I (myself) hate the lighting and atmosphere in the hotel rooms. I am used to playing out. I am used to live musicians. I am used to subdued lighting. But tracks and lights to start with could work. The music is what's important. 

<Tin Lizzie>  And I’ll ask the hotel to crank up the air conditioning, too, just to be mean.


>> <Elizabeth(EGS1217)>   I originally discussed my ideas with Smokey and others years ago and he's  
>> been pondering how to make it work ever since. Separately he'd also been  
>> thinking of an amateur jazz teaching seminar, which is a wee bit different 
>> from  what I've had in mind.

> <Smokey Joe>  No, not a seminar...just a introductory presentation to get us started. In other words, trying to get everyone on the same page. Maybe even listen to players to determine where to work them in. Jeez, the more I flow charted it, the more it got to look like a Filisko thing. And that would be too extreme. And I'm no Joe Filisko and could never run something that big.
> 
>> <Elizabeth(EGS1217)>   We've tried to figure out ways to combine our 
>> ideas. So  far it's still a dream, but I'm sure that ONE of these days and at 
>> ONE of these  SPAHs we'll figure out a way to put it together.

> <Smokey Joe>  A couple people are kicking it around. 

<Tin Lizzie>  Guilty as charged.  But as I see it, the whole idea of SPAH is that we make our own fun.  I see no reason why there couldn’t be more than one low-wattage jazz event, if people are interested enough to present them.

Tin Lizzie (with apologies for all the angle brackets, but the dialog was starting to get a bit thick, there)