Putting some things in

This is me at my most masochistic.

I'm back in updating my events band's book again- it's a long, tedious process- and thought I would continue to share the gory "thought" process with you. Previously I made lists of tunes I was pulling, for various reasons, and things I added to keep the band from mutinying right on stage, and things I wanted never to darken my tunelist again. After that great purging I'm now ready to do something constructive and add fresh material to the book. Fresh may not be the right word for 80 year old tunes we just haven't played in a while, but I think it's going feel great not having to lash another mile out of some of these old dray-horses.

So, here we go:

Allright, Okay, You Win - Crowd-pleasing blues tune a level or two of hell above Blues In The Night. Shares a page with the truly abhorrent Always, which people also love, and we'll probably have to play again. Maybe if we play this we won't have to play Night Train.

Blue And Sentimental - Easy 30's tune. Pleasant.

The Breeze And I -  A little "exotic" number, an alternative rhumba so I don't get beaten up for calling Frenesi again...

Canadian Sunset - Yah! Why??? It's pure Nelson Eddie schlock, the long, static form bores the crap out of saxophonists- ok, everyone- and we've played it to death. But, like a favorite old threadbare, reeking, rapidly-perishing sweater I just can't give it up...

Close Your Eyes - "Cool" jazz a la Doris Day. I love those '50's white lady singers... words you never think you're going to say.



More after the break:

The abyss

In this third installment of my events/swing band repertoire series (hopefully it's of some interest to the bandleaders/working drummers out there), we'll be confronting some of the things I've kept around strictly out of commercial necessity (the band would debate that, but never mind). Keep in mind this list represents but a tiny fraction of the godawful things I've been made to play in my life. And the most palatable fraction at that- many of these are not bad tunes at all- we've just played them so many times over the years we can't stand the sight of them. Yet in my book they remain...

As Time Goes By - Few things would give me greater pleasure than to purge this thing, but unfortunately it has become a standard father/daughter dance request at every single last bloody wedding in the world, and generally gets people dancing.

Begin the Beguine - The long, annoying form is a little bit of a crutch- the guys can glaze over and just play this little game of Chutes & Ladders and forget what is happening to them. We do swing this all the way through, in 4; we don't play it as a Latin.

Blue Moon - All-purpose "bluesy" 50's pop ballad. This song is to lounge pianists what Summertime is to girl singers in musical theater.

Cheek to Cheek - The dancers love it. Like it. Sort of. What am I supposed to do?


More of this sort of thing after the break:

Keeping the band happy.

More notes from revamping my book (my events band's performing repertoire, that is). Here I thought I would share some of the tunes I use to keep the band from going nuts over the more crass Moon River/Fascination/Makin' Whoopee-level of stuff we also perform.
 
A Sleepin' Bee, Look for the Silver Lining, There's a Small Hotel, This Can't Be Love, The Way You Look Tonight, Lullaby of the Leaves are good for establishing a mood before people are dancing, without wearing the band down with stuff like All of Me.

You Are Too Beautiful, Dedicated to You, I Loves You Porgy, Nancy with the Laughing Face, Stairway to the Stars are set-piece ballads that everyone loves- the band, listeners, slow dancers.

Beautiful Love, I Hear a Rhapsody, If I Should Lose You, You and the Night and the Music are regular blowing tunes for when you can get away with them. We try to get a couple of these in every night.  

More tunes after the break:

Updating my book

In preparation for a benefit gig this evening, I'm adding some new tunes my group's book, and more importantly clearing some of the ample dead wood. In case you're curious about the "thought" process that goes into such things, here are some of the things I'm pulling, and why.

Ain't Misbehavin' - I'm so sick to death of this song from playing it with singers, that I've never called it on a gig. Dead weight.

Autumn in New York - I like the tune, but I and the guys have played it behind one magician act too many. We used to play this a lot on the boats, until some staff thought it would be too traumatic for people to hear, because of 9/11. I didn't understand it, either.

Bernie's Tune - Something to keep the band from going nuts from playing too much Moon River and such, but I'm a little bored with it.

Blues in the Night - Show number which we never play. Miserable theater-person blues.

Chelsea Bridge - One of the greatest tunes ever, but too dark for this group, or rather, for the events we play.

Come Fly With Me - Not that well suited to an instrumental rendition. I've been keeping it around for Sinatra requests that never come.

Confessin' That I Love You - Good, small tune, but I call Look for the Silver Lining or There's a Small Hotel when I need something light like this.

The Continental - Chipper set-piece cha cha, with a little too-involved form for us to mess with. We'd rather just slog through Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White one more time than wade through this thing.

Cotton Tail - Great tune, we just haven't found a place for it.

Cry Me A River - Singer tune. Do you really want to hear this at your wedding? 

Don't Get Around Much Any More - We play this a lot, but nobody I would hire should ever need a chart for this.

Many more after the break.

See me play!

The Notables are playing Tony Starlight's Supper Club and Lounge this Wednesday and Friday. If you're in Portland, come on down and say hello. The club is at NE Sandy & 37th, in the old Blackbird building. Go to our site for more details.

Also coming soon are shows with my little group with Dan Duval, Willie Matheis, and, till the bastard decided to move to Shanghai, Willie Blair. We'll be playing at the Clinton St. brewpub (attached to the Clinton St. Theater) on the 20th. Red Venus Love Army, Casey's band with me playing drums, should be performing at this very happening hipster gallery right across (Ash? Oak?) the street from Andy & Bax on Mar. 2nd. Come see. More details later.