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Swing Memories

9/28/2010

2 Comments

 
Last night I began my new post as pianist for the local jazz band, Swing Memories.  It is directed by an 85-year old tenor sax player named "Skeets" who has a personality as lively and pointed as his playing.  The group is filled with other musicians across the age spectrum, although I am the youngest.  Really, age was irrelevant: they're a fantastic group of musicians and I'm honored to be playing with them.  However it's the shoes that I'm filling that humbles me the most.  The man I was recruited to replace was 95 years old (!) and had been playing with the band for as long as it had been around (it was formed in the 1980s).  I can only imagine how fantastic he was, since I never had the pleasure of meeting him before I took over.  Even so I heard lots of great things about him.

Last night I was given a box several inches thick.  It was such a big box that I naively asked, "What's in here?"  The drummer, a very easy-going guy named Steve laughed and said, "Your music."  I was nonplused; I un-did the clasps and slid the lid off and revealed a massive stack of chord charts.  This was their repertoire: each piece numbered and indexed from 1 - 2061.  If that wasn't enough, Skeets handed me a stack of new pieces that they were going to sight-read that night.  Fair enough:  I was sight-reading all of it.

Despite this daunting introduction I felt like the rehearsal went well.  There were definitely a few times that I really felt in the groove with them.  Then there were a few times that I got lost interpreting the hand-written notes of my predecessor, but I always found my way back in the end.  They have a great sound and it was a joy to contribute to that sound and slip into their groove like an old shoe (even though I'm a 'new' shoe).  What's more is that they were all really friendly and welcoming to me, and they made me feel right at home.
2 Comments
Anali
9/29/2010 02:39:18 am

That box is truly daunting!

I can't wait to see you play with them, it sounds like so much fun! I hope you'll post the public concerts on your calendar.

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Chris
9/30/2010 01:33:42 am

They're in the calendar. I'll definitely let you know when we're playing. :-)

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    Chris Perry

    Musician & educator

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