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Neighborhood music
Like many places, my block has been making noise at 7 PM every day in honor of first responders, medical workers, essential workers, etc. Originally I think it was a guy playing a recording of Sinatra singing "New York, New York" through a big speaker on his porch, and a few neighbors standing out on the street to listen. Then the trumpet player across the street from him started playing along, and adding a few other pieces, mostly "American songbook" standards, with more neighbors standing out on the street. Then the sax player at the other end of the street started playing from his second-floor balcony (an excellent performing stage, since his house is on top of the glacial moraine at the uphill end of the block), and more neighbors have come out to listen. So the last few days I've been taking a recorder or two out to play along with one or another of them.
Last night we started with "New York, New York" as is Time-Honored Tradition, with the trumpet player playing melody and me playing countermelodies, but then in honor of Memorial Day he went on to "The Star-Spangled Banner" (sing-along) and "America the Beautiful" and "God Bless America" and the hymns of all five branches of the U.S. military. Then we all walked up the street towards the sax player, with me playing "This Land Is Your Land" (written, IIRC, as a rebuttal to "God Bless America"). The sax player did "You're a Grand Old Flag" and "Stars and Stripes Forever" and some things like that, then left the patriotism theme behind for "The Street Where You Live" and a few more. I exchanged phone numbers and e-mail addresses with him yesterday morning so we can coordinate repertoire, but so far he's been playing a lot of things I more-or-less knew.
Since most of the pieces last night were rhythmic, my attempts to play along were more successful than previous nights when the repertoire was more rubato and soloistic. There was a brief confusion when the sax player said he had something in C minor, but he's on a Bb tenor sax so it was actually Bb minor (5 flats!) for me.
I wonder if we can do some Dufay; the sax player's jazz heart should appreciate that.
Last night we started with "New York, New York" as is Time-Honored Tradition, with the trumpet player playing melody and me playing countermelodies, but then in honor of Memorial Day he went on to "The Star-Spangled Banner" (sing-along) and "America the Beautiful" and "God Bless America" and the hymns of all five branches of the U.S. military. Then we all walked up the street towards the sax player, with me playing "This Land Is Your Land" (written, IIRC, as a rebuttal to "God Bless America"). The sax player did "You're a Grand Old Flag" and "Stars and Stripes Forever" and some things like that, then left the patriotism theme behind for "The Street Where You Live" and a few more. I exchanged phone numbers and e-mail addresses with him yesterday morning so we can coordinate repertoire, but so far he's been playing a lot of things I more-or-less knew.
Since most of the pieces last night were rhythmic, my attempts to play along were more successful than previous nights when the repertoire was more rubato and soloistic. There was a brief confusion when the sax player said he had something in C minor, but he's on a Bb tenor sax so it was actually Bb minor (5 flats!) for me.
I wonder if we can do some Dufay; the sax player's jazz heart should appreciate that.