I feel that a submission is long over due. I have been practising this past week on some big band music my friend, Andrew Rathbun has written. I play with his big band this Sunday, March 3rd at Smith’s Bar in midtown.
I haven’t sung big band music in about 6 years. This is not your Tommy Dorsey/Frank Sinatra kind of music. If anyone of you knows who Kenny Wheeler is, you would understand this music. The voice is used as a horn part in a lot of the pieces. I sing some featured lyric parts but throughout the work I usually double with the other instruments like trumpet or saxes. The voice brings a different timbre to the overall sound. It’s really quite beautiful.
So basically, I’m busting my chops to learn these tunes (10 tunes in 10 days-yikes!!) The music is real nice and I am blown away by Andrew’s prolific writing abilities. I wish I had a fraction of that. Some of the works have words by one of Canada’s leading authors, Margaret Atwood (The Handmaid’s Tale, Cat’s Eye…..) I’m looking forward to it.
BUT! Until then….practice, practice!