I’ve been noting my fondness and love for gospel. But I must admit, there is absolutely nothing that beats singing with a live “jazz” band. I would love to sing gospel with one, but any of the ol’ songs from the early days of jazz, rhythm & blues or big band will do in a pinch. I had just such a chance twice in the last two years.
It started with my son who was attending Mercyhurst College where I teach. He’s been a boy with a beat in his diaper. He literally stood in front of the huge speakers from my stereo system putting out the Funk brothers sounds of the Temptations, Four Tops, Supremes, Smokey Robinson and others. He would stand there, diaper hanging low, a real-real low-rider, if you know what I mean moving back and forth, up and down right with the beat. So, this youngest child of ours becomes the piano playing, baritone sax maestro of the family. He actually did some training with Bruce Johnstone, the legendary baritone sax player who was with Maynard Ferguson for a number of years. Actually, I was able to attend a lesson Johnstone conducted with Scott and I will never forget it. He invited me in with Scott, my son, and had me take a seat. He then proceeded to turn both music stands around so that both Bruce Johnstone and my son, Scott, would place directly in front of me. And then they began to play. I may not have had a diaper on, but I was a low-rider for the next 50 minutes as they blew those notes into my chest, my lower torso, legs and feet. I could barely keep myself still as not to distract the two of them.
I digressed to give you some context for our family’s love of music. Scott, played with the Mercyhurst Jazz Ensemble all four years he did his undergraduate education. During his junior year, he asked me if I would like to audition for a Cab Calloway standard and I acquiesced. There was no way that I would approximate Calloway’s “Minnie the Moocher,” but with the help of the other son, I soon came up with some moves of my own. And the mint green Zoot Suit definitely became part of my signature image.
You can take a look if you like.
Well, Scott is now doing graduate work at the University of Missouri in Columbia but an opportunity presented itself through the help of one Jax Brown and Dr. Scott Meier to audition for “Summertime,” the classic Gershwin tune from Porgy & Bess. I broke out the Zoot Suit once again and joined a number of other vocalists in the third annual Vocal Jazz Extravaganza. There are two videos here. One is a wide version and the second is more of a closeup, if you are up to it. Thanks go out to my son, Tommy for coming from Pittsburgh to the show and he and my wife took the two different shots. Enjoy!
The Heart of the Matta 