At the Farmers Market from 8-9:30 this morning... long set, but after some food I didn't do another. Concentration was much better, but much less interaction this time. Started with Miss Perfumado (which I haven't played but which was running through my head this morning)... then got into The Sweeps... other tunes I recall included Jeannette (first time in public?), successful handlings of Original Rags and Weeping Will and Elite Syncopations (use the bass register solo!), Alhambra and Adios Sevilla, Fun Von Der Khupe, Me Myself & I in C (surprise), a long and relaxed Angeline the Baker, good Swing Waltz and Indifference, Vou Vivendo, a couple of reels in there too.

This week I had an interesting session with Reine du Musette, where I realized that it sounded better while bracing the thumb and rarely using the little finger... the phrasing was much more like Emile Vacher when playing with three fingers. Also worked on Canadian Capers nearly every session this week, from respect to Sid LePriotti (have been re-reading Tom Stoddard's "Jazz on the Barbary Coast"). Some time on Handsonic, some on brushes.

iPod is up to nearly 1200 tunes. It's great to be able to listen across genres, or even to choose whichever type of music I want to listen to as I go along. It would be nice if the remote offered variable pitch and the ability to loop between markers, but hey what can ya do. I've been singing more along with instrumentals to try to memorize things I've wanted to learn for awhile... being able to make playlists of particular tunes seems like it could be quite valuable.

This week I hope to play with Pete on Tuesday, Jeanie & Chuck on Wednesday, market on Saturday, and East Bay potluck Sunday.
posted by macromed5 at 4:10 PM