Farmers Market was particularly fun today. A long two-hour set inside, then a short hour outside after breakfast. Started out trying Strauss's Radetzky March, but forgot the B section... went into Sweet Sue, first time I tried it there.

Rags included Sunflower Slow Drag, Bohemian, and Elite Syncopations... klezmer included Light and Lively and Sadegur Khosidl... lots of French... Star of Munser and Ships are Sailing were solid, while The Sweeps was nice and light, and Rocky Road to Dublin is a good break. Walking After Midnight was a surprise, instrument-only... Maggie, Steel Guitar Rag. No Brazilian, tango, Tin Pan Alley, Latin, java or paso dobles though. Lots of nice people to talk to. Had a particularly solid "Swing Waltz" to close out the inside section.

At home I worked on Girl From Ipanema, after hearing it from a sax and conga there... got into lots of strange positions with counterbass and triads to get the harmony, there's stuff to learn there.

Last Sunday I did make it to the Strybing Arboretum, but the fog beat me in... too cold and windy to play. Tried the Lawn Bowling Greens, but the handdrums at Whiskey Hill crowded it out. Haven't seen any drummers at the Conservatory recently, so that may be an option again.

Been listening to musette during commute, and a bunch of "salon orchestra" stuff at home. Continuing to work in Real Classical Fakebook, fun. Before sleep mostly reading scores from a big Warner fakebook... reading James P. Johnson's "Carolina Shout" at night, playing it by ear and understanding in the morning.

Playing at the Farmers Market has done a lot for me so far... after a year of this I think I'll be much closer to the sound I want to get, and the week-after-week meeting people is very good in itself, too.
posted by macromed5 at 10:18 PM