Skipped market for the first time yesterday... stayed home sick. But practice time has gotten better now that baseball's over.

Brought back High Level Hornpipe, with a new perspective... doing more with the "rise and fall" of the tune than just variations... there's a bit more of how contest fiddlers handle things like Clarinet Polka... the melody is a framework. The left hand contributes directly to the rise and fall and isn't as locked in to a pattern.

Four-to-the-bar swing stuff is getting more consistent too... "If I Had You", "Sunny Side of the Street" (finally), others. Errol Garner's early stuff has been a big influence, although he got into some rhythmic stereotypes in the melody that are annoying to listen to (this seemed to decline in later recordings). The tune is a framework.

Villa-Lobos Choro #1 and Joplin's New Rag were both heavy practice items, but both remain difficult. I'm looking forward to nailing down a new set of rags this winter. Not much classical the past few weeks. Still listening to Matteo's tunes nearly every day, picking up a few of them playing-while-listening, but without seeing them I don't think I retain them as well... need to map out themes & structure on paper in order to really get it, I think. Found a score for "Palomita Blanca" at TodoTango and it's a great tune... I need to work it for awhile to personalize it.

Reading has been Kenny Hall's tunebook, Nat Cole biography. Really enjoying watching DVDs of older musicians.
posted by macromed5 at 11:07 AM