Tuesday, March 16, 2010

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 165 #208)

Final Juke Practice!
We put the finishing touches on Juke this week and declare it ready for prime time! We perform this Sunday, March 21 at the Harmonica Convergence show.

Please note the "dress code" for this gig: we'll all wear black, with "dress black" preferred. Blues hats and dark sunglasses are totally acceptable.

Plan to arrive at 5pm on Sunday and meet in B1 where we'll rehearse a little.

Shoji has posted the parts and the song here: Juke.

Shoji would like to thank everyone for their dedication and hard work on this song. It's going to be a memorable show for both audience and participants.

You can review the practice videos here:



And remember, come out to the Highway RickEy jam this week to rehearse Juke at 9pm.

Jerry's Sandwiches
1938 W. Division

The Juke arrangement notes:

Intro: The drummer will start, then Shoji will count us in. Bass comes in alone at first and the chord part joins the bass players at the IV chord.

At the first break verse: A harmonica solo (Grant) starts at the IV chord and the melody players drop out for the remainder of the verse. Chord players play as usual.

Two more solo verses follow (Grant for 12 bars and Linda for 12 bars). During these verses, melody players lay out and chord players play as usual.

After these added solos, we return to the break verse and play through the remainder of the song as originally arranged.

Note that:
- Verse 7, melody plays with hands closed;
- Verse 8, melody plays quietly but with hands open;
- Verse 9, everyone crescendos in two bar increments.

Exciting New CD Release!!!
Local harp player and vocalist, Harry Garner, announces the release of his first CD. Get out to the Harlem Avenue Lounge for the party:

The Harry Garner Band: Harry Garner, Mark Wydra, John Brumbach, JR Wydra, Harlan Terson, Lenny Spatafore

CD RELEASE PARTY "HARD TIMES"
Friday, March 19, 2010
Harlem Avenue Lounge
3701 S. Harlem Ave.
Berwyn, IL
(708) 484-3610
$6.00 Cover

CDs available at the show

March Is James Conway Month!!!
Celebrate St. Patrick's Day by getting out for one of James' many gigs this month. He's an amazing Irish harp player. Here's Howard Levy interviewing him and letting him play some Irish tunes:


YouMissedMonday Blog Redesign!!!
Thanks to our hard-working blog master, Kirk Manley, we have a new design on the site. Be sure to go to www.youmissedmonday.com to check it out. There are now tabs across the top which better organize things and move content off the front page so it's not overwhelming. Look around and, as always, let us know what you think of the site!

Class Notes
  • Jim Liban -- Guest Instructor in B1. It's Jim Liban season! In addition to his highly anticipated performance at SPACE on March 18, we are lucky enough to have Jim scheduled to teach in B1 on March 29. Mark your calendars and don't miss this one. Jim is going to talk about the art of songwriting and about constructing an extended harmonica instrumental. This will be an evening in B1 not to be missed.
  • Special Jim Liban CD: Joe will have a Jim Liban CD for sale in class next week. This is an extremely rare opportunity to get your hands on never-before-released tunes by Jim Liban. These are mostly originals that showcase Jim's versatility as a harp player. Bring your cash!
  • The Harmonica Convergence show is SOLD OUT! If you don't have a ticket, you are still welcome to perform.
  • Our 14th B1 Blues Harmonica Recital at the Harlem Avenue Lounge is scheduled for May 28, 2010. Mark your calendars and start working on your material.
  • We will likely have a guest visit from English harp player Lee Sankey next week.
March 2010 -- Live Harmonica Month!
We'd like to unofficially declare that March 2010 is the month to catch great live harp shows in Chicagoland! There are tons of shows in the area to check out. In addition to the Filisko/Noden/Liban show at SPACE and the sold-out OTS Harmonica Convergence show, there are other great shows to see: Rick Estrin, Watermelon Slim, Kilborn Alley Blues Band, Cash Box Kings, Matthew Skoller, etc. Get off the couch and get out to support these amazing bands! Full details where? Yup, at youmissedmonday.com, your source for all harmonica gigs!

Newsletter News!
The newsletter and more is always online! Check it out for more details on newsletter items, a calendar of local gigs, jams, birthdays, archives, links, videos and special features.

We welcome your input. If you're inspired to write a review of a live show, CD, DVD or book, please submit it to us for consideration.

- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew