Two weeks ago, I attended a performance by the Tim Laughlin Jazz Quartet from New Orleans. The performance was one of a series which takes place at my church, although the support of the series is a community effort, not a church-sponsored series. Our church has the use of a gorgeous grand piano, because the performances take place in our church.
The instruments included in the quartet were saxophone, cornet, piano, and bass. The group played classic jazz pieces, along with new compositions by Tim Laughlin.
Their performance was a delight and included vocal performances by the cornet player, Connie Jones and Tim Laughlin. The pianist, Tom McDermott, had to leave a little early, because of a schedule conflict, and Jones left his cornet on his chair and popped over to the piano to take his place.
Jones sang a song called "Sugar", which Billie Holiday admirers may know, in his husky voice and wonderful N'Awlins accent. What struck me about the group was not only that the musicians were multi-talented, but that each one seemed to take great delight in the solo moments of the others in the group. They were definitely having a good time and enjoying each other as they performed. The final piece, "Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans", was spoken-sung by Tim in a lovely, moving way, and, of course, it made me cry, since I have been missing New Orleans for forty-something years.
Tim Laughlin has a new album out of his own musical compositions called "Isle of Orleans".
I'm amazed at the quality of the musicians that come to perform for our music series, which consists of mostly classical music, with the occasional jazz performance thrown in. We can't pay a lot of money, and yet we get outstanding musicians to come to our small town for the little bit of money we can pay. That leads me to believe that there are many more talented musicians out there than there are gigs for them, which is sad, but works to our benefit, because we get to hear them.
In the UK the jazz and folk musicians tend to play for whatever each venue can afford, irregardless of the number of venues and the artist's popularity. I think they do this for two reasons. Firstly they love their music and what to play it in front of people at every opportunity. Secondly, they no they won't get people to the big gigs, or get them to buy their records, if they don't do the evangelism in the small clubs. This altruism is proved by the ammount of low paid and free work our musicians put in with young people and amateur musicians, often giving up whole weeks to lead workshops.
ReplyDeleteBut, surely this is how life should be for all of us. Once we have made a living and provided for our families and their futures, we should give it away. That is why, as I get a stipend already, everything on my site is free to use by anybody who wants it, without having to ask. But then I am a commie bastard dedicated to bringing down the capitalist fat cats.
MadPriest, what's your fee for commenting on my little blog? I hope I can afford you, you commie bastard.
ReplyDeleteMimi,
ReplyDeleteYour church's webmaster needs a nudge -- the lase concert shown was a youth chorale last April.
Allen
Morningsider, our webmaster left the congregation and resigned his position as webmaster. The site is dormant for now. My rector is not much into the internet and apparently does not make finding a new webmaster a priority.
ReplyDeleteRecently, I had asked him about posting his sermons on the website, and I think that really spooked him, even though I offered to the actual work of posting myself. I don't know enough to take on the webmaster job. It needs more than a nudge; it needs a resurrection.
Grandmère Mimi, I must have missed it - what is the address of your church's website?
ReplyDeleteI would echo what MadPriest says. I'm one of those folk musicians who plays for little or nothing, and it doesn't bother me, as I get a salary for my day job, and I play because I love to play. Last Saturday night two friends and I played at our local coffee shop; the owner put a donations box out and the 'take' wasn't as high as she would have liked, so she wanted to supplement it from the till, but we told her not to - we didn't want her to be out of pocket because of us, because once we start doing that, it makes owners reluctant to host live music. And we (the three of us) had a great time anyway, worth far more in terms of enjoyment than any money we earned.
Of course, I might feel differently if I was trying to earn a living by my music, but I'm not; I'm grateful that I can do it for love.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI accidentally double-posted that last comment, which is why I immediately removed the second posting.
ReplyDeleteTim, Morningsider apparently ferreted out the church website from what I've already given away about my location here in the blog. That's fine. Here is the site . No one at my church knows about my blog as yet. My congregation is quite conservative, and I'm enough of an oddball already, and the blog is only a few days old anyway, so I'm not really telling anyone around here about it, not even my friends.
ReplyDeleteWho knows? I may flame out pretty quickly.
Our website is pretty sad, IMO.
Mimi,
ReplyDelete"Ferreted out." I thought of it as "mongoosing" because of Kipling's line, as quoted in Agatha Christie's The Murder of Roger Ackroyd "The motto of the mongoose family is go and find out."
Allen
Allen, LOL. So you're a mongoose, not a ferret.
ReplyDeleteI will tell eventually if I "stay the course", but I am concerned that I will run out of things to say and quit.