Even Though I Didn't Run, I Did Get to Play Jazz and Dance

What I got to experience would be the last jazz gig that my Loy Norrix Jazz Band would have a gig this school year, unless we have more. The total amount of gigs that we performed was five:

• WMU Jazz Invitational- Western University (Dalton Hall)
•  Chenery Auditorium- "All City Concert"
•  Thornapple Arts Jazz Festival- Hastings, MI
• Loy Norrix Concert (at our high school)
•  KPS Jazz Night w/ Guest Artist Jeremy Siskind- The Union Cabaret & Grille  

This is our set up at the Union Cabaret & Grille today from 4-6pm

Today was a special day however, we had a special guest named Jeremy Siskind who plays the piano around the world. Such a nice guy to be with and to play music, just like he did with our band, with Kalamazoo Central Band, and with our jazz teachers. If I had a recording of the gig, you would tell how we felt playing with him.

What our band  performed is what we performed for our other gigs. For this gig, we played the following with the soloists who played: 

1. Just Squeeze Me by Duke Ellington, arranged by Jim Martin- Allegra Kistler (Trombone), Sam Ratliffe (Alto Saxophone), Michael Deaton (Trumpet), Lamya Tipton (Bass)
2. I Can't Get Started by Vernon Duke, arranged by Jim Martin- Sam Ratliffe (Alto Saxophone)
3. Doxy by Sonny Rollins, arranged by Mark Taylor - Me (Tenor Saxophone), Sam Ratliffe (Alto Saxophone)
4. Joy Spring by Clifford Brown, arranged by Jack Montrose- Jeremy Siskind (Piano)
5. Now's the Time by Charlie Parker- Me (Tenor Saxophone), Sam Ratliffe (Alto and Bari Saxophone), Allegra Kistler (Trombone), Michael Deaton (Trumpet), Madison Preston (Piano), Lamya Tipton (Bass), Noah Machin (Drums), and Jeremy Siskind (Piano)

After our time with the audience, it was KC time, which they have a bigger band than ours. They performed about the same amount of songs as we did, also with Jeremy. What enjoyment we gained from that performance. What was the real surprise was that our jazz teachers got to play with Jeremy and with a junior drummer in WMU a song that I don't know what it is called. My group were screaming crazy for their performance.

Jeremy gave a everyone a special treat in the last performance by playing a love song that he made not too long ago. What feeling I had from the song that I wonder, but I did not worry about that.

What a day it was with a start by watching runners from the Kalamazoo Marathon run by our house. All the way to a peaceful night just adding a post to my blog. Tomorrow is going to be fresh for me in school and I can't wait.