June 1, 2009 - Hackney's Swing Session

What the hell makes people think they can walk right up and engage us in lengthy conversations in the middle of a set!?? Last night featured a trumpet player hoping to sit in, a retired English teacher looking for former students in the band, and a sharp dressed older gentleman, all striking up conversations with various musicians in mid set - as if the rest of the crowd on the 'dance floor' and at thier tables weren't even there. All three should know better. There - it's off my chest. Man oh man thats annoying.

Where's the music?? The drum book has gone missing. Poor Steve Hawk had to play the night sans music. What a trooper! You'd hardly know he was winging it. Bassist Steve Hashimoto kept him on track with a continous narative of what was coming up. So where is the book? Last seen at the May rehearsal. The books are all scanned, so its not tragic or anything, but it'll be a pain recreating it, thats for sure! Have you seen it?

And look what the cat dragged in - long lost OJ trumpeteer Chuck Clarke. Chuck played with us in the mid to late 80's. He was, like all of us, in high school, and he had an amazing high register. There is a story that lives in OJLore about this prodigious upper register. It was a Mother's Day brunch at the now defunct 'Beverly House' at 103rd and Beverly Ave in Chicago. We were new at the whole big band thing, and therefore had a pretty thin book, so everything got played at least once. It didn't matter that it was a Mother's Day brunch at a nice restaurant, which is why we played the 'Theme to Rocky'. The whole place jumps in unison as we start the song - Chuck is playing the line an octave up - and some poor guy literally keels over clenching his chest. He's down. He's out. We keep playing. I digress. It was good to see Chuck after so many years.

Set 1
Shiny Stockings, Jada, This Can't Be Love, Main Stem, Drum Boogie, Undecided, Travelin Light, Soul Bossa Nova, Come Fly With Me, Cheek to Cheek, Choo Choo ch Boogie

Set 2
It Had To Be You, 9:20 Special, Opus One, A Night In Tunisia, Just In Time,, It Should've Been Me, Cottontail, I'm Beginning To See The Light, Don't Be That Way, Do Nothing (Till You Hear From Me)