Sometimes my students disappoint me

[cookie]

Sheila Jordan is coming to the area (Binghamton---about an hour away) on Saturday to perform with Cameron Brown. She's also giving a free workshop.

I, of course, am absolutely thrilled and definitely plan to be there. I told my students about it, explained about who Sheila Jordan is (I don't necessarily expect them to know). I was like, "This woman knew Bird!" I also strongly urged them to attend if possible---offering the three extra places in my car to whoever wants them and speaks up first.

And nobody's jumped yet.

This disappoints me no end. Here's a wonderful, unique, world-known professional jazz vocalist and they don't seem interested even though the workshop is free and the concert only costs 6 bucks.

I plan to hit 'em up again tonight. I'm bringing in Sheila's THAT OLD FEELING with Harvey S. for them to listen to in rehearsal (plan to play "Quasimodo" and "It Don't Mean a Thing"). I hope that at least *some* of them will make time to go hear and learn from her. Sheila's not a young thing and my students should take advantage of this opportunity NOW or they may regret it sometime down the line.

I've heard Sheila do the bass/voice thing live once and it was just magical. I've also heard many wonderful things about her teaching and am excited to observe her in action and see what her teaching approach is (not to mention maybe learning a new or different way to approach my performance as well as my teaching).

Kids! What's wrong with 'em?

Wish me luck as I try to take 'em to school on Sheila tonight.

[Dennis Gonzalez]

Cookie, a few years ago Queen Elizabeth came to Dallas and my North Dallas High School Estudiantina group was selected to perform for her at the main concert hall in Dallas, the Morton Meyerson Center. When I explained to my students the great fortune and the importance of being selected out of so many musical groups, student or professional, to perform for her and all the dignitaries who would be hobnobbing with the Queen of England, they didn't even blink!

It wasn't until they saw the great motorcade and entourage of people coming in the door of the great hall, and later that evening when they saw themselves on all the local, national and international channels (including CNN) that they realized just what had occured.

Be not dismayed. They will eventually come around.

[Noj]

Embarassingly enough I've never heard of Sheila Jordan. Looks like her debut PORTRAIT OF SHEILA on Blue Note is the one to get based on a quick search of AMG...hopefully I'll get a chance to hear it at some point.

[cookie]

I think it's totally cool if someone has never heard of Sheila Jordan. I really didn't expect my students to know who she is. I guess I expected them to get more excited over it after I explained who she was. I thought they would jump at the chance to study FOR FREE with a working professional singer with far more experience and world-traveled than I. *Any* other singer, let alone Sheila.

Music speaks louder than lectures.

I played "Quasimodo" and the first few choruses of "It Don't Mean a Thing" in rehearsal. It was clear that they had never heard anything quite like it. They reacted with glee to some of Sheila's color changes in her scat solos. I also pointed out her use of rhythmic motives and vocal stylizations that weren't specifically pitched. One student noted that it was interesting to hear a singer sing words to a Charlie Parker melody and achieve many of the same stylistic characteristics of Bird's playing and how Charlie Parker used vocal inflections in his playing and here was this singer using instrumental inflections in hers. Bingo. Jazz singing. The kid who said it is a trombone/jazz studies major who's trying his hand at singing this semester. Smart kid.

Sometimes they disappoint me, but sometimes they warm my heart. They're just unschooled and need to be taught better. They need to listen a whole lot more and to a wider variety of singers and instrumentalists.

One kid is going to go to the concert with me, though he can't make the workshop. That's progress!

David: I will try to remember to say hi from you.

[Nate Dorward]

Yes the Blue Note is terrific. I also like the sadly out-of-print Lost & Found, which really ought to be reissued; haven't heard the newest one but Jazz Child is very strong.

[graypencil]

Hi Cookie:

I just went thru a vaguely similar experience
trying to stir up some interest on another BBS
for Nancy King ..( as you know , another great
singer ..)

the response was zero ..

and I was fairly depressed at that ..

Also, some time, we'll have to talk on the phone
about my slightly bummed out experience
teaching at the Bud Shank Clinic .mostly
involving "attitude" by a few spoiling an
otherwise great band ..but it's too
much for me to type ..

so send me yer fone# offlist ..and I'll
tell you the somewhat depressing
circumstances ..

( BTW: NONE of this was in any way
connected with, or Bud's fault ..it was just a couple
incidents that really bummed me out with
the "teaching"thing ..

GP

[Tom Storer]

Noj, I suggest her latest, "Little Song" - it's a beautiful album.

Cookie, I saw Sheila last year with Cameron Brown, and another time with a trio, and it was fabulous. Her thing with Brown sounds a lot different than her thing with Harvie Swartz - more streamlined, I'd say. I took a friend to the trio concert, a woman who had been doing semi-professional classical singing - madrigals and stuff - and recently has been trying her hand at jazz. She loved it, talked to Sheila and found out about a workshop in Scotland this summer. She did the workshop and was very happy with the experience. She said Sheila's teaching is inspirational and also packed with useful practical tips. So you can tell your students that, too!

[Gary Sisco]

Hey, well, if they don't dig it, you will, Cookie! :-) I've never had a chance to her sing live.

[lynn]

Well FWIW I wish I could go. She has been doing a lot of work with Jay Clayton. That has to be some serious stuff.

Can you recap the sessions for us Cookie. If you want you can drop me a note.

BTW, I have been recruited to be the music director for my daughter's Brownie troup. Can we talk?

[Dennis Gonzalez]

Originally posted by lynn
I have been recruited to be the music director for my daughter's Brownie troup. Can we talk?

Time to break out "We Travel the Spaceways" around the campfire!

[cookie]

Thanks for your commiseration, everyone!

GP: I'll email you. Would love to hear from you.

Lynn: see? You "get" it! They don't "get" it. They don't understand that Sheila Jordan is an original who has a lot to say both artistically and educationally. They don't understand that those of us who sing jazz have a lot of respect for Sheila. I did inform them that Sheila teaches all over the world and has a wonderful reputation. *I'm* really excited about that because while I'm familiar with Sheila's music, I know nothing about how and what she teaches. I'm sure it's totally unique just like she is. Someday, if some of them really *do* become serious about singing jazz, they'll regret the missed opportunity. I regret deeply that I did not go hear Cab Calloway when I was in high school and could have gotten a free ticket because I didn't understand at that time WHO Cab Calloway was. I was ignorant.

BTW: I'd be happy to report on the session. Music leader for a Brownie troupe sounds fun! Feel free to email and bounce ideas off me if you want to. I'm sure you have many fine ideas and I'd love to hear them.