Posts tagged as:

west ranch high school

Hanging out with Gordon Goodwin

by Rachel on November 9, 2009

For Gordon Goodwin, it was probably just another solo. But for me, I couldn’t fully grasp it — I was sitting on the same bench as him, watching him improvise on the keys of the old upright Yamaha that I play every morning. I was balancing myself on the edge of the bench so I [...]

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Wildcat Classic!

by Rachel on October 16, 2009

When you think music, what do you think of? You might think of the LA Phil — I’m probably thinking about the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. The point is, music is huge — and although I might pick favorites, I’m not about to miss out on any of it. That’s why I went to West [...]

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Today’s Real Book Picks

by Rachel on September 24, 2009

If you haven’t got the slightest idea what I’m talking about, check out yesterday’s post to see what’s been happening with the West Ranch High School jazz band. Today we opened the Real Book to Erroll Garner’s Misty: It’s one of those romantic sitting-in-a-bar-contemplating-life tunes. This recording’s got a bit of a classical touch with [...]

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Real Book Love

by Rachel on September 23, 2009

Back in the jazz room at West Ranch High School I’m lucky enough to have these three things: a trendy Yamaha keyboard (a similar one to the Motif model), a jazz band-exclusive standup Yamaha piano (unfortunately, the choir has already claimed the baby grand), and the fifth-edition Real Book 1 & 2. But the keyboard’s [...]

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