In the Mood this weekend

I’m Jones’ing for some Big Band and the In the Mood theater production is doing their last weekend of the show in Monroe, WA. I invited late to the gig after I already had two other gigs, so I will have done 4 of the 6 show. “In the Mood,” written and directed by Terry Simon, is a re-creation of a USO-style show as might have been presented to U.S. troops near the close of WWII. This year’s version is set in the Pacific, where the Sky Notes Orchestra, a seventeen-piece big band under the direction of Bruce Gallagher, along with seven singers, brings the sounds of Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, Duke Ellington, and the Andrews Sisters. The show also features the vocal and comedic talents of Greg Norgaard, L. Sam Samano, Robin Hilt, Ellen Powell, Rick Wright, and Brianna Underhill.

Here are my notes to my friends Burch and Tina who covered the other two dates for me. Thanks youse guys!

1. Instruments: alto & bari sax, sop & bass clarinet

2. I’m beginning to see the light has bari and trumpet duet kinda thing there. Play out. There is a penciled in repeat for four more soloists.

3. Mele Kalikimaka has some nasty bass clarinet runs and the song is fast.

4. Hard hearted Hannah has two sixteen note run solo’s that sound really good when you hit them. Blow them as loud as you can and still maintain intonation.

5. Indian Love Call has some fricken fast swaps from alto to clarinet.

6. Nightingale has another fricken fast change from alto to bari. I play the alto in front of the bari on my lap to make that change.

7. One of two nemesis, Swingin’ on a Star has a bass clarinet run, only doubled by the bass that modulates a change in key for the whole band. It is hard to play loud enough. And I end up playing the bass clarinet in front with the bari on my lap to make the change.

8. Fun but puts you on the spot, When Jonny Comes Marching Home has the bari sax solo for the first eight measure. Please have played this before the first practice.

9. My other nemesis spot, I’ve sent you the music snapshot of the clarinet part on page two. The band plays this at around 200.

10. Winter Wonder land, another 8 measure bari solo at the first eight bars. Forte, staccato, with octave leaps.

This show has been so fun both with the music that was selected and with the people in the show. The sax section is tight, the singers are fun, and rhythm section swings. Hope to see y’all there.