This was not our usual Monte Carlo Jazz Ensemble, founded in 1998, playing classic jazz and hot dance music from the 20’s and 30’s specially arranged by the leader and music director, pianist Robin Verdier.
Robin Verdier leader/arranger/piano, Craig Ball and Billy Novick reeds, Al Bernard tuba, Ed Reynolds drums
With John Clark off to a Mardi Gras Party and Bob MacInnis still in Florida, Craig Ball was left alone on the Front Line; enter Billy Novick. Robin provided arrangements for two reeds, and they complied. Most of the time.
Arrangements are important to the sound of a song. Every song changes when played in a different arrangement. Robin takes the original arrangements of the pop dance tunes of that time, and adapts them to create technically sophisticated melodies. That is the Monte Carlo Jazz Ensemble. But whenever there’s a sub in a band, there are subtle changes; but Billy Novick is definitely not subtle.
They kicked it off hot and heavy with ‘Deed I Do, a 1926 jazz standard composed by Fred Rose with lyrics by Walter Hirsch. Then they moved to a relatively modern 1940 composer, Django Reinhardt, the two virtuoso reed players intertwining clarinets with Nuages.
Craig Ball and Bill Novick
Lynn Sickle
Robin paid tribute to the late Lynn Sickles; we lost our beautiful Rockette in December. At almost every performance at the Inn, you would find Lynn in her special chair next to the piano, with hubby Bob. All musicians at the Sherborn Inn played All of Me for Lynn. She is sorely missed!
Robin always has a prepared list of what the band will play, but tonight he threw in a “Lucky Strike Extra”, Ray Henderson’s Alabamy Bound; not the same as the 1920’s tune Alabama Bound Rag. Craig was fabulous on clarinet with Billy’s alto sax playing riffs, rhythm section providing quick underlying pulse.
Robin featured more great composers – Walter Donaldson’s Love Me Or Leave Me, with fluid sweet melody on piano. A 1926 tune by Anthony Lessof, How Can I Be Blue, with Craig on soprano sax and Billy on clarinet.
From a two-reed band on Chicago’s South Side, they played Vincent Youmans’ I Know That You Know. I Remember When from another important composer and reed player, Sidney Bechet in 1958 – that’s very late for Monte Carlo. Playing ragtime and stride from the heart, Robin finished the set with Lady Be Good.
Robin Verdier, with Al Bernard in background
Three years ago a tune kept running through Robin’s head and he couldn’t figure out where it came from. It was from the New Black Eagle Jazz Band repertoire, a tune written by Billy Novick in 1989 – Remembering You. He writes in this early style to preserve this kind of music, including the score for the Washington Ballet’s “The Great Gatsby”.
Irving Berlin’s 1950 – The Best Thing For You Would Be Me is Robin Verdier’s 2nd most modern tune. Britain’s Ray Noble wrote both lyrics and music during the British dance band era known as the “Golden Age of British music”. Noble imported musicians from the U.S. and wrote Native American Tunes. In 1938, he wrote Cherokee (Indian Love Call).
By now the two reed players didn’t need any arrangements– Craig let loose with clarinet heading for high heaven, Novick right behind him. Robin’s marvelous piano raced to keep up. Bill Reynolds went wild on drums, slipping in his infamous piano roll.
Bill Reynolds
Robin eased them back to the Monte Carlo era. In 1928 Isham Jones wrote Down Where The Sun Goes Down. Reliable Albie on tuba was mellow, not pushing. Same era, Sammy Fain’s You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me. 1922 China Boy, Craig went wild on soprano sax. They tried to get many in 1930, I Got Rhythm, Billy Novick pushing Craig on with saxophone; Craig likes aiming for high register clarinet.
Craig and Billy go wild.
After some discussion, they continued with a sweet and lyrical 1917 Smiles. Craig played fiery clarinet on the1922 My Honey’s Loving Arms. The 1928 Victor Young ‘s Sweet Sue had Robin’s fine fingering on piano, drum tapping lightly, Albie softening chords on tuba.
1939 the world moved to Swing, that’s when Lu Watters started the Yerba Buena Jazz Band; what we call two-beat, West Coast Jazz. The Yerba Buena worked at Big Bear Lake, so Lu wrote a tune called Big Bear Stomp. The Monte Carlo Quintet were aiming for a big finale. They closed with Running Wild, tuba and drums pushing the soprano sax, clarinet and piano.
It was one very special evening of classic jazz and hot dance music! The Monte Carlo Jazz Ensemble will return May 13th, with or without substitutes. Hope to see you there!
not mentioned
Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives To Me.
Al Jolson California Here I Come got in some stride.