Vanguard Orchestra

[Jim Alfredson]

Joe, Rachel, my wife and I had the pleasure of seeing the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra in E. Lansing last night. Before the show we took fellow board member and pianist Michael Weiss out for some killer Indian food.

The band sounded great and featured some very inspired solos all around. MSU trumpet professor Derrick Gardner sat in on the last tune (he used to sub in the band) and played a nice solo on Groove Merchant. Gary Smulyan and Dick Oatts were my favorite soloists in general, although everyone played their butts off.

Great show! Nice to meet you, Michael. I hope we can hang when we're in NYC this fall.

[Joe G]

John Riley deserves a mention, too, for both the gracefulness of his playing, and the fact that he didn't read a note for the entire show!

Great charts, great ensemble playing and soloing, and lots of humor, too. Very satisfying all around.

Thanks again for inviting us out, Michael, and we looking forward to seeing you again sometime.

[rachel]

It was such a great show! I was in *brass heaven*! I can't begin to explain how beautiful the music was, even at sound check. It gave me chills! It was truly a great experience to see Derrick Gardner play in front of so many of his students--I loved watching them respond to his music; such youthful energy and creativity. You can tell that he is loved and respected by his students.

Michael Weiss is the bomb--he swung his ass off! Dinner was such a treat; I really enjoyed hearing about his Indiana days and his history of playing with Pookie Johnson and Slide Hampton. Now I have to hear his quintet!!

Thanks again, Michael, for extending the invitation and for joining us for dinner. It was great fun to experience what to you was probably a mostly mundane, routine sound check; I loved every minute of it.

[Soul Stream]

Yes, I saw these guys at the Vanguard and it was one of the best musical experiences of my life. Was Ralph LaLama there? He really blew me away when I saw them, of course it's hard to pick favorite from that band, but LaLama was a gem among gems. And Michael Weiss is just a killer.

[rachel]

Yes, Ralph LaLama was there, sitting next to Gary Smulyan (who is just slightly taller than his sax... ) The whole sax section was superb.

[Michael Weiss]

Nice meeting you all and thanks for dinner. As things go, it was a more inspired performance than other times, largely due, I believe, to a more acoustical (than amped up) sound and Derrick Gardner's cookin' solo on Groove Merchant.

[sheldonm]

I've seen the band a few times and they are always great (to my ears)!!! Wish they were coming close to Indy...didn't know they were in Lansing...may have been able to make the trip! Derrick is indeed fantastic!!! He was in Indy several weeks ago to play with Rob Dixon....killer!

m~

[alocispepraluger102]

sure wish you could have stopped off at severance hall. acoustics have been upgraded again in the last several years. great place to make a recording.