Shanghai Jazz Big Band

Wow!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1S9MoaEaaSs

Nice stuff.....Thanks for sharing.
reminds me when I was in the high school all city orchestra in the 70's.....we need more kids learning/playing instruments for sure.

excellent !!! ...

Donny ... what instrument did you play in the orchestra?

Last Wednesday my wife and I went to NY to see our 10 year old grandson in concert ... He just started playing trumpet in school in September ... his 4th grade had a full band - strings, brass, woodwinds, etc. - of all kids who started playing in September ... they played the ever popular "Hot Cross Buns" and "Jingle Bells" ... I was really impressed with how they had advanced in such a short time ... a tribute to them and their music instructors ...
The 5th grade band played more involved pieces, and I was impressed with them as well ...
The chorus, which our grandson also sang in, did tunes from Coldplay to Lennon, and lots of stuff in between ... very well done ...

Music is alive and well in the kids of Mamaroneck Avenue Public School, NY !!!

t.

[This message has been edited by tony mads usa (edited 12-08-2008).]

Tony I played Alto Sax, Tympani & Percussion....it was so much fun we even did All City Band Concert in Carnege hall wow!!! Of course this was all PRE- Computer age

Donny ... playing a concert in Carnegie Hall is one more thing we have in common ...
t .

I drove pass Carnegie hall one time..

I played in a all accordion band (like a lot of you guys/gals)...and we were on Ted Macks TV show.....does that count for anything????

Yes it was the norm back then to take the schools best bands and play there....
great experience for sure when your 16.

Listening to this, though, makes you appreciate the bigband greats... keeping that number of players in the pocket, in the groove, took talent and dedication hard to imagine. Sadly, these guys don't quite get it.

Not that it's bad... far from it..! But an up-tempo piece like this either has to be ON, or not attempted.

Staying in the pocket requires very good players......we were always singled out at random as kids and made to stand up and SOLO in front of everyone so there wouldn't be any Slackers in the orchestra....everyone carried his or her weight musically.....if one spark plug is failing the car wont run properly!

Your hard to please Diki!!
What impressed me most? Shanghai ... China ... Jazz band!! The influence of American culture!! It just goes to show you how Important "Our" music is to the rest of the world!! Love it!!

[This message has been edited by JCkeeys (edited 12-09-2008).]

Timeless Billy May like - Swingin' the classics arrangement – I still have the vinyl’s.
Trombone, Philadelphia All-Catholic band, 1958-59.
Your right Donny, it was a thrill for us teens. I was starting in music at about the end of the big band era and the community bands and local pub bands were loaded with former Dorsey, Kenton, Hermann and other big band players – they all had to return home and get day jobs or combo work. Lots of great talents with lots of great stories. They are unforgettable times for me.
Ciao,
Jerry

Worldwide there are more Asians playing in Orchestras then any other.....take a look at today's Philharmonic Orchestras you'll see what I mean .......& the reason is they STUDY Music at conservatories like Julliard, etc. & have a very serious educational ethic with the opportunities offered here in the USA..... while our kids are working in McDonalds & Walmart & doped up hanging out all night in some 24 hr greek diner....its really sad.



[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 12-09-2008).]

Donny, I'm not picking on you, but, doesn't your statement imply that the aforementioned 'Asians' are all or mostly foreign-born, or somehow not American. Is a Chinese-American less American than say, an Italian-American? Naturally, my little ears perk up when I hear phrases like 'our kids' and 'Asians' (taking advantage of) "opportunities offered here in the USA". Just has a 'funky' tone to it, know what I mean?

chas

P.S. I've heard you make this same 'observation' in the past. I was just wondering how you were/are able to distinuish the native-borns from the foreign-borns, or do we have to look a certain way to be 'real' Americans.

Chas I'm not into stupid politically correct BS I say it like I see it....American mixed nationalities or not is not the point. These people deserve all the accolades because they have chosen a musical path & are successful plain & simple.This is just one orchestra in one city, its the same all over.
As for the kids go to your local 24 hr diner at 3am & tell me what you see.
http://nyphil.org/meet/orchestra/index.c...le&personNum=75
http://nyphil.org/meet/orchestra/index.cfm?page=profile&personNum=1168
http://nyphil.org/meet/orchestra/index.cfm?page=profile&personNum=815
http://nyphil.org/meet/orchestra/index.cfm?page=profile&personNum=1286
http://nyphil.org/meet/orchestra/index.cfm?page=profile&personNum=89
http://www.hkpo.com/eng/orchestra/our_players/index.jsp?id=27

http://www.asianyouthorchestra.com/#
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Asian_orchestras




[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 12-09-2008).]

I walk by it all the time when in NYC on my way to the Carnegie Deli:
http://carnegiedeli.com/index.html

Donny ... I Get It!! You are right on the money brother!!

In todays world (at least in the USA) we must always be "Politically Correct". God forbid we should "Offend" someone .... Please give me a break!!!!

P.S. I know I used the word God, just for clarification I meant "Everyones" God.

[This message has been edited by JCkeeys (edited 12-09-2008).]

Of course, when comparing these diligent Asian Americans to the shiftless slacker youth of today, does Donny label these said slackers "Italian-American" dopers, or 'Irish-American" slackers, or "German-American" lazybones, or 'Greek-American" diner addicts?

I wonder why that is?

Perhaps there are a FEW cultures he DOESN'T want to offend. Now all he has to figure out is WHY some cultures are OK to single out, and why some AREN'T, and he might get a handle on where his personal bias lies. Of course, that's if he is capable of admitting he HAS a personal bias!

But, as much as he wants to do away with 'political correctness', let us therefore also do away with it... 'Personal bias' is politically correct. 'Racism' is the pre-PC word... Doesn't sound quite as benign, now, does it?

Maybe 'politically correct' has it's place.

I dont know what you people are reading between the lines but my statement is a compliment to all Asian musicians nothing more.All night Diner dopers come in all shapes & sizes look around sometime.