When you play me that jazz hot, baby, it’s holding my soul together

First off, let me just say that my drive on 695 today was made infinitely more cheerful by WBJC playing the music from the first two scenes of Leo Delibes’ Coppelia. Thanks, guys! Judith Krummeck is tough but fair.

Now, let’s see. Oh yes. Upcoming concerts! I just put up three new banners for the rotating banner thingee on the home page (I know how to do it; I don’t necessarily know what to call it, okay?). There’s the Duke Ellington Orchestra at Strathmore on Thursday. I must confess I’ve never been a huge jazz person, although I love jazzy elements in music, and some jazz when it’s vocal, especially if it’s hot (I’ll admit to a love of Chicago, and I have Judy Garland’s “The Man That Got Away” on my iPod).

But! My music minor required me to take a class about the history of jazz, and while I’m not gonna lie and say I love it now, I definitely developed respect for the genre, and am always excited when someone mentions a name I recognize (especially Dizzy Gillespie; it’s just fun to say). Of course, I kind of cheated on my project for the class, given that I centered it around Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, but… HEY! Guess what the BSO is playing November 12-15? Everything’s connected!

Except for Mozart and Mahler, November 6 and 7. Not much jazz in that and I already mentioned Mozart in my previous post. Not that that should discourage you; most people love Mozart. Go with my blessing!

As for Mahler, I forever hold fuzzy feelings for him ’cause my old ballet teacher used a combination of his symphonies to score our performance of Persephone. I was the North Wind! I’m that cool.