Oakland Jazz Choir

The aftermath of the new modem and JACKTRIP set up. But folks, IT WORKS!!! The age of little or no lag time Zoom singing has begun!!

Jack sang with us many years ago. Lovely voice and lovely human.

Well, our drive in rehearsals have ended for 2020 but not our attempts to sing separately but together. The vaccine will be here. Please stay safe in the meantime. Well, our drive in rehearsals have ended for 2020 but not our attempts to sing separately but together. The vaccine will be here. Please stay safe in the meantime.

Your Saturday !

Our first VIRTUAL CHOIR VIDEO!!! Love, connection, & hope will lead our way out of this darkness. Eternal thanks to Phil Hawkins for his audio & video magic!! Please share!! https://youtu.be/TBKp_wlSxpE

This fall, the conductor, Christopher Johnston, has been organizing about 50 active orchestra members, who include older musicians, into small groups. Some rehearse six feet apart in carports and church parking lots, but most use JamKazam, a video chat platform that allows musicians to see and hear each other in real time. The technology is imperfect. At a jazz group meeting, JamKazam kept booting Mr. Johnston off the call. The musicians turned to Zoom, where audio lag caused... the individual parts of My Funny Valentine to trip drunkenly over each other. The song was barely recognizable, but the musicians grinned in their little onscreen boxes the thrill of playing together had not been dampened. There is therapy in getting together with other musicians. Mr. Johnston said. It’s helping us cope with all of the negative byproducts of this time, one of which is loneliness.

Our virtual choir video just broke 1000 views!!!! Our virtual choir video just broke 1000 views!!!!

Trying to stay positive, but independent music venues are really suffering. ‘A survey published in June by the National Independent Venue Association found that 90 percent of venue owners, promoters, and bookers will have to close permanently within the next few months without financial help from the government. The survey polled nearly 2,000 music professionals. Many club owners feel angry, frustrated, and bewildered because they’ve received conflicting information from state and local officials, they can’t rescue their businesses, and they don’t know when the restrictions placed on them will end.’

Had to share! Get out and VOTE y’all!!

EXCITING NEWS COMING!!EXCITING NEWS COMING!!

It’s frustrating, folks. We shall wait patiently but the inconsistencies are glaring.

‘This summer saw an uptick in support for Black Lives Matter and a reckoning with this country’s racist past and present but part of that support must include the acknowledgement that Black music matters, too. The issues of systemic racism and musical gentrification are one in the same. In our fight for racial justice, if we don’t make efforts to preserve and celebrate Black musical culture, we will undoubtedly fail in our efforts for both.’

Jazz music is the perfect metaphor for democracy. We improvise, which is our individual rights and freedoms; We swing, which means we are responsible to nurture the common good, with everyone in fine balance;... And we play the blues, which means no matter how bad things get, we remain optimistic while still mindful of problems. Wynton Marsalis

Monday mood. Stay safe. Stay healthy. Stay strong. Sing, Be, Live, See This dark stormy hour... The wind, it stirs The scorched Earth cries out in vain Oh war and power, you blind and blur The torn heart cries out in pain But music and singing have been my refuge And music and singing shall be my light A light of song, shining strong Hallelujah, Hallelujah Through darkness and pain and strife I'll sing, I'll be, live, see Peace

Some Sunday fun!