People find all kinds of ways to have fun and keep themselves occupied. The story on the front page of today’s Virginia Gazette focuses on something I know almost nothing about – musicians who indulge their passion for music by simply getting together to play.
This story about Monday Night Big Band talks about a weekly event that happens in Norfolk – about an hour’s drive from Williamsburg – but it meets my criteria for “local news” because musicians who live near me make this drive once a week to enjoy making music with other musicians.
The story draws readers in by placing them in the middle of the action – at 7:00 on a recent Monday night, as the band’s director (and trumpet player) starts them off with “On, two – one, two, three, four” and the music begins. You might think that this is a rehearsal for a gig – but the practice session is the gig. The musicians play together for two hours, simply for the joy of making music.
This is not a random set of drop-ins who play music together. The band has 18 invited members, making up a 14-horn brass section, along with a rhythm section of piano, guitar, bass, and drums. Members are expected to be there on Monday nights between September and May of each year; if they can’t be there, they call the director and he finds a substitute from his list. According to the article, members may bring a guest of two, but they have to remain quiet and unobtrusive.
Some of these players have been professional musicians during their active careers – playing with a variety of jazz band ensembles and accompanying well-known musicians. One member who drives from Williamsburg, saxophonist Craig Canning, is a retired William Mary professor who has made the trek to Norfolk from Williamsburg most Mondays for nearly 17 years. He began as a substitute in 2006 but became a core member within a few months.
The director, Caroll Bailey, was the co-founder of the group 30 years ago. He is a retired educator who played in the Army Band for three years before attending graduate school and getting on with his daytime career. His role in the band is a big one – he manages the group’s music library, sets up the rehearsal space, chooses the songs for each session, and coordinates with the musicians to make sure every part is covered. The article reports a comment from one of the group’s members about their director: “The fact that Carroll can herd 17 musicians to one play to play for free 30 times a year . . . is an incredible feat.
The fact that this event occurs on Monday nights is not random; in the big-band heyday of the 1940s and 1950s, Mondays were often the only nights that working musicians had free. Yet many of them still met up to learn new songs or play with musicians they didn’t typically perform with. This is the root of the phenomenon of Monday night reading and rehearsal bands, which has endured around the country.
I know some of you play musical instruments and have played in a variety of bands. Is there a Monday Night Big Band near you? Wouldn’t it be fun to attend a session (quietly and unobtrusively, of course) – or be a substitute – or become a core member?
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