Porchfest 2024

Hudson 5 Jazz Quintet

Musicians:

Geoff Mitchell - piano
Robert Burman - guitar
Nic DiLauro Trumpet
Andrew Skowronski - Tenor Saxophone
Stewart Gunyon - electric bass

Lady Bird (1939)

Lady Bird is a sixteen-bar jazz standard by Tadd Dameron. This "celebrated" composition, "one of the most performed in modern jazz", was written around 1939, and released in 1948.

Tadd Dameron was one of the most influential pianists and composers of the bebop jazz era spanning from the 1940s to 60s. 

Lady Bird is a very "happy" song, and one of my favorites - Stewart

Simone (1977)

Frank Foster (1928-2011)  (saxe, composer and arranger) wrote this tune. He was a mainstay in the Count Basie Orchestra during the 50s and 60s.Simone was written in 1977. It's our first of several tunes in 3/4.

Cheryl (1949)

Written by the great alto saxe player, bandleader and composer Charlie parker, Cheryl is a classic 12 bar bebop tune. Typical complex melody and rhythms! 

Parker was a highly influential soloist and leading figure in the development of  bebop, a form of jazz characterized by fast tempos, virtuosic technique, and advanced harmonies. He was a virtuoso and introduced revolutionary rhythmic and harmonic ideas into jazz, including rapid passing chords, new variants of altered chords, and chord substitutions.

Song 3 (2024)

Written by our very own Geoff Mitchell. Song 3 is a modal 3/4 tune.

Geoff has played piano most of his life, and some of us have had the honor of playing with him

for over 20 years.

Nica's Dream (1954)

"Nica's Dream" is a jazz standard composed by Horace Silver in 1954. It is one of many songs written in tribute to jazz patroness Pannonica de Koenigswarter.  The song was first recorded by the Jazz Messengers in 1956, and has since been recorded by many other artists. It features jazz melodic minor harmony with prominent minor-major 7th chords. Its first studio recording by Silver was on the Horace-Scope album.

Minor Threat (2024)

Another fun composition by Geoff Mitchell in A Minor in a 6/4 time signature!

Up Jumped Spring (1967)

Up Jumped Spring” is a tune written by the great trumpeter Freddie Hubbard. It’s a waltz with a beautiful melody and it’s a lot of fun to play! “Up Jumped Spring” is a fairly common jam session waltz so this is definitely a good one to know. This tune is most commonly played in the key of Bb major.