Jazz at The Library

The third Sunday of the month is “Jazz at the Library” at the Anacortes
Public Library. Last month’s artist was Washington Blues Society
member Mia Vermillion, who is celebrating her newest self-produced
blues CD, Alone Together with the Blues.
Local libraries like the ones in Anacortes and Kirkland are onto
something. Last year, Kirkland’s library hosted a set featuring Son
Jack, Jr. and Michael Wilde, and I hope that more bluesmen and
blueswomen seek out shows at the local library. In Anacortes, every
seat in the 143-seat community meeting room was filled with an all ages
audience that ranged from babes
in arms to community elders
interested in taking advantage of
a free blues concert on a Sunday
afternoon. I think it’s a recipe for
success, particularly for those
forward thinking musicians who
will link a show at a local club like
the Rockfish or the Watertown
in Anacortes, or the Kirkland
Performance Center in Kirkland.
Orville Johnson joined Mia
Vermillion for an hour-plus set
that contained a great deal of
unrehearsed, spontaneous blues
and jazz magic.
Orville played a playful song about
vegetables, “Barnyard Dance,”
which features those “little red
tomatoes that are real agitators”
much to the delight of those who
would peruse books filed under
Section 635 in the library stacks (the section in the Dewey Decimal
System on gardening).
The duo gave us an exceptional set of acoustic blues rooted in traditional
blues from a female point of view.
A Blues History Lesson
Mia told the story of Lilian “Lil” Green, who was one of Big Bill Broonzy’s
musical partners who recorded for the Bluebird label. This young lady
from Clarksdale, Mississippi made her way to Chicago and wrote and
sang songs like “In the Dark,” which Mia and Orville updated nicely on
Fidalgo Island.
Orville recalled that Big Bill Broonzy’s “Copyright Your Kisses” – sung by
Lil’ Green – was a commentary on the push-pull of Digital Rights Media
of its day. Back then, the idea of intellectual property and copyrights was
an emerging idea. Today, DRM is front-page news for many searching
for ways to protect their ownership of their music.
Some of the many other highlights of Orville’s and Mia’s hour-plus set
include songs from Mia’s Alone Together with the Blues, such as the
original “Love’s Lost and Found,” and Orville’s plaintive “Come Back,
Baby.” Orville switched from classic finger picking to slide effortlessly,
and while the marquee on the library offered “Jazz in the Afternoon with
Mia Vermillion,” her set was a decidedly strong acoustic blues set.
Mia wound up her afternoon at the library with two jazz standards:
“Somebody’s On My Mind” and ‘”I’m Beginning to See the Light.” The
former song, co-written by Lady Day and Arthur Herzog, landed on
compilations like The Complete Decca Sessions and The Billie Holiday
Story on MCA Records, and the latter was a collaborative effort of
Duke Ellington, Don George, Johnny Hodges, and Harry James. These
standards complemented Big Bill
Broonzy’s music.
As I left the Anacortes Public
Library, I thought of how Mia and
Orville blended jazz standards and
traditional blues for an enjoyable
afternoon of blues. Thanks to the
bequest of Mr. and Mrs. Dominic
Manieri, the library is able to offer to
the community live blues, jazz and
swing music one Sunday a month.
Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Manieri!
The Anacortes Public Library
is the recipient of a generous
bequest from the estate of Patricia
Manieri in honor of her husband,
Dominic Manieri, for the purpose of
cultivating an ever-growing passion
for jazz and swing throughout the
Anacortes community. Each year,
the earnings of the endowment are
available through the Manieri Advisory
Committee and the Anacortes Public Library Foundation. A strategic goal
of the Endowment is to build an outstanding library collection of Jazz and
Swing music books, CDs, and DVDs. In addition to building the collection,
the Endowment funds other projects to promote the understanding and
appreciation of jazz including programs, performances, and partnering
with other organizations such as the Anacortes School District. The
Endowment also hopes to foster opportunities for local jazz musicians
and for students interesting in pursuing a music education. The
Anacortes Public Library Jazz Committee works with the Library to
explore other ways to fulfill the goals of the Manieri Endowment for
future educational and entertainment opportunities in our community
(from www.jazzatthelibrary.com).
Over 140 people joined Mia and Orville for a an informative hours of
blues and jazz music, and I hope that more bluesmen and blueswomen
will pursue venues like public libraries, senior centers, and community
centers to bring blues music to all-ages venues. If libraries like those in
Anacortes and Kirkland can pave the way for new revenue-generating
opportunities for solo and duo acts, as well as full bands, blues musicians
will be in a position to reach new audiences of all ages.

Author: Eric Stiener

Repost Courtesy of The Washington Blues Society

Tags: Eric Steiner, Mia Vermillion, Orville Johnson, Son Jack Jr. Michael Wilde, Washington Blues Society