Post 69: YOU TUBE VIDEOS - SHORT AND JOYFUL

Today, let's have some fun.

Pick your three most joyful short YouTube videos.

Here are the rules.
(1) All three videos, added together, must run for no more than 10½ minutes (i.e. an average of 3½ minutes each). 

(2) The three videos have to be of three different musical groups.

Here are my choices:

NUMBER ONE
The best traditional jazz band in the world (from New Orleans but performing in Switzerland) plays a particularly thrilling tune. The excitement builds and builds!

CLICK HERE.

NUMBER TWO
Street buskers in Asheville, North Carolina. The composer himself sings the song and plays the fiddle. And the three charming ladies among the five musicians exude happiness.

CLICK HERE.

NUMBER THREE
Pure enjoyment! About fifteen New Orleans street musicians get together in a bar one evening to play and sing Round and Round, a fun song created by Charlie Nickerson and the Memphis Jug Band in 1930. I can't resist singing along.

CLICK HERE.

I'd be interested to hear of other people's choices.

Post 8: HOW TO LEAD THE BAND

What a performance!

It would be hard to find a better example than this video of a leader carefully setting the right tempo, driving the band along, directing the musical traffic and making very clear what is wanted from everyone, while working up some great excitement in the music.

The leader is the cornet player Shaye Cohn and the tune is Fats Waller's Minor Drag. Click on the link below and hold on to your hats. Note all the subtle signals Shaye gives by means of eye contact, body language, quick words to John Doyle (clarinet) and Barnabus (trombone), a hand signal to Robin (washboard), the notes she holds at the ends of choruses - even left hand on the head to signal a return to Theme A!
Click here to watch.

Incidentally, as I have said elsewhere, why on earth don't more bands follow Tuba Skinny's example in seating arrangements? Having the band in an arc formation means the audience can see all the musicians and - for signalling purposes - the musicians can all see each other.

In other videos, you can even see Shaye 'conducting' the band by extending a bare foot! She does so near the end to indicate that this is to be the final chorus. For example: CLICK HERE. And for another example of Shaye showing great energy, drive and imagination, both in her own playing and in the direction of the band, look at this wonderful performance of Weary Blues: CLICK HERE.