Post 592: A MUSICAL TEST PIECE - 'LAURA'

I was thinking about the tune Laura, composed by David Raskin in 1945. To my mind, this is a most beautiful piece of music; and yet I find it difficult to play and virtually impossible to improvise on.

David Raskin

Although, like thousands of other songs, it has a 32-bar structure, Laura is based on an extraordinary and complex chord progression. It runs through far more chords than the typical traditional jazz band tune. In fact, I think it uses 17 different chords. And the melody notes are sometimes on the ninth note of the chord.

There is on YouTube a brief video of Raskin himself playing the tune. Listen. Watch his hands. Note the rich succession of chords. CLICK HERE TO VIEW IT.

It struck me that this would make a very good test piece for a traditional jazz musician. I would be very impressed by anybody who - without using a chord book or the printed music - could play a decent full 32-bar improvisation on this tune.

One of my friends is a very fine English guitarist of the younger generation (by which I mean he is under 60!). He is booked frequently to play at festivals. So I asked him whether - without referring to a chord book - he could play Laura, complete with an improvised chorus. He responded first with a twinkle of the eye, because he knew exactly what a challenge I was setting. But he picked up his guitar and immediately played a couple of perfect, magical choruses, just for my personal entertainment. He had clearly passed the test. I was mightily impressed and felt privileged to hear it.

I have written about Laura before - in a post which you can read BY CLICKING HERE.

Post 581: MAY AND SHAYE - 'THRILLER RAG'

Thriller was one of the rags composed by May Aufderheide. She wrote it in 1909. May was also the composer of 'Dusty Rag', which is still a favourite with our bands.

I think May would have greatly enjoyed hearing Tuba Skinny, in 2017, adding Thriller Rag to their repertoire. As so often, we have to thank the videomaker RaoulDuke504 for recording their performance for us. You can watch it BY CLICKING HERE.

I believe the sheet music starts with the instruction 'Not Fast', but Shaye Cohn chooses to ignore this and play the piece at a pretty quick tempo. I don't think May Aufderheide would have disapproved of the effect this achieves. Such a tempo certainly provides the basis for 'thrills'.

In fact, although the whole band plays well, I think this performance is in particular a tour de force by Shaye herself.

The four-bar Introduction (from 10 seconds into the video until 14 seconds) is possibly the most thrilling part of all. Shaye leaps to the high Ab and rapidly tumbles down through arpeggios on the Ab diminished chord.

The Thriller comprises two 16-bar themes. Tuba Skinny play through Theme A twice, during the second of which (at 34 seconds) Shaye introduces some interesting variations. When they come to Theme B (54 seconds), Shaye frequently plunges down to the Ab below the stave; and yet then leaps up two octaves to the Ab above the stave for more of those descending arpeggios (e.g., 1 minute 08 seconds). This is something very difficult to do on a cornet, especially at this speed. I am not even sure I have heard Shaye do such a thing before. It's a sign that she is at the height of her powers and full of confidence.

By the way, from all I have said, you may have inferred correctly that the band plays Thriller Rag in the key of Ab - the key in which May Aufderheide composed it. But some bands (certainly here in England) have taken to playing it in F, which is - in a sense - cheating but makes it a good deal easier on the lips!

Also notice how well Shaye directs the performance. In addition to making it clear which instruments are to take 16-bar solos, there are at least six other discreet signals:

2 mins 10 secs: All the 'front line' to join in.

3 mins 09 secs: Return to Theme A.

3 mins 29 secs: Switch to Theme B - finger pointing down:

3 mins 43 secs: Washboard to play the 'break'.

4 mins 03 secs: Front line to play the break.

4 mins 08 secs: Final chorus (leg extend signal).

Post 572: GREAT TRADITIONAL JAZZ IN A FEW SECONDS

To appreciate the finer points of traditional jazz and the genius of great players, it sometimes pays to concentrate on exactly what is happening in just a few seconds of music.

That is what I am inviting you to do today.

I would like you to click on a YouTube video and then focus on just EIGHT seconds of the performance. I will give you the link in a moment. But first let me set it in context.

The musicians (Tuba Skinny) are playing a tune called Crumpled Papers. This was composed just a few years ago by Michael Magro. It is a relatively simple tune - a 12-bar in the key of D minor. But it has amazing energy and gives plenty of opportunities for exciting improvisation.

In this video, the band plays straight through the tune 15 times. So in total we have 15 x 12 = 180 bars (measures) of music.

For the first couple of choruses, the tune is played by the ensemble, led by the cornet, in a straightforward manner. Then we have a similar two choruses, again ensemble, but led by the cornet producing some variations in the form of chromatic runs.

But now comes the fifth chorus; and this is the one on which I'm inviting you to focus. Shaye on cornet passes the lead to Barnabus on trombone.

Note exactly what Shaye is doing in this chorus during the eight seconds running from 1 minute 44 until 1 minute 52. Barnabus has taken on the melody but she is decorating it by running around (on the D minor chord) in her own subtle, energetic and tasteful way. The two phrases for you to note occur from 1 minute 44 seconds to 1 minute 46 seconds, and from 1 minute 49 seconds until 1 minute 52 seconds. I put it to you that those few notes demonstrate traditional jazz playing and teamwork at its very best. (In most other bands, the trumpet player or cornet player would have dropped out at that point, taking  a breather.)

Now here's the link, with thanks to James Sterling for being there to video the performance for us:

CLICK HERE.

Shaye is always like this - modestly creative, and energetic, instinctively playing notes that are just right and make the band as a whole sound wonderful. She is not one of those self-important players who like to show off their technique by playing pointless screaming high notes. Also, as you see in this and hundreds of other videos, she cleverly directs the musical traffic, so that even a short and simple tune such as Crumpled Papers is developed in a way that is full of variety and excitement.

Post 557: HOW TO PLAY AND HOW NOT TO PLAY JAZZ - CHALK AND CHEESE

I watched and listened to two well-filmed YouTube performances by traditional jazz bands. While doing so, I jotted down my thoughts. They were:

Band A
Opaque sound, bottom-heavy; bland interpretation; succession of tedious 32-bar solo choruses; lethargic; tempo dragging; textures blurred; musicians looking bored; two players chatting to each other during another's solo chorus; not much sense of teamwork; lack of variety in the dynamics; clichés; signs of strain in the playing.

Band B
Plenty of drive; bustling energy, even in supporting teamwork; clear textures; well-judged tempo; meticulous attention to detail; delicacy of shading; superb ensembles and attack; varied dynamics.

There is such a wide range in the quality of traditional jazz to be seen on YouTube!

Which two bands were these? It would be invidious to name them. But I can tell you the first was a well-known elderly English band filmed at an English jazz club. The other was a band directed by a young lady on cornet, filmed in a New Orleans street.

Post 555: MAKIKO TAMURA AND P TIME SELECTION - GREAT JAZZ FROM JAPAN

Just watch this video of young Japanese musicians playing High Society. Wouldn't you agree that they are emerging as one of the very best traditional jazz bands in the world? CLICK HERE TO VIEW.

I have written before about the very fine jazz being played in the Tokyo area by young Japanese musicians.

Well, there has appeared a batch of videos put up on YouTube by that very generous film-maker who calls himself ragtimecave. They show a band called P Time Selection and I must recommend them to you. To watch them playing Ballin' The Jack, CLICK HERE. And for Creole Love Call, CLICK HERE.

You can also see them playing at the Sumida Street Jazz Festival in Tokyo on 19 August 2017.

Unfortunately, the Jazz Festival was outdoors on  a breezy day,  so the sound quality is not quite perfect. But you can't help admiring the balance, the skills of the individual players, the fine improvisations, and the teamwork.

According to the video-maker, the musicians are Tamura Makiko (clarinet), Kitaura Yasuri (trumpet), Mauyama Tomomitu (banjo), Imaizumi Mari (keyboard), Arai Kentaro (bass) and Miwa Tomohiko (drums) and Watanabe Taiki (trombone).

Many of us have admired the wonderful playing of Tamura Makiko. And now here she is also in the rôle of leader. What a great band she has assembled! Her own playing throughout is a joy. You could start with their fine performance of Careless Love. CLICK HERE.

For a contrast of tempo, try this cracking performance of Weary Blues: CLICK HERE.

In the other P Time Selection videos, you will find such tunes as Panama and a very spirited version of Jesus on the Main Line. There is even Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans? with a very sweet vocal from Tamura.
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And now - in June 2018 - I have received the email below from Dag Ekholm in Sweden. I agree with what he says: Tamura Makiko's band has reached a sensational new level, probably as good as anything you will find anywhere. Watch their version of West End Blues, filmed on 19 May 2018, by the excellent Ragtimecave: CLICK HERE.

The musicians, we are told, are:
Tamura Makiko, clarinet
Kanno Atushi, trumpet
Watanabe Taiki, trombone
Imaizumi Mari, piano
Arai Kentaro, bass
Miwa Tomohiko, drums
Maruyama Tomomitu, banjo

Dag's email:

I have long considered Makiko Tamura one of the best New Orleans jazz clarinetists in the world today. I am also a great fan of her band, P-Time Selection, an excellent band with all very talented and skilled musicians, in my opinion.

There were several wonderful recordings of P-Time Selection last year, 2017, e.g. Feb 17, May 20, Aug 19 and Sep 18, as you have also mentioned in your blog.

Makiko made only three videos (and a few audios) during her visit to New Orleans in Oct 2017, all of them fantastic, one with Shotgun Jazz Band. Then she recorded a wonderful and highly inspired ”Tamura Makiko session” in November with a smaller group

But after that not so much happened during the winter – there were a few sessions with PTS which I find good but slightly less interesting. So I began to wonder if they were losing momentum.

But then it explodes with the session May 19, recently. I was completely stunned and speechless. It is so excellent!! I think it is a breakthrough, that the band has taken a leap to a completely new level.

I am no musician, only a listener and fan of N.O. music, and I can not analyze it. But I hear the new sound, the brilliant ensemble play and inspired solos by all of the members. The trumpet player is new and very skilled. Mari on piano is better than ever before. Furthermore they seem very happy. It really sounds as something new and great.

Post 546: SHAKE 'EM UP JAZZ BAND TRIUMPHS AGAIN!

Once again, those of us who live thousands of miles from New Orleans are indebted to my friend Randy, who makes videos under the name RaoulDuke504. Despite his busy and hard-working life as a chef, he managed to get across the Lake to attend the performance by the all-ladies Shake 'Em Up Jazz Band at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art on 7 September 2017. 

And what a performance it was! This band - which was formed initially just to give a demonstration at a girls' summer camp in 2016 - has continued in existence, flourished and is now one of the most exciting and best traditional jazz bands in the world.

Watch Randy's video of them playing Margie in this recent concert: CLICK HERE.

Yes, I know it's a simple 'standard' that all bands play. But what musicianship!

The three rhythm players have established a kind of 'alternative' gently-pulsating New Orleans-style background that really drives the music and keeps your feet tapping. They are unusual in having no drum kit, no tuba, no banjo, no piano. It's all done in this video by Albanie's guitar, Molly's string bass and Dizzy's subtle work on the washboard (listen to the way she uses her 'cymbal' on the offbeats in the final chorus). I should explain that Julie was out of town so Albanie joined the band. In one half of the concert, she played guitar and Molly the string bass; in the other half, they switched rôles. What versatile and brilliant musicians they are!

After a neat final-eight intro from Haruka, Albanie provides a lovely clear vocal at the start.

Then excitement gradually builds, first with a super solo chorus from Haruka, and next with one of amazing fluency from Chloe on clarinet, while the three rhythm ladies keep that gentle, hypnotic pulse going. Just listen to those notes in Chloe's improvisation. Jazz doesn't get any better than that. Then we hear one of Marla's specials - a chorus brilliantly demonstrating what she can achieve with the plunger mute - hugely creative. After this we have a most exciting chorus, with all three front-line ladies collectively improvising around the melody. How well they listen to each other!

After Albanie sings the vocal again, there is a final ensemble chorus that leaves you desperate to hear more from this band.

And yet the whole performance is achieved with restraint. Everyone is relaxed, comfortable and totally in control. There is no over-blowing, no excessive noise. The notes are allowed to do the work. What we have here are great musicians with a common purpose, working brilliantly as a team and expressing the soul of the music.

I could go on about the other videos from this performance.... But seek them out for yourselves. 'Savoy Blues' and 'Shake 'Em Up' are played in ways that will also take your breath away.

By the way, the cavernous acoustics in the Museum are notoriously bad. So Randy did really well to get close to the band and capture the sound in such high quality.

Post 541: 'SOME KIND'A SHAKE' - A NEW GEM FROM TUBA SKINNY

On 3 March 2018, that generous video-maker James Sterling put up on YouTube a performance by Tuba Skinny of a tune called Some Kind-a-Shake. This tune, which - James informed us - was an 'original' by the band, had never been previously available on YouTube. You may watch it BY CLICKING HERE.

What you will witness is another astonishing composition and performance. Tuba Skinny must have been busy in recent weeks working up some slick arrangements. I guess they have rehearsed together quite a bit.

For what's it's worth, and in case you're interested, here's how I see this new piece.

Essentially it's a 16-bar (8 + 8) tune in the key of F; but it is played with so much variety and quite a few surprises.

After twice through the 16-bar Chorus, we find Shaye offering an obbligato on the third time. Then the fourth time through has a surprise rhythmic pattern (with silent first beats in the third and fifth bars from the whole band ). Craig is the next to play his improvisation on the theme.

Then at 1 min 52 comes the highlight of the piece - an amazing 8-bar 'Bridge' section. You have Todd, Barnabus, Shaye and Craig over a period of four bars playing just one note each in turn through two rising arpeggios (to my ear, Gb diminished and Ab diminished respectively). The band did a similar thing in Blue Chime Stomp - you may remember. Then there's a two-bar banjo tremolo, and next a couple of bars from Todd to lead us back to the 16-bar Chorus (but - unusually - the key has not changed).

Max - a stalwart of Tuba Skinny.

Now we have one Chorus for the strings and one for Barnabus (playing the tune fairly straight) and one in which Todd leads while the whole front line plays very sweet choreographed supporting notes. Finally, there's a stomping ensemble Chorus, followed by a clever and well-rehearsed Coda - it uses the first two bars of that Bridge again! and then one additional bar to put the tune to bed.

Wow! When did you last hear any other band (especially in the U.K.) do anything like that - without printed music in front of them?

The only other band I can think of that does similar tricky things (i.e. while working without printed music) is The Smoking Time Jazz Club, also based in New Orleans.
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Post 539: THE CALIFORNIA FEETWARMERS IN NORTHERN IRELAND

Frequent correspondent Phil Lynch in the USA is a fan of the Los Angeles-based band called The California Feetwarmers. He has written to me about them in the past.

Now, Phil has alerted me to a concert they gave at The Red Room, Cookstown, in Northern Ireland when they were on tour there in July 2017.

Fortunately for us, a generous video-maker called John Watson put several videos from the concert on YouTube. The sound and visual qualities of these videos are exceptionally good, so this concert is something available for us all to enjoy.

And what we find is that this band is seriously good! Not only are they fine musicians; they are also brilliant at putting together a truly entertaining programme, holding an audience spellbound throughout.

The seven musicians arrange themselves in a straight line across the stage - just the way I like - so that the audience can see all of them and they can see each other. These young men play high-energy music, underpinned by a sensitive, accurate sousaphone, guitar and banjo and minimalist unobtrusive percussion. The clarinet, trumpet and trombone players are technically brilliant and great team-workers. On top of all that, the members of the band can sing; and there are times when the whole band joins in with vocals, in fine close harmony.

They obviously prepared well. There are some first-rate head arrangements, so there is no need for signalling on the hoof.

Take Clarinet Marmalade. They leap about among the various themes and bridges. And there is even a vocal - something I've never heard with this tune before:

CLICK HERE.

The same kind of slickness is evident in their performance of That's a Plenty:
CLICK HERE.

Then, for a contrasting example of their ability to entertain - and involve an audience - try I'm Feeling Good. You can't help wanting to join in on the Chorus, which is based on one of our most familiar 16-bar [plus two-bar tag] chord sequences. The use of stop chords against the cornet solo, and the Chorus in double-time (but with rallentando ending) illustrate how well the band has prepared. 

CLICK HERE.

There is even a storming 14-minute Medley of Sing On, Down By The Riverside, I'll Fly Away, Oh Mary, Don't You Weep, and Over in the Gloryland, which showcases well how brilliant each of the musicians is, both individually and in collective improvisation:
CLICK HERE.

I hope I have whetted your appetite. Explore the rest of the concert for yourself. I am sure you will be impressed by the way these musicians have absorbed the influences of the early ragtime, string and jug bands and given them a new life in the Twenty-First Century. I rate The California Feetwarmers as one of the top bands playing anywhere in the world today and wish I could get to hear them some time.

According to their web page, the members of the band are:

Brandon Armstrong - sousaphone/Bass
Charles De Castro - cornet/Accordion/vocals
Josh Kaufman - clarinet/accordion/piano/vocals
Carlos Reynoso - washboard/Guitar/vocals
Dominique Rodriguez - snare drum/bass drum
Justin Rubenstein - trombone/vocals
Patrick Morrison - Banjo/Guitar.

Post 529: THE GOLD STANDARD IN JAZZ PLAYING - A RECENT CORRESPONDENCE

E-MAIL 1

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Hi I,
Just to set on record how much Barry, Bruce and I thoroughly enjoyed this lunchtime's jazz session at the D&G. What a splendid group of musicians, and all of you 'gelling' in the tunes you played. We agreed that it was the most enjoyable musical event we'd been to for a very long time. I hope the same group can be gathered again for another performance - it really was outstandingly good.
Goes to prove a theory I developed decades ago that the functions one thinks could be a bit 'dodgy' - you had warned me! - often turn out to be excellent.

C.

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E-MAIL 2

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Hi C,

Thanks very much for the kind compliments. I am glad you enjoyed the performance.

I thought we did well but that so much could have been better. I have been spoilt by frequent exposure to the playing of Tuba Skinny and The Shotgun Jazz Band. They are the Gold Standard. So, whenever I play in any band, I am all too aware of how our performance compares with theirs.

Always, I find us defective in many respects. I think we could improve our playing just a little if we had rehearsals and if we discussed and analysed our playing intelligently and critically.

But the truth is: we old guys are simply not good enough. We do our best and can be reasonably entertaining but we are many miles short of the top-quality stuff.

Best wishes,

I.

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E-MAIL 3

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Hi I,

I think we can all appreciate the Gold Standard whenever we come across it, whether it be in the arts, sport or any other field of human endeavour. That it's given to so few people to reach is what makes it special and admirable.

But if we all tried to reach that sort of standard in our chosen fields of activity, there would be much disappointment and the suicide rate would rocket!

We live in the English East Midlands, not in New Orleans, and I think we should treasure the talent that the region has to offer us - not least musically. OK, not Shotgun or Tuba Skinny, but I really don't think that matters at all - Thursday's outing to the D&G had three of us singing the band's praises on the way home.

Incidentally, the ride to and from the D&G in Bruce's new, automatic, 4-seater sports Mercedes was a treat in itself: the technology in that car is quite remarkable. It can do just about everything short of making a dry martini!

C.

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E-MAIL 4

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Dear C,

Thanks as ever for talking good sense to me.

I think if you want a Mercedes that serves dry martini, you need the 2017 E Class Coupé.

I don't feel 'suicidal' about my inability to play like the youngsters in New Orleans, though I am envious and frustrated.

Your comparison with sport is spot on. When, long ago (in 1988) I took part in The London Marathon, even though I finished 10956^th, two hours behind the winner, I was on a high for days afterwards. It's the same with playing jazz: I feel exhilarated by the attempt, despite the frustrations.

Best wishes,

I.

Post 504: 'LILY OF THE VALLEY'

As an octogenarian Englishman who likes traditional jazz and has a go at playing it, I wish I could occasionally give more praise to our elderly British bands. But I have to face the harsh truth: we (I include myself) are just not good enough.

It's not surprising that our audiences are sparse and that young people don't come to hear us. Our music is often so dull, complacent, predictable, repetitive in format, uncreative and poorly presented. Far from swinging, it is often plodding and tedious.

Here's an example. I recently witnessed one of the well-known English bands playing Lily of The Valley - a fairly simple three-chorder. The tempo was so slow and the drumming weary, heavy and laboured. At times the tune threatened to drag even more. Compared with the great young musicians in New Orleans today, these players (though they possibly played better years ago) seemed to have limited technical skills. The interplay between trumpet, clarinet and trombone was uninteresting. The usual dreary succession of 32-bar 'solos' followed, while the musicians themselves did not look at all enthused. The banjo solo (really necessary?) - though accurately working through all 32 bars - was very basic.

Compare this with a performance of the same tune in Royal Street, New Orleans. Click on here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMZGvF6Hwc4

These youngsters set and maintain a bright, foot-tapping tempo. They find a great deal to 'say' about the music. Starting - unusually - with the trombone taking the melody, they follow up with much creative interweaving involving the cornet, clarinet and trombone. Instead of tedious 32-bar 'solos', there is much exciting ensemble work, sometimes with the cornet and sometimes the clarinet taking the lead. Simple the tune may be, but some of the improvisations are astonishing. The tuba is intelligently used to provide variety and give some respite to the others before they return for a glorious ensemble finish during which there is some remarkable invention and exciting off-beat cymbal-work. They even do something unusual to end: they play the first 16 bars twice.

I hate to sound unkind. But the truth is I would rather spend my time listening to interesting and exciting performances of this quality than to performances by us elderly British musicians.

By the way, there is a Victorian hymn called The Lily of the Valley with words written by William Fry for the Salvation Army. Ira Sankey set it to the music of the song The Little Old Log Cabin in the Lane, which had been composed by Will Hays. So when jazz bands play Lily of the Valley, the composers are sometimes given as Fry, Sankey and Hays. But this is WRONG. Look at the music (it's on the Internet) and you will find it is a totally different tune.

The Lily of the Valley that our jazz bands play is the one composed in 1917 by Anatole Frieland (music) and Wolfe Gilbert (words).
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FOOTNOTE
I received the following email from one of my readers who lives in London, England, and had just returned from a holiday in New Orleans:
I could not agree more with your second paragraph and I am suffering from a lack of enthusiasm for watching UK bands since we got back from NOLA.  However, comparison with Tuba Skinny - an imaginative, creative and compelling band of talented energetic young musicians - is a tough 'ask' for the sort of bands I see in England who are often going through the motions in playing numbers they have played many times in the same way over many decades.

Post 495: THE SUN LANE LTD NEW ORLEANS BAND

The Sun Lane Ltd. New Orleans Jazz Band comprises seven pretty old boys based in Aaachen, Germany. Maybe you already know this band well. But for me they are a recent discovery - the result of a recommendation by one of my readers in Australia.

I have never seen the band in performance but there are good examples of their work on YouTube. I like them. The way they arrange their tunes is pretty much the same as in 95% of the bands operating all over Europe, Australasia and America - straightforward statements of the themes, followed by solo choruses until the out-chorus. But what I like particularly is the way they play tastefully and unpretentiously, with real delicacy and restraint (even in the rhythm section). The teamwork is good. After many years of working together, they have a very 'tight' sound. These chaps really listen to each other.

From its website, I learn this is a busy band, with plenty of bookings in Cologne. Also, surprisingly, The Sun Lane Ltd. New Orleans Jazz Band was founded as long ago as 1977, at The University of Aachen. Over the years, they have played at many festivals throughout Europe; and the band has been to New Orleans more than once - giving concerts there. Possibly the greatest moment came when they were booked to play the evening performance at Preservation Hall. That was on 30 April, 2002.

Not surprisingly, the band has built up a large repertoire and has made several CDs. You can buy them online.

In this video, watch them playing Bugle Boy March: CLICK HERE. Note the exemplary drumming.

Or try My Little Girl: CLICK HERE.

And here is Postman's Lament: CLICK HERE.

There are other videos of the band on YouTube if you would care to hear more.

As ever, we have to be grateful to the video-makers who bring such fine things to our computer screens. In this case: thank you, Uli van Royen.

Post 407: JUDGING THE BAND

How do you judge the quality of the bands you watch and listen to?

All assessments are subjective. Different people are impressed by different qualities. I remember a lady who used to judge bands almost entirely on the nattiness of their waistcoats! And correspondent Barrie Marshall told me he once deputised in a band who wore stripey blazers and boaters; a lady told him during the break that you could tell they were a 'proper' jazz band from the way they were dressed. 

However, I thought it might be interesting - and a bit of fun - to produce a check-list with a view to awarding marks for various aspects of a performance.

What do you think of it? You may care to use this check-list in assessing some of the performances you attend. Keep the results to yourself, however. We don't want to offend anybody.

	QUALITY OF THE MUSIC (60 marks)			PROFESSIONALISM: AND RAPPORT WITH AUDIENCE (20 marks)		GOOD OVERALL VALUE? (20 marks)	TOTAL
NAME OF THE BAND	Skill of the musicians (20 max.)	Teamwork (20 max.)	Interpretation and Arrangements (20 max.)	Appearance and On-Stage Behaviour (Max. 10)	Presentation and Communication (Max. 10)	The performance as a whole (Max. 20)	Maximum possible 100

I tried applying it as honestly and ruthlessly as I could to ten bands I know well. I have put them in the eventual order of merit. I am not naming the bands as that would be invidious.

	QUALITY OF THE MUSIC (60 marks)			PROFESSIONALISM; AND RAPPORT WITH AUDIENCE (20 marks)		GOOD VALUE? (20 marks)	TOTAL
NAME OF THE BAND	Skill of the musicians (20)	Teamwork (20)	Interpretation and Arrangements (20)	Appearance and On-Stage Behaviour (10)	Presentation and Communication (10)	The performance as a whole (20)	Maximum possible 100
Band 1	17	16	16	7	7	15	78
Band 2	17	14	14	8	6	15	74
Band 3	17	14	13	8	7	15	74
Band 4	16	14	14	6	6	15	71
Band 5	15	14	15	6	7	14	71
Band 6	15	14	14	6	7	14	70
Band 7	13	12	12	7	5	13	62
Band 8	11	11	12	7	6	12	59
Band 9	10	9	9	8	7	11	54
Band 10	7	7	8	8	7	13	50

A friend noted an interesting correlation: a band that is weak in one area tends also to be weak in others.

Although any of us can carry out such 'assessments', just for our own amusement, I think it would be a good idea for bands to conduct similar assessments of their own performances. It would indicate some of the areas they could work on in order to improve.

By the way, do you think there is any band capable of scoring the Maximum 100 points? I would nominate The Shotgun Jazz Band, based in New Orleans.
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Postscript:

A reader has immediately nominated The Bratislava Hot Serenaders.