Eli Newberger's Jazz Tuber Quintet at 2010 CEO Roundtable

[enewberger]

Dear Friends, check this out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpbYMoKCk2o" target="_blank
The theme of the January, 2010, CEO Roundtable in Massachusetts was "Embodied Imagination." On its first afternoon, actress and director Tina Packer, founding director of Shakespeare and Company, and tubist Eli Newberger, led a workshop on how to sing a blues. The other featured musicians were Jimmy Mazzy, banjo and vocals, Bob Winter, Pianist with the Boston Pops Orchestra and Professor of Piano at Berklee College of Music, Ted Casher, clarinet and sax, and Bo Winiker. Just prior to this performance of Bessie Smith's "Put It Right Here (Or Keep It Out There), one of the CEO's read aloud a guide to composing a blues, included in the YouTube text. (This explains Jimmy's quip about his mentor, Blind Lemon Pledge.) Afterward, following an intro by Jimmy and supported by Tina, they each composed and performed a personal blues, to the delight of their colleagues. It had been a hard year for business leaders, and their blues evinced courage, creativity, tenacity, resilience, compassion, sadness, and joy. They provoked laughter and tears in addition to applause. For all present, it was an experience that will not soon be forgotten.

[David Richoux]

Great update on that old Internet meme, Eli - And a great Blues!

(I still think Martin Mull started the whole "who can't sing the blues" thing off with his "Delta Blues" - in part of this clip, about 1:40 in - but stick around to the end!)