Upcoming Performances

Power of 10’s next gig will be a concert September 10th at the Philadelphia Art Museum in the Art After 5 series starting at 5:00 PM. Please join us.

We anticipate a gig in September or October at Chris’ Jazz Cafe so keep checking this site for details

Recordings

What follows are a few samples of the bands recent gig at Chris’ Jazz Cafe in Philly. That night the band included:
Ron Kerber - alto, soprano sax & flute

Mark Allan - tenor & soprano saxes
Rick Lawn, bari sax & bass clar.
Matt Gallagher - trumpet & flugel
Jon Barnes - trumpet and flugel
Randy Kapralick - T-bone
Mike Kennedy - guitar
Tom Lawton - piano
Kevin MacConnell - bass
Erik Johnson - drums

Other regular band members include Chris Farr, saxophones; Tony Miceli, vibes; and George Rabbai, trumpet

Play Never Too Late

Download sample score or purchase chart.

Play Tapestry

Download sample score or purchase chart.

Play Out on a Limb

Download sample score or purchase chart.

Play Quiet Please!

Download sample score or purchase chart.

Play Giant Steps

Download sample score or purchase chart.

Play With a Little Help

Download sample score or purchase chart

Play Devil’s Advocate

Link To Publisherr

More Tracks Coming Soon!

Instrumentation: alto dbl. sop. & fl; tenor dbl. sop.; bari; 2-tpts; bone; piano/vibes; guitar; bass; drums

Grade Level:Difficult

Buy for $20.00

(bbl-003)

Instrumentation: Alto dbl flute; ten; bari; 2-tpts, 1 bone, Piano/Vibes, Bass, Guitar & Drums

Grade Level: Medium-Difficult

Download Score

Play Demo

This audio demo is a MIDI file which starts quietly with drums on brushes. It is all I have at the moment.

Buy for $20.00

(bbl-003)

Instrumentation: SATB
Grade Level: Difficult

A RickLawn.Com Exclusive!!

Buy now for $40.00

(misc-008)This arrangement will be available soon in manuscript form.

As the title of this recording implies, except for a few of our guests, most of us involved in this recording are relatively unknown. We can’t be found in the Grove Dictionary of Jazz and may never have our efforts recognized in any lasting way. Yet there are many heroes just like us around the US who are toiling on any given night to keep jazz alive and enjoying every minute of it. There are no doubt far more of us each night performing, jamming and rehearsing in small, medium and large cities throughout the country than there are working name artists whose CDs we purchase regularly for inspiration. To quote from James Lincoln Collier’s “Jazz the American Theme Song,” “…local players are essential to jazz. They are the foot soldiers in the army, and in the end, it is the foot soldiers, not the generals, who win wars.” This recording is a monument to the many unknown soldiers around the country and particularly the loyal 22 from Austin who helped me to come out victorious in this particular battle.

Much of the music on this recording has been inspired by contemporary jazz composers who show that the big band continues to provides a viable medium for new, fresh sounding music that is true to the jazz tradition and challenges soloists to new heights. Manny Albam, Ray Wright, Bob Brookmeyer, Vince Mendoza, Bob Mintzer, Jim McNeeley, and Maria Schneider have all in some way been my guiding light.

1) Trane of Thoughts -the title should give this one away. John Coltrane’s musical powers have inspired generations of jazz performers, composers and listeners. This piece is my homage to “Trane” and includes a Niama-like “A” section followed by a bridge inspired by his “Lazy Bird.” The coda is a collage of short motives from several of Trane’s compositions. Featured on this chart are Elias Haslanger, tenor sax; Steven Vague, soprano sax; Scott Laningham, drums and Steve Snyder on piano. Kudos to the sax section for laying down the very difficult soli!

2) Mother Nature is an episodic work inspired by Canadian jazz trumpeter and composer Kenny Wheeler. His music has moved many of us who believe that the big band still has a viable future outside the dance floor and can serve to inspire compositions that break away from the old stereotypes. Written to feature the outstanding artistry of trumpeter Bob Meyer, the band once again rose to the numerous challenges presented by this lengthy, multi-sectional chart. Scott Laningham covers the drum set while Mike Koenning takes care of the percussion responsibilities.

Much of my music is motivated by imagery and is designed to evoke similar images and moods in the imaginations and spirits of the listeners. In this case, the piece not only reflects the many moods, both serene and tumultuous, that Mother Nature presents to man, but it also depicts the inevitable conflicts that occur between man and nature. Our soloists Bob Meyer and John Mills, who at times must struggle to make their way through the ensemble, represent Man in his ongoing struggle against Mother Nature’s whims. While we live in harmony with nature, this existence is never without discord.

3) Donna Lee features Austin stalwart and ex-Stan Kenton band member Tony Campise on saxophone. I play regularly with Tony in his own local rehearsal band as well as many casuals and shows and consequently wouldn’t feel right without him making his contribution to this project. He is truly a master and one of the most exciting, original and genuine musicians I have ever known. Once again, I tip my hat to the saxophone section for a flawless performance of my harmonization of Charlie Parker’s improvised solo, now a classic among saxophonists. Russell Scanlon contributes a fine guitar solo following this challenging sax soli.

4) Unknown Soldiers appears as the title track for this first TCJO release and features guest soloist Mitch Watkns. Mitch, who has recorded as a leader for the ENJA label, has long been a catalyst for some of the best music ever to come out of Austin. Additional soloists featured are Steven Vague on alto sax and Pat Murray on trumpet. While the title has a double meaning, it should be heard first as a requiem. I lived through the Vietnam era and was fortunate enough to complete the first phase of my education and avoid participating in this horrible conflict. Many friends and relatives did serve the cause and this piece (or peace) honors them. Unknown Soldiers also acknowledges those many unsung heroes throughout the US who, in their own ways, struggle daily to keep jazz alive. We may be unknown but without them the music will certainly die. “Live long and prosper.”

5) Out on a Limb follows the concerto grosso jazz format featuring a jazz quintet inside the big band framework. I’ve always enjoyed writing in this format for it provides more opportunity for the rhythm section to interact with the soloists in a looser, less confining atmosphere. In this case, our soloists are Pat Murry, trumpet; John Mills, tenor sax; Steve Snyder, piano and Mike Koenning on drums.

6) At This Point in Time was written some years ago and inspired by the band Steps Ahead. I find that small group jazz is often a great stimulus in writing for much larger ensembles. The looseness and agility found in the small group tends to inspire new grooves of which there seems to be an endless supply. We have such a great rhythm section in this band and it seemed like a natural feature for John Fremgen on bass and Steve Snyder on piano. In my humble opinion both solos are world class. The tenor heard on the intro is John Mills, often referred to as the “General,” and the soprano sax work is by Greg Wilson.

7) Boundaries is the result of a recent journey I took through the endless possibilities presented by the augmented scale which contains both minor and major thirds as well as major 7ths. It is a very challenging work that attempts to mask those divisions between contemporary classical music and jazz, a goal that I believe is shared with many jazz composers of late. Helping me to get outside my own jazz composer box were our great soloists - Bob Meyer on trumpet, Paul White on tenor sax, Steve Snyder on piano and of course Mike Koenning on drums. The band at one point provides unusual accompaniment to Mike’s lengthy solo before crossing the boundary back to tonality represented by the bridge. The introduction no doubt sets a Ginnis record for length before the trombones present the initial “A” theme. The piece does have a unified form, though the overall scheme tends to favor a more through composed organization. This chart is not meant for casual listening or your basic wedding gig!!

Chasing After Dreams was the second movement of a four-part dance suite entitled “Mirrors” and supported by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (remember those grants). The music is about those quests artists make…stretching, yearning, trying to reach the next plateau, only to realize that there are many more dreams to fulfill on a journey that is endless. I guess I could say that this recording is one dream I finally caught up to. Elias Haslinger, who is out with Maynard Ferguson’s band at this writing, does an elegant and passionate job at portraying the main character in my dream.

9) Newk Meets the President depicts the result of an imaginary meeting between two great jazz artists who have influenced nearly all jazz saxophone players - Sonny “Newk” Rollins and Lester “Prez” Young. While I don’t believe that they ever actually performed together, this piece could have stemmed from such a meeting as it fuses certain aspects of Young’s signature tune “Lester Leaps In” and Rollins’ calypso jazz standard “St. Thomas.” Kudos to the saxophone section for their impeccable reading of a hair-raising soli, and Randy Zimmerman for his sustained trombone solo. Mike Koenning was on the drum throne for this session.

Recorded 1/9 - 1/10/00 and 1/21-22/01at The Fire Station Studios, San Marcos, TX

Engineered by Bobby Arnold

Produced by Rick Lawn and Andy Murphy

Mixed by Bobby Arnold, Andy Murphy and Rick Lawn

Third Coast Jazz Orchestra - Rick Lawn, Music Director

Woodwinds

Greg Wilson - Alto/Soprano Saxophone & Flute

Steven Vague - Alto/Soprano Saxophone, Clarinet, & Flute

John Mills - Tenor Saxophone, Clarinet & Flute

Elias Haslanger - Tenor Saxophone, Flute & Clarinet

Paul White - Tenor Saxophone & Flute

Paul Baker - Baritone Saxophone & Bass Clarinet

Trumpet & Flugelhorn

Eric Johnson, Lead

Pat Murry

Keith Winking

Bob Meyer,

Paul Armstrong

Chip Crotts

Trombone

Max Lyon. Lead

Randy Zimmerman

Ken Hoyne

Mike Mordecai

Kerry Williams, Bass

Rhythm

Steven Snyder, Piano & Synthesizer

Russell Scanlon, Guitar

John Fremgen, Bass

Mike Koenning, Drums & Percussion

Scott Laningham, Drums

Instrumentation:SATB

Grade Level:Medium-Difficult

A RickLawn.Com Exclusive!!

Currently being engraved in Sibelius…available here soon.

Buy Now for$15.00

misc-004

Instrumentation: SATB

Listen to samples of each movement or purchase the entire CD right from this web site. Just follow the link above to hear the recording of this exciting quartet.

We are hoping to make this major four movement work commissioned by Nova available for sale in its original manuscript form with full score and parts. Check back soon for updates!

www.bakersjazzandmore.com