Our Bjorklunden (Baileys Harbor, WI) camp enrollment is looking as good as that beautiful lake that beckons us to its shore every summer.

The big-band mix is good, but believe it or not, we could use more sax players–a highly unusual situation. Our current roster is okay, but a couple more sax players–especially one who doubles on bari–would really round things out. We also have room for a couple more trombones, drummers, and maybe one more bass player. Vocalist spots have been closed for months.

Otherwise, we’re ready for another outstanding week on Lake Michigan, starting five weeks from this Sunday!

Once again, we can’t believe our good fortune. At every camp, miraculously, the instrumentation for a really solid Tritone big-band seems to materialize out of nowhere.

This year is no exception. The once-puny trumpet section has filled out beautifully and other sections are perfectly balanced. We could use one or two more trombones, but even without, we’re ready for another very cool big-band experience.

Small combos look great, too–plenty of rhythm players at each experience level, and a nice variety of front-line instruments, including a violin and an (gasp!) accordion. We even have two vibes players this year.

And the most exciting recent news is that three full-time vocalists have signed up, and three of our instrumentalists are also interested in doing vocal jazz part-time. Janet Planet will be circling in orbit as usual.

There’s still time to sign up if you’re interested, but there’s no time to waste. Jazz at Naz starts three weeks from Sunday!

It’s exactly two months from opening night of Jazz at Naz, and here’s a rundown of how the instrumentation is working out for big band and combos. In short, it looks terrific!

At this point, 28 intrepid souls have signed up. We’re delighted that we currently have enough pianists, guitarists, bass players and drummers to support full rhythm sections in all combos. But the more sign up, the more–and smaller–combos we can form, and the more personal attention you’ll receive.

We’re very surprised that we currently have only one trumpeter enrolled, but that will change soon. It’s a sure bet that at least three more trumpeters will want to spend the week in the company of an outstanding teacher/player/composer like Clay Jenkins.

Also surprisingly, we could actually use a couple more sax players! We have a full big band section, including two baritone players, but as most saxophonists will agree, the more the merrier.

We’re also delighted to welcome not one but two vibes players to Naz. This is going to be great fun!

But still no vocalists, which is really puzzling.

In summary, things are looking great. If you’re fence-sitting, it’s time to jump off and sign up. As you know, we’re committed to maximizing every camper’s opportunity for personal attention and a great experience, so as soon as we’ve got a great balance, we’ll shut off registrations. Register today to make sure you’re not left out. It’s easy–just click here.

See you in about 60 days.

As you struggle to build your full- or part-time career as a vocalist, you’re going to have questions: How do I make myself better? What should I practice? What qualities should I look for in a teacher? How can I get that first gig? What’s the best way to find accompanists and collaborators? When do I know it’s time to record?

Now there’s a place to get authoritative answers, absolutely free. Our favorite vocal teacher, Janet Planet, is now offering an “ask page,” where you can post your most pressing vocal questions. Just go to www.askjanetplanet.com and type it in. Janet will aggregate and categorize the questions and offer the answers in a “teleseminar” that you’ll be invited to.

Ask anything you’d like. No question is going to surprise Janet, whose career spans nearly 30 years and dozens of genres–jazz, rock, blues, gospel, Christian, jingles and more. Click here now for the page and her audio explanation of what to expect. She’s an excellent teacher and a wonderful resource for anyone who’s curious enough–and who cares enough–to ask.

If you happen to be in NYC this Saturday (May 3), catch the versatile Gene Bertoncini displaying his classical chops in an 8 p.m. concert at the Baruch Center, 55 Lexington Ave., where he’s being honored by the New York Classical Guitar Society.  Tickets are $25 and can be ordered by phone at 212-352-3101 or 866-811-4111(toll free).

As further demonstration of his monstrous talent, check out Gene’s newest CD, Concerti, recorded with a string quartet and featuring the wonderful bassist David Finck.  Click here for purchasing info.

We’re pleased to be the only jazz camp mentioned in an article about fantasy camps on AARP.org, a very popular site for Boomers and beyond. Take a look at some of the prices of other camps and see what a bargain we are! Want to learn acting? That’ll be a cool $12,000!

Like to listen to great jazz  online, free?  Check out slacker.com, a wonderful online radio station that features many other genres as well.

NPR’s Weekend Edition Saturday this morning contained a fascinating interview with a hearing specialist from Johns Hopkins who put a functional MRI on six jazz pianists and watched their brain activity as they improvised.  Check it out.  (I’m pretty sure if they put one on me, it would flatline.)

The same show contained a nice appreciation of Marian McPartland on her 90th birthday.  Our own Tom Hampson attended the festivities at Lincoln Center last Wednesday.  Many of you will remember how much fun Marian was as a guest artist at our first couple of camps, when she was a much more sprightly 79.

Tritone Bob

There’s something we can’t quite figure out.  For the second year in a row, we’ve exceeded our quota of vocalist campers in Wisconsin, but as of today, not a single vocalist has enrolled in Rochester.

Is the midwestern air kinder to singers’ throats?  Does the idea of singing in a college music building bring back painful memories of undergrad auditions?  Do vocalists have some kind of geo-tonal attraction to Lake Michigan (and what’s wrong with Lake Ontario)?

It just doesn’t make any sense.  Our fabulous vocal teacher, Janet Planet, is in residence in both places, and it’s not that she offers any special Cheesehead magic in WI just because it’s her home state.  She works her tail off in both places, spending virtually every day and many evenings helping singers prepare for the final camp concerts and giving them about a year’s worth of material to think about.

So we’re perplexed, but the good news is that any vocalist who signs up for Jazz at Naz is pretty much guaranteed very personal attention this summer.  At least as of today.

Regrettably, Tritone Jazz at the Summit, the camp that was scheduled as a centerpiece of the International Association of Jazz Education’s Park City Summit, has been canceled. The IAJE has canceled the entire event.

This is supremely disappointing to us, to the campers who had enrolled, and to the first-class faculty we had assembled, who were really looking forward to working together. Unfortunately, the decision was beyond our control.

Our other two camps are thriving, however, so stay tuned. We’ll keep you informed of our expansion plans.

Tritone Bob

Those of you who follow New York Times jazz writer Ben Ratliff know that he can be a very tough critic.

But he was recently smitten as we all are by Gene Bertoncini’s masterful playing, and he said so in a beautiful piece in the March 5 edition (click here). Although Ratliff stopped in to see Gene’s recent performances at two NYC venues, LeMadeleine (solo) and Iridium (trio with bassist Sean Smith and drummer Chuck Redd), it was the LeMadeleine gig that captured his attention.

It was only a matter of time before one of the nation’s leading jazz critics discovered what Tritone campers have long known–that the guy who enjoys jamming with campers and accompanying vocalists, puts the guitarists through their paces in master classes, and tells the bad jokes is one of the finest jazz guitarists the world will ever know.

Tritone Bob