Something Blue

DJ Hairy Larry Presents NJHB Playing The Hop Skip Jump
From The Archives Of Something Blue – 2025-08-10

NJHB 2025-08-02

Thanks Marty, today we’ll hear the premier recording of a new song I wrote recorded at KASU New Jazz In Jonesboro.

NJHB recorded their first album at HairyLarryLand on December 29, 2012. In 2013 we released 8 1/2 albums counting “Bop Soup” as half an album. We were back in 2018 and 2019, recording an album at every show. After the pandemic we recorded an album outside of the Round Room on November 5, 2023, and then, last week, we recorded “The Hop Skip Jump”.

We are a different kind of jazz band featuring group improvisation. On November 30, 2019, when we recorded our “Checking For Traps” album, I said, “Then we’re gonna do like NJHB does, we’re gonna not just improvise the solos, we’re gonna improvise the arrangement, we’ll go outside, do whatever we want, have a good time.”

So to explain some of this I’m going to do an analysis of the excerpt of “The Hop Skip Jump” we’re about to hear. I will post a link to the whole album at sbblues.com.

This is a radio edit so it starts in the middle with the rhythm section playing and I’m soloing on my Fender Rhodes. After a bit I go outside which means I play in a scale that’s different than the key. The song is in F major which has one flat. I played in Eb minor pentatonic which has all the flats or black keys on the piano. If you listen carefully you will notice when I go outside.

Then I splash around, up and down, which means I play random chords and note clusters with jazz rhythm and tonal direction.

Then the horns, Neale Bartee on trombone and Eliecer Tamez on trumpet, improvise a duet while I solo underneath them.

This is followed by Matt Jackson playing a bass solo. I join Matt playing the head or melody of the tune. The rest of the rhythm section joins in making it up as they go.

I call for the horns and they continue their duet.

We then improvise a tight ending with Craig Collison on vibes and Alex Washam on drums following me playing a jazz trope or cliche.

Playing with NJHB on August 2, 2025 were

Eliecer Tamez – trumpet
Neale Bartee – trombone
Matt Jackson – bass
Alex Washam – drums
Craig Collison – vibraphone
David Shade – guitar
Chris Kjorlaug – percussion
Evan Tucker – percussion
Shane Chastain – piano and organ
and
Hairy Larry – Fender Rhodes and vocals

Ten musicians is ambitious, even for NJHB. I say we’re Sun Ra Light or maybe Free Snarky Puppy.

So now, recorded at KASU New Jazz In Jonesboro here’s NJHB playing my song, “The Hop Skip Jump”.

Something Blue Archives Featured Concert
NJHB – The Hop Skip Jump
archive.org/details/hl2025-08-02-album

Something Blue Archives – List Of Concerts
archive.org/details/somethingbluearchives?sort=-publicdate

NJHB Live at HairyLarryLand on 2012-12-29
archive.org/details/hl2012-12-29

Hairy Larry Live at Fine Arts Recital Hall on 2013-11-08
archive.org/details/hl2013-11-08
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