I've missed a couple days of blogging while taking part in an extraordinarily cool vocal jazz festival at Kirkwood College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.  There's a strong vocal music and vocal jazz scene in the state, and Ray Salucka and his two excellent groups from Kirkwood, Jazz Transit and RSVP (which have both been excellent for many years) are a huge part of it.  I was struck by the sense of professionalism that surrounded the event due to the hard-working and serious-minded nature of the students in the in the high school ensembles (surely influenced by Ray's groups, which epitomize these traits).  Some really extraordinary singing took place, and a wide variety of repertoire.  Here are the titles featured (with writers or original groups included in cases in which I know that info):

I'm Beginning to See the Light (Kirby Shaw)
Alfie (Phil Mattson)
Chili Con Carne (Real Group/Edenroth)
Old Devil Moon (Paris Rutherford)
Embraceable You
This Little Light of Mine
Wake Up Call (killer arrangement by the group director, Jason Behrens)
Short People (King's Singers)
Danny Boy
Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing (mine)
After You've Gone (Mark Brymer)
When She Loved Me
I Want You
Theme From New York, New York
Baby, It's Cold Outside (Kirby Shaw)
Puttin' On the Ritz (Roger Emerson)
I Didn't Know What Time it Was
Emily
Make Someone Happy
Words (Real Group)
Poinciana
Hey Jack
Here's To Life (Mattson)
Get Down
I Can't Believe You're In Love With Me (New York Voices)
I'll Sing For You (Kelly Kunz/Dave Barduhn)
When I Fall In Love (Kirby Shaw)
Sing, Sing, Sing (Norm Wallen)
If I Were a Bell (Paris Rutherford)
Love Psalm (Darmon Meader)
It Don't Mean a Thing (Mac Huff)
Hit Me With a Hot Note (Mac Huff)
Prayer of the Children (Bestor)
Sixteen Tons (Kirby Shaw)
America (Deke Sharon)
In My Life (Jeremy Fox)
Good Old Acappella (Deke Sharon)

And what I can remember from the two Kirkwood groups' sets:

Brand New Day (mine)
His Eye is On the Sparrow (Idea of North)
Golden Rule (The Ritz)
Down to Smoky Joe's (Frank DiMiero)
One Note Samba (Larry Lapin)
Fields of Gold (Greg Jasperse)
More Than Words (mine)
 
Now...once again, the VOTD is totally unrelated, but it's pretty interesting, and it's the source of the poignant title of today's entry... 

Jaco Pastorius, featured in an instructional video called "Modern Electric Bass"