I’m Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter - Ahlert & Young / Wolpe [ June 2022 CBB @ CBMH ]

“I’m Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter”
Composer: Fred E. Ahlert (1935)
Lyricist: Joe Young (1935)
Arranged by: Dave Wolpe (1989)
Performed by the Columbia Big Band [now Patuxent Jazz Band (PJB)]
Director: Matt Pisarcik
Columbia Bands, Inc.
Performed: June 19, 2022
Baldwin Common, Historic Savage, MD
During summers, schools close down and CBB has to find somewhere new to rehearse. In an unlikely coincidence, we found Carroll Baldwin Memorial Hall in Historic Savage on the eve of their Centennial Celebration, and formed a collaborative plan for a concert series by Columbia Bands, Inc, as part of the festivities. This concert represents the beginning of a season-long collaboration between CBMH and CBI, and it was an absolute hit for everyone involved. The Band began anticipating our return to the venue as soon as we finished this concert, and we hope to share some of that enthusiasm with you!
Long associated with pianist Fats Waller, the substantially-named “I’m Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter” is a 1935 composition by the team of Fred E. Ahlert and Joe Young. The tune was quickly adopted into the Great American Songbook and recored many times, including a 1957 version by Billy Williams that won a gold record after reaching #3 on the Billboard charts. Such was its position as a cultural touchstone that Horwitz & Maltby included it in the 1978 Broadway show “Ain’t Misbehavin’”, a tribute to the music of Fats Waller and the Harlem Renaissance.
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São Paolo - David Benoit (1988) / Arr. Gordon Goodwin (1991)
Shiny Stockings - Frank Foster (1956) / Arr. Sammy Nestico (1984)
I’m Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter - Fred E. Ahlert (music) & Joe Young (lyrics) (1935) / Arr. Dave Wolpe (1989)
Skylark - Hoagy Carmichael (music) & Johnny Mercer (lyrics) (1941, 1942) / Arr. Jerry Nowak (1985)
The Way You Look Tonight - Jerome Kern (music)(1936) & Dorothy Fields (lyrics)(1936)/ Arr. Roger Holmes (1990)
Song for My Father - Horace Silver (1964) / Adap. Mark Taylor (1997)
A Child Is Born - Thad Jones (1969) / Arr. Thad Jones (1973)
Fireshaker - Maynard Ferguson & Chris Braymen (1983) / Arr. Bob Lowden (1985)
Satin Doll - Billy Strayhorn, Duke Ellington (1953), & Johnny Mercer (lyrics) (1958) / Arr. Sammy Nestico (1981)
Goodbye Pork Pie Hat - Charles Mingus (1959, 1975) / Arr. Sy Johnson (1998)
Love For Sale - Cole Porter (1930) / Arr. John Berry
Just Friends - John Klenner (music) & Sam M. Lewis (lyrics) (1931 / 1959) / Arr. Mike Carubia
Summertime - George Gershwin (1934) / Arr. Eric Richards (1996)
Over The Rainbow - Harold Arlen (music) (1938) & E.Y. Harburg (lyrics) (1939) / Arr. Dave Wolpe
Too Close For Comfort - Jerry Bock, Larry Holofcener, & George David Weiss (1956) / Arr. Gordon Goodwin (2007)
Bada Bamba - Chris Walden (2014)
Route 66 - Bobby Troup (1946) / Arr. Bob Lowden (1983)
The Columbia Big Band (CBB) [now Patuxent Jazz Band (PJB)] is an ensemble formed in October 2015. Our repertoire covers genres such as traditional Big Band, Bebop, Fusion, Swing and Latin, among others. We are members of the community who enjoy performing for all audiences. Though some members play and teach music professionally, the members are volunteers employed in a wide variety of professions who share a love of music. CBB is one of several bands within the Columbia Bands non-profit organization. The Columbia Big Band hopes to bring the enjoyment of big band music to a wide audience. We look forward to seeing you at our concerts!

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