JJQ: The Just Jazz Quintet -- Straight-ahead contemporary jazz
 
 
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The JJQ's Music
The JJQ draws its music from the large body of mainstream jazz, primarily music from the bop and cool eras on up through fusion, with an occasional traditional or avant-garde number thrown in for variety.

The band's repertoire includes tunes from the Gerry Mulligan/Chet Baker book, several Horace Silver tunes, and several Jazz Messenger selections, as well as compositions by Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, John Lewis, John Coltrane, Chuck Mangione, and even Scott Joplin ... plus many others.

The band members are beginning to add their own original tunes to the ever-growing book. The JJQ is always rotating the music in the book, and listeners are treated to a new tune at nearly every performance. "This constant changing of tunes keeps the band fresh, and keeps the audience from getting bored hearing the same repertoire," says Ron Holleman, the JJQ's leader.

A visit to hear the JJQ will always give the listener some favorite tunes plus some surprises. A typical JJQ set might go like this:

  1. Open with Jimmy Heath's The Time and the Place, followed by
     
  2. a Latin-flavored Theme from Black Orpheus or Alec Wilder's Moon and Sand.
     
  3. Next, Ron's flugel ballad tribute to Chet Baker, You Can't Go Home Again, or a trio featuring Brandy Herbert's guitar or Dale Ness' piano.
     
  4. Then, an up-tempo Stompin' at the Savoy.
     
  5. Matthew Arau's tribute to Grover Washington, the funky Mr. Magic.
     
  6. Close with Chuck Landgraf starting Monk's Well You Needn't by playing the "tune" on the drums, later joined by Ken Wacker's bass and the rest of the band.

What does the JJQ sound like? Here are some short samples of typical tunes from live performances (if your browser supports MP3, you can just click on them and they'll play):

The Time and the Place (Avo's, February 2002)

I Fall in Love Too Easily (Avo's, March 2002)

Line for Lyons (Lesher JHS auditorium, April 2001)

Manha de Carnaval (Theme from Black Orpheus) (Lesher JHS auditorium, April 2001)

Mr. Magic (Avo's, March 2002)

The Entertainer (Avo's, February 2002)

Of course, live performances are ever so much better than recorded snippets, so come hear the JJQ live!

To find out when and where their next gig will be, see the Gigs page, or sign up for Ron's e-mail mailing list that will keep you informed automatically.