Cranky the Clown School Dropout
Solo saxophone circus jazz, klezmer and pathetic clown themes
Cranky just put the finishing touches on his set list for the 2017 season. This year may see nine new song, bringing the Cranky Hit List (CHL) total to 77 songs. Cranky is hedging on the actual number of nine songs making the cut, since, if past years are any indication, some of these new… Continue reading Black Coffee and other Delights
Cranky’s seasons have a long tradition of ending on a sour note, so to speak. There was the time that Cranky was playing in Congress Square on a cold Friday evening toward the end of October. A derelict fellow came up and insisted that that he should have a dollar out of Cranky’s bucket. When… Continue reading Equipment Failure – Achievements in the Pathetic.
Many, many years before the origin of The Clown School Dropouts and the creation of Cranky. Ur-Cranky or Proto-Cranky, lets call him, discovered the early jazz trumpeter Jabbo Smith. Interestingly enough the discovery wasn't made through music but from a written story, a comic book, to be precise. The eye opening moment came from reading… Continue reading Cranky luvs Jabbo
One of Cranky's stipulations is to try to play songs that no one is familiar with. The archivist in him gets pleasure from reviving the old hidden treasures. That being said there are are few more well know early jazz tunes that have found their way into Cranky's repertoire. (Caravan, I've Found a New Baby,… Continue reading No hackneyed tunes
Cranky the Clown School Dropout 