SJB at Trinity Oaks

StillWaters Jazz Band will be playing tonight at Trinity Oaks ( 728 Klumac Road Salisbury, NC 28144) at 7:00. It will probably only be a one hour show, but we are planning to pack in as many songs as possible in that hour! Hope you can come.

We are also tentatively scheduled to play for a fund raiser in China Grove on Saturday June 7 (no concrete time for this one yet) and for Farmers' Day in China Grove at Dixie's coffee house. I'll have to check on the date for that one, but it is usually the hottest day of the year... we'll be making it hotter!

Reward In Full

This past weekend the StillWaters Jazz Band played at the Brian Center in Salisbury. It was a much different show than we had done up to that point.

You see, so far all of our audiences have been very supportive and enthusiastic. The guys at the NC Veterans' home last week were the most receptive and fun crowd that we have played for. The folks at the Brian Center couldn't have been much more different.

I can say this - at least the crowd wasn't hostile. We weren't having stuff thrown at us! However, there was almost no response from the residents. Most seemed unable to respond. It was very sad, and very difficult to play through. I guess I figured that most folks respond to music even when nothing else can get through.

We did manage to talk to a few folks when we took our break. Some were able to converse with us. Justin is so good at interacting with the people that we play for. I am amazed that a self-proclaimed introvert does as well at it as he does. I find myself hanging back far more than I should. He makes it look so natural - and I suppose it is because he genuinely does care for the people that we are serving.

And that gets right to the heart of the thing, doesn't it? We are there to serve and not to be served. We had a real gut check Saturday. Are we playing because we need an ego boost? Are we doing it just for the fun of it? Or are we doing it to serve our community? If we aren't doing it to show Jesus to our community, then we are missing the point.

It reminds me of the story in the Bible where Jesus talks about the Pharisees who enjoy making prayers in public so people will respect them and think that they are spiritual or those that appear haggard while fasting so that people will think that they are holy for their sacrifice. Jesus said that these people had received their reward in full. It is a good reminder.

There were many elements to Saturday's show that were difficult, but in spite of those difficulties we are committed to going back there again. Who needs our ministry more than these folks? We will find a way to make it fun and seek ways to break through, but even if we don't we really must return. I think it is what Jesus would do.

SJB At the NCVH...

Here's an excerpt from a post I wrote on my blog about the StillWaters Jazz Band's most recent gig for the excellent fellows at the NC Veterans' Home:

This past Saturday the StillWaters Jazz Band had one of its most fun gigs so far. We got to play at the NC Veterans' Home on the campus of the VA Hospital in Salisbury, NC. None of us really knew what to expect as we began unloading our equipment. We set up in the front lobby of the facility and the crowd began to gather.

Right off the bat we could tell that these guys were different than the groups we had played for so far. They were asking questions and talking to us - genuinely interested in what we were doing and who we were. It didn't take long before our nerves had settled down. In the picture above you can see Justin talking with one of the residents. This particular fellow was really up on his jazz. He related one story about how he had the pleasure of seeing Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, and Al Hirt in concert with some other giants of the jazz world back in the late 60s. We were all envious!

Read the rest of the post...

A Little Music To Help You Through The Day

StillWaters Jazz Band will be playing at Dixie's TOMORROW from 12:00 Noon to 2:00. I hope you can make it out. It should be a good time.

We had a great rehearsal last night, so I am hopeful for a really good outing on Saturday. We're even having another one tonight!

Tomorrow will be the public debut for my first jazz song, Dog Days Of Dixie, written in memory and as a tribute to the namesake of Dixie's, Dixie the bloodhound.

According to the reports that I have seen it looks like it could rain tomorrow, so that will give you a good excuse to come on out and hang around at the coffee house. The coffee is good, the atmosphere is pleasant, the prices are reasonable, and there will be jazz! What more could you want?

We look forward to playing for you. See you there!

SJB Gig Update

The StillWaters Jazz Band will be playing March 29 from 12:00 Noon to 2:00 PM. The time is a little different than I had reported earlier. Hope to see you there!

StillWaters Jazz Band Update

The gig on Saturday, March 15, 2008 has been postponed to the Saturday after Easter.

StillWaters Jazz Band will be playing at Dixie's on Main Street in China Grove on Saturday, March 29, 2008. I assume that the time is 1:00 to 3:00 PM, but I'll verify that and get back to you.

Sorry things got postponed, but we should have a few new songs in our repertoire by then. We are working on Stormy Weather, Bye Bye Blackbird, and Deep River Blues. Hopefully we'll be ready to share them with you on the 29th!

See you then!

Jazz Band Update

StillWaters Jazz Band will most likely be playing at Dixie's on Saturday, March 15th. We still have to work out a couple details, but as soon as I am sure of times, etc. I will be sure to let you know! Hope to see you then!

Jazz Band Update

SJB had a great rehearsal tonight and added a couple new songs. One was written by Justin, and the other is the old standard, "Stormy Weather." It is always fun getting together with the guys and playing, and it is even more fun when you realize how much better you are getting with the practice.

When we first started playing my hands were worn out in just a couple of tunes, but now I can go for over an hour without any ill effects. (Unless I get excited and grip the guitar too hard!)

We hope to get some performances scheduled in the coming weeks. If you would like to have us perform for your organization just let us know and we'll be glad to see what we can do to accommodate you!

Keep checking back here to find out about our concert dates. Hope to see you soon!

Live At Dixie's

Last Saturday the StillWaters Jazz Band played at Dixie's coffee house in China Grove. It was our fourth gig, but was really our first public outing.

When I drove to the grocery store the week before the show I was greeted by this excellent sign in front of the shop. I began to get excited about playing.

I really hadn't played for a secular crowd before, so this was my first time to perform in front of my peers. (When you play in church everyone HAS to be nice to you. It's the rules.)

Of course, I was also somewhat nervous about doing this performance. It was my peers that we were playing for, remember? This whole thing is still pretty new to me. I didn't get that nervous, though. I figured that not too many people would show up.

Boy, was I wrong.

When we got there to set up the place was almost empty. One or two folks came in and left. I figured that we'd be playing to the proprietor. That was OK with me too.

However, by the time that 1:00 rolled around, the place was nearly full. It was hard to believe that that many people from China Grove would actually come out in the middle of the day on a Saturday to hear a band that they had never heard before.

I mean, jazz? In China Grove? Seriously? Seriously.

The coffee shop stayed full until nearly 3:00. There was even a guy there taking pictures of the band. It kind of freaked me out because he was wearing a "Spin" t-shirt and had an armful of really cool-looking tattoos, and was taking lots of pictures in a very professional manner with a very nice camera. I knew that there was no way that we were good enough (or notorious enough) for Spin Magazine to be checking us out. But the longer that he snapped pictures, the more it perplexed me.

The first set went pretty well, and after we stopped for our break I was able to calm down a little bit.

By the way, the coffee at Dixie's is excellent, and the atmosphere is my favorite of all of the other coffee houses in Rowan County. It is classy vintage. I'll try to get some snapshots of the decor the next time that I go there.

Our second set started off a little rocky for me. We did "I've Found A New Baby" and for some reason, I never really got situated right. Both of my hands started getting tired. It was all I could do to finish they were burning so bad. Thankfully, I only had one other glitch during the gig. On "Greensleeves" something happened to my capo and the tension wasn't enough to push the strings down all the way. Not a really good effect!

It was also nice seeing Pastor Cameron, my sister, Vanessa and her daughter, Grace, Randy from our former church, and one of Sara's friends from work. We were so honored by all of the folks who came out to support us.

Let me take a moment now to introduce the folks in the band.

This is Justin, the brains of the operation. It was his idea to put the band together in the first place. I would have never thought of playing guitar in a jazz band. I wouldn't have had the first notion of how to begin, but Justin had the knowledge, the passion, and a notebook full of jazz standards.

Justin really carries the band. He is a great musician, and it is his playing that really helps to make what we do jazz. He has also written a couple of the numbers that we perform. His song that we do most often is called "Cookout." If you ever want to understand what StillWaters Jazz Band is all about just talk to Justin for 5 minutes. That's all he'll need to make you understand.

By the way, Justin is also the band director at South Rowan High School and is a talented bass player too.

Gillen is our bass player. He's only a few months out of high school, but has a lot going for him.

Like most guys his age, he is hyper-involved in all kinds of things. He works a full-time job, goes to school, plays for his church, plays for us... Oh, to have that kind of energy again!

The thing that impresses me most about Gillen is his passion for the Lord. Gillen loves Jesus and is really pursuing a relationship with Him. He hopes to eventually go into youth ministry, and I am sure that he will be excellent at it. You can't know too many people like Gillen. I love being able to hang around with the guy. I have never seen him discouraged. He always has a positive attitude.

This is Sara, Justin's wife. She plays a really mean piano and is uber-creative. I said earlier that Justin carries the band - well, so does, Sara. They both are scary talented and technically savvy. I have learned tons from both of them.

You can tell when Sara is really getting into the music - it is like there is no one else in the room. Sara comes up with some really cool ideas just messing around between songs. My favorite so far is a jazz version of "Fur Elise" that we are trying to work up now. Unfortunately, we have yet to commit it to paper. Hopefully, we will have done so by our next gig. It is so cool!

Sara is kind of quiet until you get to know her, and then you discover that there is a lot going on under the surface.

And this is me, Big Papi. (It looks like I have just had a brilliant idea pop into my head. I think that it is in reality an Easter decoration.) I live right here in China Grove, so it was fun playing on my home turf. I provide the rhythm section for the band.

I'm pretty new to jazz, and stepping out into the realm of solo playing is utterly new to me. I've always been a rhythm guy. So this has been both an exciting, challenging, terrifying, and absolutely fun experience for me. I've been learning new chords and a whole lot about music, friends, and living.

It has also been fun learning about this whole new realm of music. I had heard some of this stuff before (I'm into the swing and big band standards) but now I am starting to actually hear the music of legendary musicians whose names I had only heard before and some that I probably would have never heard were it not for the band - like that of the recently-deceased jazz pianist, Oscar Peterson.

Here we are all together - the StillWaters Jazz Band.

Now that I've introduced everyone, I guess I should say a little bit about who we are as a group. SJB is a group of people who love music, and love friendship, but mostly who love Jesus. We started this band to reach out to the folks of Rowan County in a non-churchy way. Hopefully, as people enjoy our music, they will see something of our Father in us.

We anticipate playing at Dixie's again next month, and I'll be posting updates and announcements when that date is firmed-up. Once again, thanks to everyone who came out to Dixie's last Saturday. We hope to see you next time!

What A Blast!

Today's gig at Dixie's was a huge success. I won't go into details right now because I want to share pictures later, but we had a great time, got some very positive feedback, and were totally enthused about playing there again in the near future.

Thanks to everyone who came out!

It's Today!

StillWaters Jazz Band is playing Dixie's today from 1:00-3:00! Hope you can come.

Dixie's is located on Main Street in China Grove at the stoplight next to China Grove Hardware.

SJB On The Road

The SJB took it on the road tonight to Troutman's Barbecue in Concord, NC. We played for a great crowd of around 100 folks and got some great feedback.

We are playing this Saturday at Dixie's coffee shop on Main Street in China Grove at 1:00. It will be a great opportunity to see the band and check out one of China Grove's coolest establishments. We will hope to see you there.

The band is getting noticeably better with each performance. That is very gratifying, and the experience has been great for stretching me out of my comfort zone.

At our very first practice I was faced with soloing - something that I had never done before. As you can imagine, I was pretty awful, but Justin and the rest of the guys were very supportive and patient as I began to develop some chops. It has really taught me about not being afraid to try something new and not being afraid to make mistakes.

I guess I still have a ways to go in overcoming this fear. Even tonight as I was getting ready for the concert, I was very nervous, thinking, "I'm not good enough to be playing for folks!" There was a part of me that didn't even want to play. Yet once we got started everyone was great and I played a solo that I felt very good about. Of course there is room for growth, but I am having a blast.

I hope that this will be the beginning of a trend for me to be more bold and adventurous. It is time to put these silly fears in their place and begin to live and enjoy life. Sometimes that will mean messing up publicly, but it is OK. My experience teaches me that no one is perfect - even the ones who look like they are!

Hope to see you Saturday!

SJB In Concert

StillWaters Jazz Band will be playing this Saturday February 9 at Troutman Barbecue on Highway 601 in Concord from 6:00 to 8:00. We also have an upcoming show at Dixie's in China Grove next Saturday February 16 from 1:00 to around 3:00. Hope you can make it out to one of these shows! (We're getting better!)

SJB Concert Coming...

StillWaters Jazz Band has a gig on Saturday, February 16, 2008. We'll be playing at Dixie's coffee house on Main Street in China Grove. The time isn't certain yet, but it looks like we'll be there around 1:00 in the afternoon and will probably play for at least an hour. I'll post more details here when I have them. Come on out and check it out if you can. It will be a great opportunity to meet some folks, hear some decent music, and drink coffee. What more could you want?

What A Night!

Wow. The StillWaters family pulled off two very successful Christmas parties last night. Unfortunately I don't have all of the details to give you numbers, but at the party I attended the first guests showed up right at 4:30 and the last one left around 7:45. There was an abundance of food, and everyone seemed to have a great time. Hopefully, I will be able to entice the hosts of these parties to give us the full details here in the coming days.

Last night was also the debut of the StillWaters Jazz Band (SJB). By all accounts it was a successful outing. If you are bummed that you missed the debut you will have another opportunity to see SJB in action on Tuesday, December 11th from 7:00 to 7:30. They will be playing at South Rowan High School as part of a fund raiser for The SRHS Drama Club called The Coffee House. Come on out if you can!

There are also opportunities to continue serving our neighbors THIS WEEK. Lunch With Lois is planned for this Saturday, December 8th at 12:00 Noon at the Kirkers'. Lois is a sister in the Lord who is in the midst of a financial struggle right now. The plan is to enjoy lunch together and visit with her and then provide her with a monetary gift and wrapped Christmas gifts for her two grandchildren (a boy 10 years old and a girl 12 years old.) If you can help with this outreach and/or would like to attend let Carol know. (If you are not from this area and would like to help, church contact information is located at the bottom of the blog!)

Also be looking for information about an upcoming Servant Evangelism project that we are trying to pull together for Saturday, December 15th. The plan is to assist customers at the Salisbury Mall in getting their packages to their cars. The entire event including travel shouldn't take more than 2 hours (unless you want to fellowship some afterwards!) As I firm up the details I will post them here on the blog.

Man, who would have thought that serving our neighbors could be more fun than riding in a one horse open sleigh?

SJB Inaugural Gig: Take Two

Well, you have all been waiting patiently for it and your patience shall be rewarded. The StillWaters Jazz Band will be playing its inaugural gig at the Kirkers' drop in Christmas Party on December 2 from 4:30 to 7:30 (That's how long the party goes - not the band!) Forewarned is forearmed.

You'll Have To Wait

Bad news, y'all. The inaugural concert of the Stillwaters Jazz Band has been postponed. Catawba's homecoming football game has pretty well rendered October 20 as a bad day for the Vriesemas to have their party. We'll be in touch as new plans are made.

Coming Soon To A Neighborhood Near You...

Stillwaters' first Christmas party of the season has been scheduled for December 2 at the Kirkers' in Windmill Ridge. As details become available and needs are made known we'll be reporting on it here.

The rest of the church was challenged to schedule their very own Neighborhood Christmas party. Different families will host the events in their homes and other church members will supply food, help in making preparations, help in staffing, and help cleaning up. Cool, huh?

Initial sign ups were this morning, but I haven't seen the list yet. As we have information about additional parties, you'll be able to find the details here.

Please be praying for each party and for each host. Please pray that the parties will be well attended and that there will be opportunities to share God's love and grace with our neighbors. Most importantly pray for our neighbors. We want to make it hard for our neighbors to go to hell. As we show them God's love in practical and fun ways we'll do just that.

It's going to be a great holiday season!

(A shameless plug for the Stillwaters' Jazz Band: if you need the SJB for your holiday entertaining, please let Justin know! Book now ahead of the Christmas rush!)

MORE (10/8/07)

The Carangelo family has entered the fray! Their neighborhood party will be on December 15th. Mark your calendars! More details as they become available.

First Concert October 20?

It looks like the Stillwaters Jazz Band will be having their first public (well, semi public) concert at the Vriesema's on October 20. The date is still soft, but start praying for it anyway! More information to be posted as we have it.

Want to know more about the Stillwaters Jazz Band and its mission? Read Justin's excellent post about it HERE.

Stillwaters Jazz Band

This is Justin Dickson from Jonathan's church... long time listener, first time caller. Anyway he asked me to write on this blog about the jazz band we have started. So here is the story.

About two months ago, our pastor hosted a sort of "family meeting" with we who attend the church regularly. He spoke on a few subjects, but the one that caught my attention was our role in the surrounding community. He asked questions to the effect of, "what are we really doing to help the people out there we don't know?" and "if we ceased to exist as a church next week, how much would the community of Salisbury really be affected?"

For some reason these questions stayed with me for the remainder of the day (I blame the Holy Spirit), and my wife and I discussed them afterward. I am an introvert by nature and the idea of helping out at a soup kitchen or something like that really bothers me... and yet I felt like I needed to do something to make a difference and do some ministry out there in Salisbury.

Now a few weeks earlier, we played a song or two in our church worship band with a sort of New Orleans jazz feel to them. We really enjoyed playing like that together and thought it would be fun to do it again some time. Personally, I have always loved playing traditional jazz and blues more than any other kind of music.

So eventually I had the idea to put together a small jazz band for the purposes of music ministry. The idea is not necessarily to preach from a soap box and ask for an alter call in the middle of every performance, but rather to show the Gospel to strangers by giving our time and talents to them for free. The hope is that people will turn their heads when they see a group of people give up their Saturday afternoon to come play fun music for the sick and lonely in retirement homes, hospitals, etc.

I hope the conversation comes up at least once every time we perform.
"So you're not getting paid for this?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"We don't really want to do it for money."
(blank, confused facial expression)
"This is just our way of showing that someone out there is thinking about you and cares. We're based out of Stillwaters church in Salisbury and we thought you might enjoy a little music today. That's all."

After four years of being a camp counselor at a Christian summer camp, I've learned that most people don't want to hear about the Romans Road or what is going to happen when they die if they don't get down and pray right now. Most people just need an honest hug, about 10 minutes of our time, and for us to just shut up and listen to them. They don't want a tract or a clever slogan on a church marquee, they want help and understanding as they deal with their dying little sister or divorced parents. They need to be honestly loved from someone who doesn't have an agenda or a pre-written script full of cliches.

They need to be loved the way that Jesus loved the poor and needy people he encountered. He didn't throw theology and a list of church membership requirements at them; he immediately diagnosed each individual's greatest needs (spiritually or physically) and met those needs through selfless acts of love and miracles. This is ministry, and it will never lose its power.

I hope ministry is exactly what we accomplish with our music. We have been blessed with enough talent and time to make it happen. We already have a good sound together, we're having a lot of fun in practice, and I hope to start getting out into the community in November. There are four of us right now: myself on trumpet, my wife on piano, Jonathan on guitar, and Gillon Jones on bass guitar. Gillon was a senior at South Rowan last year and played bass in the school jazz band for me, and he is now starting his career in the ministry. I hope you get the chance to meet him soon.

I will close with the verse from 1Peter that really explains the heart of this whole thing.

“Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others,
faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.”
1 Peter 4:10