Debra Mugnani

Just back from a week at my first Stanford Jazz Residency. Studied with Madeleine Eastman, Dena De Rose and Fred Harris. I sang a lot and listened more. Every night there was an amazing concert with people like saxaphonists, Joshua Redman and Andrew Speight, pianists, George Cables and Taylor Eigsti, bassists, Larry Grenadier and Reuben Rogers, and drummers, Eddie Marshall, Clarence Penn and Eric Harland.

I was lucky enough to be able to join the Latin Jazz big band under the direction of the great flutist, John Calloway and after three days working really hard to memorize Dos Gardenias Para Ti, which most remember from the Buena Vista Social Club film, I performed it in the courtyard outside of the Stanford cafeteria and coffeehouse. Holding one’s own in the midst of about nine horn players, two drummers, marracas, piano, and bass really required focus and determination. Glad to have had that experience and look forward to trying that again one day soon!

I’ll be singing tonight at the Villa D’Este and am curious to see what the experience is like after a week of intensive immersion in the music of Jazz.