The second day of the tour we drove to Coban in central Guatemala.  The city is surrounded by beautiful mountains and has a more country feel to it.  Watch out for the chocolate soup before lunch~!  I thought I was in heaven.

In the afternoon we gave a workshop in a municipal building to students receiving lessons on scholarship.  Their teachers are first rate including the pianist who played in the professional jazz quartet that opened for us at the evening concert.

In the workshop we did an overview of jazz including Maple Leaf Rag with the kids stomp/clappin’ and Evan playing all the the harmony and rhythm on the clarinet.  Then we taught Elizabeth Cotten’s “Freight Train” and had everyone keep singing the theme while we improvised over it to “mess them up.”  They were too good and kept the melody going even with unaccompanied drum solo!  Later, most everyone got out their horn and we had a terrific jam session on the Hop Wilson blues “I Feel So Glad.”  We even found an eight year old boy who gobbled up the shuffle like it was his new best friend!

In the afternoon, it being Sunday, we went to the Mall to play for the people.  It was a gas, actually…