The Grammy Band

This is a little clip of last year's Grammy band.  
These are some of the best young jazz musicians in the country.  If you were impressed like I was with Josh Shpaks audition performance, give the trumpet solo at 4:39 a listen - Adam O'Farrill was this year's 3rd chair (the jazz improv chair) trumpet player, and I think you'll see why.  Click HERE for the complete roster.

What is that guy playing?

Have you ever listened to a jazz musician and wondered, what is that guy playing?  I, your blog, have.  Look at this one, it's the lead sheet (the unembellished melody with chord changes) at the bottom and what the musician actually plays at the top, with captions!  Take a look, it might give you some insight on what to do.

Louis Armstrong, simply the best!

This clip is unreal.  It's also mandatory viewing for all high school hipsters.

The Chromatic Triadic Approach...a.k.a. the what?!

If you are a theory monster who eats scales and chords for breakfast, then you might want to spend your lifetime mastering this concept, it's all the rage.  Click HERE to be redirected to a little pamphlet explaining tenor player George Garzone's Triadic Chromatic Approach to jazz improvisation.

This is the core concept as it is explained in the pamphlet...

Core Concept: For the soloist to outline the changes at the same time as the
rhythm section is redundant! Lines generated by the "chromatic approach"
provide a harmonic "carpet" that enhance the rhythm section, rather than
repeating it.
The combination of the triadic and chromatic approaches enables the
improvisor to move away from thinking solely about specific notes and
towards about contour and overall sound. For instance, lines derived from
the major triad exercise will generate a sound very distinct to lines derived
from minor triads, even if at first it might sound like random notes!

Here is George in action...

You aren't going to find a more spontaneous improviser than George.

Dizzy!!!

Dizzy Gillespie is more than big cheeks and a funky looking trumpet.  Dig it...

The New Thing

These two clips of the Robert Glasper Experiment taped at a Berklee demo kind of blew my mind when I saw them.  It's very free, and I wouldn't say entirely polished, but there are some really brilliant musical moments in there.  The first is mellow, the second is crazy.  You might want to start with the second for a real wow, and then work backwards, I did.  Check them out, this is very representative of today's sound...

Someone to check out...Gregory Porter

Gregory Porter warms up the room with his sound.  I'm once again reminded of how important your tone is.  What Mr. Porter has (aside from a great musical feel, pitch, a hip hat and a bunch of other really good stuff) is a unique voice.  You need that too.  Do you like this guy?  If you do, why not leave a comment?

Didgeradoo, or didn't you?

I'm not going to draw any jazz parallels here, this is just plain cool.  Crank up the sound for a real treat.

Free jazz, for life!

First check out a youngish Charles Lloyd with his quartet featuring Keith Jarret on piano.  This clip happened in 1968!  This is some beautiful music making right here, close your eyes and listen.

Now check out a more recent Charles Lloyd working it out with drummer Billy Higgins.  How cool would it be to be that age and still have that kind of playing experience with friends and fellow musicians?

"Why Your Music is Important"

"Sweet" Sue Terry has some valuable insight she'd like to share.  She is a wonderful alto saxophonist, and an inspiration to musicians everywhere, hopefully her words will inspire you.

Compliment the soloist

Hey, you look nice in those pants!  
While that may or may not be true, that is not the kind of compliment I was referring to in the title of this post.  I was referring to the magnificent drumming by Greg Hutchinson.  He is responding to everything he hears and setting up soloist Joshua Redman beautifully all while maintaining the groove and feel of the song.  He is complimenting the soloist through his subtle touch, and strong interest in what he is playing.  This is performance at a very high level, and a level you should all strive to attain.

What is your motive?!

This rendition of Charlie Parker's bebop head "Perhaps" by the Aaron Goldberg trio is great for a lot of reasons, but the reason I want to highlight is for it's clear cut example of motific playing on the piano.  Listen carefully to the the first couple of phrases at the very beginning of Aaron's solo (I'm calling him Aaron like I know him, although I am a blog, whatever that is, and I do not).  There...good, did you catch that first phrase?  Now listen to how he moves that little phrase snippet all around over the piano.  He is elaborating on that first phrase, and at the same time reinforcing the weight and the meaning of it.  He stretches it sometimes, he messes with it's rhythm, he changes it's pitch and it's shape. This is how a solo can happen...it's not the only way, but it is a nice way.  He is telling a story with that first phrase and he does it beautifully.