Yorktown Central Jazz

A jazz improvisation blog specifically engineered by a team of jazz engineers to make you hipper than you currently are. Note: as a result of this blog, you may find yourself alone in a roomful of squares.

Saturday, October 8, 2011

1..2..1..2..3..4..

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This is Jamey Aebersold!  Did you ever wonder what that guy looked like - the one who counts off all those play-a-long albums?  Well here i...

Bad, Badder, Baddest!!

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This is Clifford Brown people!  This clip is from a live jam session in Philly, and is possibly his last recording.  The story from Max Roa...

Senor Blues

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This clip is loaded with goodies, but I'd pay special attention to Horace Silver's piano solo starting at 4:10.  It's a master...

The Power of Music

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I feel bad, I have left you with that elevator music post since June 16th.  That said, I hope you enjoyed it and have a new appreciation fo...
Thursday, June 16, 2011

The Joy of Easy Listening

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The BBC has done it again.  This is the first clip of a documentary on that music we all know and love called "easy listening."  A...
Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Check out John McLaughlin on Cherokee

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Most people don't think of John McLaughlin as this kind of player, because they are familiar with a lot of his other work that is modern...

Computer generated improvisation?

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So you've learned your licks, you've figured out what scales work on what chord, you've got your voice leading down.  How is it ...
Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Very Superstitious!

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Young jazzers, dig this, many of jazz's rising young talents in one room...

Gig with Jamey Aebersold

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Listen to this guy, he's on his "gig" with Jamey Aebersold.  Even though jazz band is over, you can still gig with the best of...
Friday, April 8, 2011

Stevie Wonder fans, dig this!

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I've had Esperanza on here before, and she deserves a second look if you missed the first clip.  This performance is just...WOW!  She mi...
Monday, April 4, 2011

Pat Metheny (and his hair)

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This is some nice playing right here.  Just sit back and look out the window (or stare at his hair) as you take this one in. You should tr...

Flutes....In......Space!!!

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Jamming in space near the end of this video.  It's almost a blues scale!  I hope the neighbors don't mind.  On a side note, a baseb...
Friday, April 1, 2011

April Fools prank!

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I enjoyed this one, and I'm a blog, so I can only imagine what you will think of it... FYI, the orchestra teacher and the first violin...
Friday, March 25, 2011

Phoa Constrictor!

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Click HERE to dig the latest and greatest.

Swing Dancing!

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"If dancing were any easier it would be called football." ~anonymous While this clip is older than dirt, you will love the swing ...
Monday, January 24, 2011

The Grammy Band

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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 impres...

What is that guy playing?

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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 ...

Louis Armstrong, simply the best!

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

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

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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...

Dizzy!!!

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

The New Thing

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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 wo...

Someone to check out...Gregory Porter

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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 fro...
1 comment:

Didgeradoo, or didn't you?

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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!

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First check out a youngish Charles Lloyd with his quartet featuring Keith Jarret on piano.  This clip happened in 1968!  This is some beauti...
Wednesday, January 19, 2011

"Why Your Music is Important"

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"Sweet" Sue Terry has some valuable insight she'd like to share.  She is a wonderful alto saxophonist, and an inspiration to ...
Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Compliment the soloist

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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 ...
2 comments:

What is your motive?!

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This rendition of Charlie Parker's bebop head "Perhaps" by the Aaron Goldberg trio is great for a lot of reasons, but the rea...
Thursday, December 23, 2010

Would you like to play at the Grammys?

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Josh Shpak is playing at the Grammy Awards this year, and he is in his high school jazz band just like you.  Here is his audition video for ...
1 comment:

Who knew Mr. Bean could conduct?!

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Happy Holidays everyone!  As I prepare in the darkness of my band room to embark on another "secret mission" I just want to quickl...
Monday, December 20, 2010

"Jazz is an accident...glad to have happened"

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If you follow one piece of advice on this blog, it's to go rent the movie "This Is Spinal Tap."  It's satirical awesomene...
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