La Strada!

A little while back, I mentioned a band called "La Strada."  They are not playing what you'd call jazz, or even the dreaded jazzy, but they are wonderful musicians and songwriters.  Two of the band members were former YHS jazz band students - Ted Lattis on the beard, and Devon Press on the hat. You should check them out.  It's hard for me not to get all weepy listening to this here.


It turns out they have an album coming out in the spring.  I'm first in line, if there were still lines.  Fortunately, there is still spring, but with a little global warming we can fix that too.  Here's a little making of video, looks promising.

Big Band Arranging

Ever wonder how someone writes a big band chart?  It's labor intensive, but rewarding, and best of all, it is something you can do if you have the inclination.  This guy, Jim Martin, is a great arranger, and is willing to share some information on the magic behind the writing.  CLICK HERE...he'll break down how to voice a simple little snippet.  BTW...if you have a ska band, or any kind of thing with a horn section, it works the same way. 

Take A Train

OK...So by now, all the hipsters following the blog know that most of what we call the "modern" tenor players came out of Joe Henderson, but have you had a chance to dig the master himself?  Here is a little reworking of the classic "Take the A Train" by Duke Ellington.  I put this up here so you can hear what can done with an old classic a.k.a. a standard.  
 
A standard is a tune that has been played many, many times by many, many different musicians over many, many years.  That's a lot of "manys" in there to deal with.  Eventually, if enough musicians learn the song, and memorize the melody and the changes, it becomes a standard.  One could say that it is a testament to how well these songs were written that they still get played today.   If you listen to classic rock, there is a good chance you're going to hear "Hotel California."  It's the same thing in the jazz world.  Good music holds up.

Top 5 Christmas Jazz Recordings

Tis the season to check out new stuff, and you probably are making your wish list for your parents as we speak, so how about digging some of this action...

1.  Miles Davis and Bob Dorough "Merry X-Mas (To Whom It May Concern)"  While not a particular uplifting song (check the lyrics below), it's brilliant.  That tenor solo - wow!  Bob Dorough the singer was the guy who did "Schoolhouse Rock."   This is my favorite of all time, for any holiday.  lol It truly needs nothing else, but the snapshots of garbage floating in Greece and other depressing clips don't detract from the cut. In fact, with repeated viewing they will grow on you somehow.


Blue Xmas

Merry Christmas
I hope you have a white one, but for me it's blue
Blue Christmas, that's the way you see it when you're feeling blue
Blue Xmas, when you're blue at Christmastime
you see right through,
All the waste, all the sham, all the haste
and plain old bad taste

Sidewalk Santy Clauses are much, much, much too thin
They're wearing fancy rented costumes, false beards and big fat phony grins
And nearly everybody's standing round holding out their empty hand or tin cup
Gimme gimme gimme gimme, gimme gimme gimme
Fill my stocking up
All the way up
It's a time when the greedy give a dime to the needy
Blue Christmas, all the paper, tinsel and the fal-de-ral
Blue Xmas, people trading gifts that matter not at all
What I call
Fal-de-ral
Bitter gall.......Fal-de-ral

Lots of hungry, homeless children in your own backyards
While you're very, very busy addressing
Twenty zillion Christmas cards
Now, Yuletide is the season to receive and oh, to give and ahh, to share
But all you December do-gooders rush around and rant and rave and loudly blare
Merry Christmas
I hope yours is a bright one, but for me it bleeds 

2.   The Ramsey Lewis Trio "Merry Christmas Baby."  The tempo is slow enough to warm you up without a fire.  This whole album is amazing, and will put you in the spirit.

  


3. Ella Fitgerald "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas".  Nobody can swing a classic like Ella.  She's the quintessential (nod to Mr. Levy) jazz singer.


4. Duke Ellington "Sugar Rum Cherry" from the Nutcracker Suite.  You'll recognize it as a jazzed up version of The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies.


5. Ray Charles and Betty Carter "Baby, It's Cold Outside"  It's THE love song for the season, how can you go wrong with that?  Listen to the way Betty Carter shapes her notes and phrases.  I don't think I've ever heard anyone but maybe Billie Holliday do it with that kind of mastery.  I'm going to try to capture some of that when I play a melody, you should too.

How to save jazz, a simple explanation.

Can you shuffle your cheeks and/or jowls.  Not in Pittsburgh in 1920.  CLICK HERE  and keep that "cheek and jowl shuffle" behind closed doors.  I don't know what fascinates me so much with these old articles.  I guess I like the fact that jazz was so counter culture back then.  Why do you think it was so popular?  It was exciting.

On that note, throughout history, jazz has always pushed the limits.  With declining jazz record sales, it would be wise for the industry to promote that kind of jazz - the edgy, exciting, boundary pushing kind, instead of pushing the soothing background music for your wine and cheese party type of jazz.  I can take a little of that, and completely respect people like Diana Krall who do it beautifully, but it's just not cool to anyone under 30.  

I think a younger audience would be way more into jazz if they recognized it as the music of rebellion.  Music that is made in contrast to the mainstream mediocre garbage that is pumped into your head without abandon.  It's bananas, b a n a n a s.  Wake up people!  You are being manipulated by "music industry professionals" a.k.a. uncreative old guys making money off of you, into a sugary dumbed down world of boring, repetitive, overproduced, overhyped fluff for simpletons.

Look at this video, wait until about 1:10 in, and you'll see how exciting new jazz is.

Theremin...not a swine flu drug.

If you are wondering what this Theremin thing is, you are not alone.  However, it does, like all odd stuff, have it's own little fan club.  Hey, while I'm on it...don't forget that you are unique, just like everyone else.  I'm not even sure you got that, but I had a nice chuckle.  So back to the Theremin, simply put it is an electronic instrument played by proximity.  It's also the oldest electronic instrument currently played.  If you are wondering what to make me for Christmas, and you have skills with a soldering gun, this is it. 

The subject is...Jazz!

I am heavy on George Russell these days, so I'd like to share this with you.  It's funny listening to this because I feel like a lot of what you hear on this would be considered "modern" today.  Start listening at 6:10, and dig the groove.  To say George Russell the arranger and composer was ahead of his time is a major understatement.  If you like this, seek out "George Russell - Jazz Workshop."  I'm listening to this non-stop these days.  Even if you don't like the songs on the album, you've got Bill Evans on Piano, Barry Galbraith on Guitar, Paul Motian on drums, Milt Hinton on bass, Art Farmer on Trumpet, Hal McKusick on sax.  I especially like how George Russell says at 11:10 that tonally it is an unadventurous piece.  His book "Lydian Chromatic Concepts of Tonal Organization"  changed the landscape of jazz.  Tonal Gravity!    He gives a brief explanation of that here at 11:30.

What is on your i-pod playlist?

Apparently we have formed some pretty strong stereotypes that link people to the music they listen to.  HERE is the full study out of Cambridge University.  It's a hard read so you should probably just skip to this thing HERE.  It's a video clip and summary of the article.  Another study out of Heriot-Watt University adds to the mix.  Check it out and give a listen to it's author HERE.

"Mom, I want to grow up and be a jazz musician."
"Now son, you have to pick one or the other, you can't do both."

A classic!

This is a classic tune, and one of the all time best selling songs of jazz.  It's called "Take Five" because it's written in 5/4 time.  It is the title track from the album of the same name.  If you don't own it, you should.
 The song was written and made famous by the Dave Brubeck Quartet.  Dave is on piano, Joe Morello is the drummer (and he plays one of the most famous drum solos in the history of jazz on the album), Paul Desmond is on alto sax and Eugene Wright is on bass.  JAZZ GIG TIP #67:  If you want to clear a dance floor, play something in 5!

Monkey Business

Apparently monkeys don't go for music, unless it's made for them.  Click HERE to take an auditory journey like no other.


Which do you prefer...happy or fearful monkey music?  I know you're probably asked that a lot, but indulge us after you check out the snippets.

The left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing.

The left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing.  Maybe it's better that way?  This is a clip of a guy named Phineas Newborn Jr. doing some left hand blues.

GO HERE NOW!

How do I, your blog, get you to to click HERE now?  This is the best.  This is what the internet was invented for.  Well, for this and other stuff.  I'm guessing this link probably only works in the evening when the jazz set is under way.  

PROJECT IDEA #1:  For added fun, rearrange the living room furniture to face the computer, invite your friends over, dim the lights, have your friends wear their shades and make comments to each other in between songs like "they should take this uptown, where the bread is at."

Some thoughts on learning the trombone in 1878

We here at the blog like to keep it old school.  Click HERE to view this article.  It's from the NY Times in 1878.  It starts about halfway down the page on the left and then continues into a second column.  Why?  Why not?   Below are two excerpts  that might raise your eyebrows...

"Of all of the various brass instruments which have been devised by musical or malevolent ingenuity, there is none which in it's capacity for inflicting both torture and delight is comparable to the trombone."

Agree or disagree?  Here is another...  

"Central Africa is clearly the place designed by nature for students of the trombone.  There alone they can practice in safety, and there alone will their brazen discords aid the march of civilization."

"...lets see what we can do here."

Ingrid Jensen is a trumpeter you should check out.  As a musician, she lives in the moment and interacts with what she hears, which is what you should strive to do.  She also has a pleasant, down to earth attitude.  Let her show you the way.

I'll bring it to you.

Click HERE for the Smalls jazz club live video feed.  It's pretty much the coolest thing since sliced bread.  The best part is you won't miss the last train home.

Now play me some blues!

I'm not sure it's accurate, but I like this quote from Bleeding Gums Murphy on the Simpsons as he was teaching Lisa to play..."The blues isn't about feeling better. It's about making other people feel WORSE, and making a few bucks while you're at it."

Click HERE to tryout a slow blues in F

Click HERE to live dangerously with a fast blues in F

Ears...more than odd looking skin flaps on the side of your head.

So I was thinking, which is beyond what a computer can do BTW, but I was thinking... these ears of yours need growth, and I don't mean in a Dr. Spockish way.  I mean it would be nice to do more with those things up there than hang glasses, accessorize them and pump in the latest singles.  

I am loving THIS SITE right now.  Here's the game plan for your ears...step 1 - go set up your instrument, step 2 - go to the LINK, step 3 - click on melodies and choose 3 notes (or 5 notes if your feeling frisky), step 4 - hit play and then robotically play those notes back to the computer.  It's at least as entertaining as Simon, isn't it?   Do that until it's old, and then move on to the rhythm section tab...Select all progressions and jazz lick mode under call and response with short phrases to start.  In no time you'll be calling your girlfriend "man."

The only video of Clifford Brown

The great trumpeter Clifford Brown a.k.a. "Brownie" was 25 when this clip was made.  Listen to his clear articulation and dazzling lines.  He was a young master who's life was tragically cut short in a car crash in Pennsylvania.

Mr. Fred Wesley!

James Brown's right hand man Fred Wesley keeps it funky on this clip.  Notice how he plays call and response with himself.  He shoots out a little rhythmic phrase, then answers it.  Back and forth, back and forth.  Then look what it does to people, like that lady at :53 seconds in... 

Don't choke the reed!

Reeds aren't always cooperative, but maybe if you choke them less, they'll work with you.  This is sax guru Jerry Bergonzi telling you how to create a perfect embouchure.  If you are like me, you will find that Italian subtitles spice up the dish.

Lambdoma?!

Is a Lambdoma a tasty Turkish treat? Not quite. I may have stumped myself on this one. THIS SITE by Drew Lesso is for the math major in you.  It is complete with music clips to illustrate whatever it is that I'm looking at.

Thank you sir, may I have another?

So you enjoyed last week's post did you, you little bald friend of mine? Well HERE is another site to help you use your ears for more than holding up your glasses or looking suave.

Train your ears

Do one's ears need training? Yes. They do. Practice THIS, young bald monkey.

My left foot

I know there are a lot of drumming clips on this blog of mine. Further, I know that you are not all drummers. Yet there is something to be said for playing rhythmically above all else on whatever it is that you play. It's a primal thing. Somewhere in our DNA we are forced to connect with a good groove.

This clip is all about the CLAVE. A clave, according to Wikipedia, is a rhythmic pattern used as a tool for temporal organization in Afro-Cuban music, such as salsa. It's the Latin version of the groove. There are many many different claves, most of which represent specific types of dance. Rhumba, Salsa, Bossa-Nova and Mambo are a few well known claves. Now that I'm done explaining, dig Horatio Hernandez's left foot as you listen to him solo, that's where the clave is at. BTW, claves are often played on actual claves, but not always.

Give me a reason...

Need a reason for playing? How about this...SUPERHUMAN HEARING! Click on that to check out the latest study.

Back in action!

I don't know why, but I, your blog, feel a certain pressure to post something a little extra special after this long break. I've missed you, and I know you've missed me too. So let's enjoy this moment together. Aaah. That's it. Hug it out. We're reunited, and it feels so good. Now let's cherish the love we have of jazz.

O.K., now that you are in the mood, let's talk about your sound. Think of your sound as your voice. Have you ever lost your voice? It's a really important part of communication, isn't it? Now think about how you can change the sound of your voice. What is your best voice? What do you do differently with your mouth and breathing to create your "best voice"? Could you play with that "best voice" on your instrument? I think you'll like this extra special clip from the Smithsonian I've cooked up for you...

Enjoy your summer!

I'll try and put some stuff on the old bloggy from time to time, but for now I'm just going to take in the skywriting on this beach in India.

"Sing it Jared!"

Odd, in Bb

This link is odd, and will save you a trip to the east village or Brooklyn.

More Muppets!

"What if you and I just get right down to it and do this little beauty, eh?" Zoot Sims is on the honks. "Forgive me Charlie Parker where ever you are." Classic.