July 17, 2010 in Uncategorized
Early this coming week we will have a new play along/pdf/recordings for Blues for Alice, plus some tips for navigating those changes, and a new transcribed solo.
We also have a few clips of Carl Saunders playing piano, exclusively available at Learnjazzstandards.com. Carl’s trumpet playing is incredible, but he also is a very gifted piano player. His harmonic sense is phenomenal. Stay posted! I’m very …
July 17, 2010 in Uncategorized
Photo by Exquisitur at Flickr.com
There are all kinds of great opportunities to market your music on the internet. These companies all seem very reputable, but always do research, especially before you pay money! Here are a few great resources I’ve found:
Useful Resources
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July 17, 2010 in Uncategorized
Wynton @ Sam's
Photo by James Wheare, Flickr.com
Depending on who you ask, this day and age is either the best time in history to be a musician or the worst time in history to be a musician. Crazy? Let’s examine the facts:
CONS
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July 16, 2010 in Jazz Recordings
I coached the “Birdland” Jazz Combo this year at the Great Basin Jazz Camp. We had a great time at camp this year, and my combo was a dream to work with! The kids did a real nice job at our final concert tonight, and I told them I’d put up the recording for them to be able to …
July 15, 2010 in Jazz Recordings
It’s been an honor teaching at the Great Basin Jazz Camp for the third year in a row. I’ve had a lot of fun giving clinics, leading rehearsals, and playing in faculty jazz groups all week. I’ve had the pleasure of leading a student jazz combo, the Birdland Jazz Combo, which had it’s first gig tonight! We played at the …
July 14, 2010 in Learning Jazz
Have you ever wanted to increase the rhythmic interest of your improvisations? Try using hemiola and over-the-bar-line rhythmic patterns to try some new ideas. I have been teaching at the Great Basin Jazz Camp all week, and I consulted with several other faculty members on this article. Tom Goicoechea is an excellent young drummer on our faculty. He was a …
July 13, 2010 in Learning Jazz
Learn Jazz Standards is a website for all instrumentalists, and even vocalists; however, given that piano is my primary instrument, I will occasionally put some piano articles up. Also, piano is the most useful instrument for all musicians. There is a reason that all music majors take “piano proficiency” rather than “banjo proficiency!” All jazz musicians should study harmony on …
July 12, 2010 in Learning Jazz
I’m on faculty as a piano player at the Great Basin Jazz Camp at the College of Southern Idaho this week. Bruce Forman and Carl Saunders are the artists-in-residence at the camp, and Dr. David Joyner, Wayne Bliss, and several others are here as well teaching. It’s been a great learning experience, and I’m having a great time teaching and …
July 10, 2010 in Jazz Standards
Mediation is a nice bossa nova. I like the tune, but it’s connected to a painful experience for me. The first time it was called on me I was playing piano with trumpet player Carl Saunders at a jam session. I didn’t know the tune at the time (or a couple others he called), and I was pretty embarrassed. I’m …
July 8, 2010 in Jazz Standards
Perdido is one of my very favorite jazz tunes. It’s such a simple tune, but it’s got a great melody, and the changes are just fun to blow on. It’s not very hard, and it’s very accessible to most beginning jazz musicians, but also a favorite of many advanced players.
I really fell in love with this tune when I …
