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THE JAZZ EDUCATOR'S MAGAZINE JULY 2008 • $10.00 CHICO HAMILTON “DEALING IN HUMAN EMOTIONS” FOCUS SESSION Pentatonic Scales Roundtable Substitute Gigging
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2 JAZZed July 2008
GUEST EDITORIAL: DR. ROBERT KLEVAN 14Dr. Robert Klevan, Jazz Education director for the Monterey Jazz Festival, discusses some “required listening” material for any jazz scholar.
FOCUS SESSION: PENTATONIC SCALES 20Guitarist and educator Chaim Burstein outlines the many applications of pentatonic scales.
CHICO HAMILTON 24JAZZed speaks with the legendary drummer about his storied career, his approach to playing and studying jazz, and his experiences as an educator.
ROUNDTABLE: SUBSTITUTE GIGGING 30We hear from a handful of experienced jazzers on how to best prepare oneself to suc-ceed when asked to fi ll in at a gig on short notice.
BASIC TRAINING: GUIDE TONES 36Regular JAZZed contributor Miles Donahue walks readers through the concepts behind applying guide tones to improv playing.
ROUNDUP: GUITARS 40GUEST CLINICIAN: DR. JOHN KUZMICH 44Respected educator and clinician, Dr. John Kuzmich, shares thoughts on how to effec-tively introduce students to improvisation.
™
Chico Hamilton “I try to teach these
students how to become professional musicians, as well as showing them how to
play.”
contentsJ U L Y 2 0 0 8
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PUBLISHER’S LETTER 4NOTEWORTHY 6ESPERANZA SPALDING:WHAT’S ON YOUR PLAYLIST 12CROSSWORD PUZZLE 48GEARCHECK 49HOT WAX 51BACKBEAT: ESBJÖRN SVENSSON 53CLASSIFIEDS 54
AD INDEX 56.
departments
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JAZZed™ is published six times annually by Symphony Publishing, LLC, 21 Highland Circle, Suite 1, Needham, MA 02494, (781) 453-9310.
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JULY 2008Volume 3, Number 4
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JAZZed July 2008 3
Cover photograph: Matthew Sussman, N.Y.C.
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Music education happens to be a very small yet highly visible fi eld, which has a large number of associations and organizations that are targeted towards this niche. There are groups that focus on the local, state, national, and even international levels, some of which are incredibly well man-aged and others that seem to have more diffi culty. By now, you’ve no doubt heard about the tragic demise of the premier jazz education organiza-tion, IAJE (not the individual state groups, many of which are still operating successfully) which took many in the fi eld of jazz by surprise. Although at the time of the writing of this editorial, the group has yet to fi le for Chapter 7 bankruptcy; the facts are that the organization owed over $1 million to creditors which included American Express, Starwood Hotels, a magazine printer in Kansas, a local bank, and others. Though this venerable organization has died an untimely death, the people who are dedicated to jazz are alive and well and are not willing to sim-ply allow their passion to be untended.
An enterprising group of more than 35 moti-vated individuals from all arenas of jazz, includ-ing educators, publishers, association leaders, and businesses led by Mary Jo Papich, Fine and Applied Arts Dept. chair at Highland Park High School, Ill., and Dr. Lou Fischer, professor of Mu-sic, Capital University in Columbus, Ohio, gath-
ered in Chicago in early June to develop a concept for a completely new organization dedicated to jazz education. From this meeting, the foundations were laid for a new association called the Jazz Edu-cation Network (JEN). JEN’s mission is: “dedicated to building the jazz arts community by advancing education, promoting performance, and develop-ing new audiences.”
There are organizations which have member-ships that must conform to rigid specifi cations about the type of person, school, or company that may be involved. One of the exciting aspects of JEN is their commitment to include a variety of different types of members, many of whom will bring a wide diversity of skills, experience, and passion to the association. There are obviously legions of people who are interested in our unique
world of jazz, and there are numerous positive reasons for bringing everyone to the table to help to build the jazz education community. On one fi nal note, it’s rare to fi nd two people with such tremendous dedication, leadership skills, and pure love for jazz education as Mary Jo and Lou. We’ll have more news in the coming months on the JEN organization, so be sure to check our Web sites periodically for the latest happenings: www.jazzedmagazine.com and www.jazzplayer.com.
publisher’s letter R I C K K E S S E L
The Jazz Education Network:
A Fresh Start
“One of the exciting aspects
of JEN is their commitment to
include a variety of different types
of members”
4 JAZZed July 2008
JAZ_4 4 7/15/08 4:15:53 PM
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uilliard Jazz has announced the addition of ten new artists to its faculty for the 2008-09 academic year: Ron Carter will join Juilliard as a bass instructor; Xavier Davis will teach piano for non-pianists in the Juilliard Jazz program; Bassist Ray Drummond will teach jazz improvisation; Benny Golson
will become artist in residence and guest conductor for the Juilliard Jazz Orchestra; Benny Green will be a visiting artist; Frank Kimbrough joins the program as piano instructor; Christian McBride will become artist in residence and guest conductor for the Juilliard Jazz Orchestra; Ted Nash will conduct the Juilliard Jazz Orchestra; Steve Turre will teach trombone and jazz small ensemble; and Kenny Washington will teach rhythm section and jazz history.
The 2008-09 season will mark the 8th anniversary of Juilliard Jazz. Juilliard offers an undergraduate jazz degree, awarding a bachelor of music degree to those completing its four-year curriculum; a two-year master of music degree program designed for advanced performers who want to maximize their professional opportunities, onstage, and in the academic world; and an advanced pre-professional curriculum lead-ing to an Artist Diploma, offered through the Juilliard Institute for Jazz Studies – a collaboration between Juilliard and Jazz at Lincoln Center.
For more information, visit www.juilliard.edu.
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6 JAZZed July 2008
Juilliard Jazz’s New Faculty
J
by Rupert Hörst (www.hoerbst.net)Rupert's collections of music-themed cartoons – Brassival, Woodstocks, and Stringled – are available in the U.S. through Hal Leonard Publishing.
MILES TI:ME Names New Executive DirectorTI:ME, the Technology Institute for Music Educators, has appointed Kay Fitzpatrick the new executive director. Kay replaces John Dun-phy, who resigned in December 2007.
Kay Fitzpatrick, JD, CAE, has been in association management for 18 years; she was certifi ed as an association executive in 1997. She has served as CEO of two nonprofi t 501(c)(6) and two nonprof-it 501(c)(3) organizations, including the Michigan Music Conference since 2006. Kay served on the Board of Directors of her state profes-sional society, the Michigan Society of Association Executives, for six years; she currently serves on the Boards of the Women Lawyers As-sociation of Michigan Foundation and the Detroit Executive Service Corps. She has taught university level law, association management and business-related courses, both face-to-face and online.
For more information, please visit TI:ME’s Web site at www.ti-me.org.
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JAZZed July 2008 7
In April, 2008, the International Association of Jazz Educa-tors, an internationally respected arts organization, fi led for bankruptcy under Chapter 7 of the US Bankruptcy Code. Hav-ing been an active member of the arts education community for more than 25 years, I was both surprised and dismayed at the downfall of IAJE.
Veiled behind the news of the bankruptcy action was the rev-elation that IAJE’s failing was a combination of the lack of fi scal
oversight by the Board of Directors and the less than transparent fi nancial reports made by the Executive Director. I wish that I could say that with non-profi ts this is an isolated incident, but unfortunately, it happens too often.
When I was asked to help in the creation of a new national jazz education organization and facilitate that process I was most pleased to provide that assistance. More than 35 leaders from the jazz education community and its affi liated industries gathered in
noteworthy
Creating A Jazz Education Nonprofit
he Jazz Education Network (JEN) was formed on June 1, 2008. The association will be focused on advanc-ing and expanding jazz education, jazz performance opportunities, and jazz audiences.
More than 35 leaders from the jazz education community and its affi liated industries gathered in suburban
Chicago to discuss the need for an organization geared to serve professionals and students in the jazz education fi eld. The meetings were facilitated by Gene Wenner of Arts & Education Consultants, Bob Breithaupt of JazzArts Group and Matt Carter of Music Cross-roads. After two days of discus-sion and deliberations, the group enthusiastically agreed to form Jazz Education Network.
“The outcome of this meeting was clear,” said Mary Jo Papich, president of JEN. “There is a burning need to help build a strong community in jazz educa-tion. There is a void that must be fi lled. Our goal is to be an essen-tial resource for anyone involved in or with jazz education.”
The mission statement for the organization states: The JazzEdu-cation Network is dedicated to building the jazz arts community by advancing education, promot-
ing performance, and developing new audiences.“We understand that this is a monumental endeavor,” said
Papich, “but it is vitally important this work be done. Col-laborating together, our goal is to support a strong and well-
equipped community that meets the needs of 21st-century education. We will strive to be inclusive, rather than exclu-sive. As a result, jazz education can have a positive impact on the lives of many more students of all backgrounds. We will work to identify and inspire new audiences. Our goal is to help focus the creative power, grace, and beauty of jazz that expands far beyond playing the music and into what makes a life well lived.”
In addition to electing Papich as president, the Network’s initial temporary board will include Lou Fischer as vice president, Bruce Silva as treasurer, and Julie Traenkenschuh as secretary.
Papich is the Fine Arts chair at Highland Park High School and Focus on the Arts festival director in Highland Park, Ill. Fischer is a leading jazz educator who serves as professor of music at Capital University Conservatory of Music in Columbus, Ohio. Silva is vice president of Buffet Crampon USA in Jackson-ville, Fla., and Traenkenschuh is director of bands at Woodruff High School in Peoria, Ill.
The following agreed to hold offi ce as board members until after the fi rst meeting of the membership:
Jim Widner (Mo.) Steve Crissinger (Ohio)Paul Chiaravelle (Ill.) Ruben Alvarez (Ill.)Paris Rutherford (Texas) Andrew Surmani (Calif.)Rick Kessel (Mass.) Michael Kenyon (Ind.)Dan Gregerman (Ill.) Bob Breithaupt (Ohio)Ellen Rowe (Mich.) Jarrard Harris (Ill.)The Network is in the process of fi ling for non-profi t organi-
zation status. Once complete, it will begin the work of develop-ing programs, events and attracting membership.
A Web site will be up shortly at www.jazzednet.org that will provide organizational updates and membership information. There will be a section requesting input from potential member-ship, as JEN will be a member driven organization. For more infor-mation, please contact Mary Jo Papich ([email protected]) or Lou Fischer ([email protected]).
Jazz Education Network Launched
T
Letter
Dr. Lou Fischer
Mary Jo Papich
JAZ_7 7 7/15/08 4:20:00 PM
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8 JAZZed July 2008
suburban Chicago to discuss the need for an organization geared to serve professionals and students in the jazz education fi eld.
Representatives from Down Beat magazine, JazzEd magazine, from such prestigious groups as the National Endowment for the Arts, the Thelonius Monk Institute of Jazz, Past Presidents of IAJE, college professors and school directors participated in two days of discussion and deliberations. At the end of the weekend, the group enthusiastically agreed to form the new Jazz Education Network (JEN).
“The outcome of this meeting was clear,” said Mary Jo Papich, new president of JEN. “There is a burning need to help build a strong community in jazz education. There is a void that must be fi lled. Our goal is to be an essential resource for anyone involved in or with jazz education.” It is evidenced in the mission statement: The Jazz Education Network is dedicated to building the jazz arts community by advancing education, promoting performance and developing new audiences.
There are two important points I want to emphasize. First, it is critical that in the life of every non-profi t organization the role of the Board of Directors in providing fi scal oversight not be pushed aside while a well-established executive director makes decisions for the board. So the “blame” for what happened here falls on both parties. Board/staff relations can often be at the root of many non-profi t problems.
I should point out that although Boards of Directors are volunteers, by State and Federal law, they are responsible for the non-profi t, not the staff. Unfortunately some boards are often not willing to take the time to understand every aspect of the non-profi t organization and provide oversight (not micro-man-agement) of the staff.
There have been too many examples of the same problem of lack of fi scal oversight in national state and local non-profi t organizations. It was announced in December, 2007 that the National Music Foundation was suspending operations due to the retirement of its president and CEO. I assisted NMF in the development of their American Music Education Initiative that gave grants to teachers that used American Music (including
jazz) effectively in their classrooms. It is unfortunate that this program will no longer exist.
Second, I cannot overstate the importance of arts education as an integral part of the education of all students. The arts still tend to be “pushed” out of the budget for what some perceive as more important things at budget time. The same can be said about jazz education. Jazz is one very important American tradi-tion that gets cast aside to make way for pop music, rock, and rap.
In spite of that, there are many exceptional jazz ensembles in schools and colleges both here in the county as well as across the nation. There are countless jazz festivals throughout the country but it is hard to determine in how many of these festivals, school jazz ensembles are included. They need to be showcased for administrators, parents and the general public, separately from other school performance groups.
In my long service to non-profi t arts and education non-profi ts, the importance of strong arts education programs in the schools, including jazz education, is essential and needs to be recognized and valued.
The establishment of the Jazz Education Network and its mission serves an important role in assuring that one of the “nation’s treasures” continues to thrive. It was a distinct pleasure for me to have played a role in making it happen. All that were present at the meeting in Chicago left with optimism while knowing that there was still much work to be done.
Dr. Lou Fisher, vice president, said, “Your role as facilitator really proved to be benefi cial to the fl ow of the meeting. It was a monumental task and your expertise, attention to detail, mild-mannered, expert guidance was truly a gift to the new organiza-tion”.
I look forward to watching JEN grow and become a vital part of our culture and education.
Gene C. Wenner, presidentArts & Education Consultants
www.aecwenn.com
The second International Jazz Composers’ Symposium, sponsored by the University of South Florida’s Center for Jazz Composition and BMI, drew over 80 jazz composers and musicians from throughout the U.S., Canada, and Europe to the University of South Florida for 3 days of intensive new music presentations, concerts, workshops, panel discussions, and much more. Featured guest composers in-cluded Bill Holman, Jim McNeely, and Stefon Harris who performed in tandem with the Turtle Island Quartet as well as an ensemble of mixed winds and rhythm. Performing the wide-ranging works of 18 competitively selected composers as well that of master artists Holman & McNeely was Artistic Director, Chuck Owen and his 17-piece Jazz Surge. At the end of the Symposium the guest artist panel selected works in two categories to honor with Symposium New Music Awards. The winner for Small Group composition was Jambo, by Michael LeBrun of Chicago, Ill., and for Big Band composition,
“Folk Song #1” by Lars Moller of Copenhagen, Denmark. Each guest artist had an opportunity to expound upon their
philosophies, observations, and concerns as a composer in 90-minute “conversations” with the attendees.
Clinics and presentations were offered on string writing tech-niques in jazz (David Balakrishnan and Mark Summer from TSQ), the BMI Jazz Composers Workshop (McNeely), the Center for Jazz Composition’s “Michael Brecker Tribute Project” (Owen), in addition to the formal presentation of research papers. New music reading ses-sions highlighted works of 18 composers in three different categories - Big Band, Small Group, and Student Compositions – with the latter receiving a master class from the visiting guest composers. Each day was capped off with an evening concert presenting one of the guest artists’ music.
For more information, please visit centerforjazzcomp.arts.usf.edu.
International Jazz Composers Symposium
JAZ_8 8 7/15/08 4:20:05 PM
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Members of NAMM, the not-for-profi t trade associa-tion of the international music products industry, recently converged on Washington D.C. for the organization’s annual Advocacy Fly-In event to take the music product industry’s pro-music-education message to their respective elected federal lawmakers in Congress.
The group of 25 music product industry professionals separated into eight groups, logging an unprecedented 73 meetings with elected offi cials and staffers.
The NAMM delegates explained the need to keep music and arts education as core curriculum subjects in the reau-thorization of the No Child Left Behind Act, and to include in the law greater fl exibility and funding in Title I to provide access to music education and ensure a quality and complete education for all students.
The NAMM representatives also outlined their goals to advance policy reform by supporting an ongoing study by the Government Accountability Offi ce (GAO) to assess the impact of NCLB on student access to quality music and arts education.
Strengthening the industry’s case, NAMM has supported scientifi c research showing the link between music and student performance. Recent NAMM-sponsored studies have shown:• Students in top-quality middle school music programs
scored 22 percent better in English and 20 percent better in math than students in defi cient music programs
• Students in top-quality instrumental programs in high schools scored 17 percent higher in mathematics than
students in schools without a music program• Teenagers’ view music making as their “social glue” and
that music education gives them the balanced experience in life they require.
In addition, recent public opinion surveys have shown overwhelming support for access to music educa-tion and identify a new and growing constituency of voters (30 percent) who advocate building capacities of the imagination and education going beyond the current focus on “basics.” Statistics include:
• 91 percent of voters indicate that music and arts are es-sential to building imagination
• 82 percent of voters want to build imagination and cre-ative skills in schools
• 86 percent of those people with college degrees partici-pated in a music education program
• 96 percent of principals interviewed agree that partici-pating in music programs encourages students to stay in school.For years, NAMM has conducted research regarding the
effects of playing music on children and people of all ages. Research indicates that children who are engaged in music score higher on standardized tests and have higher school retention and graduation rates. Playing music has helped adults increase productivity, build confi dence, reduce stress, stave off depression and provides an opportunity to learn and grow socially and emotionally.
For more information, visit www.namm.org.
NAMM Members Lobby Congress to Support Music Ed
The Percussive Arts Society Interna-tional Convention (PASIC) will take place in Austin, Texas from November 5-8, 2008. For the second time in the event’s history, Austin will play host to more than 7,000 drummers and percus-sionists from around the world at the Austin Convention Center and Hilton Hotel. The event will feature more than 130 events on 13 stages and session topics spanning a variety of areas, including drumset, symphonic, march-ing, recreational, world, and keyboard percussion.
Legendary jazz drummer Roy Haynes and the Fountain of Youth Band will present Saturday evening’s showcase concert. Other showcase events include German marimba virtuoso Katarzyna Mycka and a performance by Na’rimbo,
a marimba ensemble from Chiapas, Mexico.
Drumset artists include Thomas Pridgen (Mars Volta), Ed Soph (Stan Kenton, Woody Herman), Gavin Har-rison (Porcupine Tree), Derico Watson (Victor Wooten Band), Erik Smith (Erik Smith Trio, Smiths Venner), Albe Bonacci (Jack Segal, Diane Warren), Derek Roddy (Hate Eternal, Malevolent Creation) and Marc Quiñones, Bobby Allende, and Jessie Caraballo will come together for a joint Latin drumset ses-sion.
The convention’s International Drum and Percussion Expo will high-light more than 100 industry exhibitors showcasing the latest in percussion instruments, publications, and services. The Expo will be open to convention
attendees November 6-8 and available to the general public daily for $15; chil-dren under 12 are admitted free.
The annual PASIC Marching Percussion Festival will take place on November 6 and 7. The festival features a competition of high school and col-legiate drumlines and solo performers vying for top honors in this nationally recognized contest. Tickets for Friday, November 7 are available to the general public for $15 and includes access to the International Drum and Percussion Expo; children 12 and under are admit-ted free.
Registration for PASIC 2008 is avail-able online at www.pasic.org or by call-ing (800) 540-9030. Early registration pricing is available through September 26; on-site registration is also available.
PASIC 2008 Highlights
JAZ_9 9 7/15/08 4:20:09 PM
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10 JAZZed July 2008
FESTIVALSCentrum Presents Jazz Port Townsend
Washington’s largest summer jazz festival, headlined by such internation-ally renowned musicians as Taylor Eigsti, Wycliffe Gordon, Eric Alexander and Paquito d’Rivera, turns the Victorian seaport and arts community of Port Townsend into the summer jazz getaway July 24–26, 2008.
The festival continues this year under the leadership of artistic director John Clay-ton, a prominent Grammy-winning performer, composer, and arranger. Clayton played in Count Basie’s orchestra and currently conducts, composes it and co-leads the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra.
Jazz Port Townsend’s main-stage shows take place at Fort Worden State Park’s McCurdy Pavilion—a renovated WWI-era balloon hangar converted into a 1,200-seat performance hall. Smaller, more intimate shows take place in Port Townsend’s historic downtown restaurants and clubs.
The lineup of mainstage and club performers also includes Clarence Acox, Clipper Anderson, Dan Balmer, Alex Brown, George Cables, Gilbert Castellanos, Steve Christofferson, Jeff Clayton, Dee Daniels, Chuck Deardorf, Bruce Forman, Benny Green, Randy Halberstadt, John Hansen, Andre Hayward, Tamir Hendleman, Gary Hobbs, Matt Jorgensen, Rickey Kelly, Steve Korn, D’vonne Lewis, Christoph Luty, Doug Miller, Kim Nazarian, Gary Smulyan, Phil Sparks, Terell Stafford, Nancy King, Bill Ram-say, Kim Richmond, Dave Speranza, Chris Spencer, Jay Thomas, Sachal Vasandani, Eric Verlinde, Gary Versace, Byron Vannoy, Matt Wilson, Laura Welland, Jiggs Whigham, Greg Williamson, Martin Wind, and Jon Wikan.
To order tickets, visit www.centrum.org or call Centrum at (800) 733-3608 or (360) 385-3102, extension 117.
Montreal Jazz FestivalDrawn by a program of 701 performances – 376 of them free
– offered by 3,000 musicians from 30 countries, over 250,000 visitors from fi ve continents recently converged on downtown Montreal for the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal.
The Festival site featured a dozen stages for free open-air con-certs, in addition to over 15 indoor concert venues offering music
fans 50 concerts per day in ideal condi-tions.
The major names on this year’s mar-quee ranged from Aretha Franklin to Woody Allen,
including the likes of Leonard Cohen, Return To Forever, Abbey Lincoln, Dianne Reeves, James Taylor, Lee “Scratch” Perry, The Wailers, David Murray, Michel Donato, Guy Na-don, Ravi Coltrane, Coral Egan, Steely Dan, Katie Melua, Yael Naim, the double program featuring Al Green / Lizz Wright, and the return of Lewis Furey.
This year, festival organizers dedicated the 29th edition to the late Oscar Peterson, who passed away last winter. The absence of this great Canadian and jazz colossus is marked notably by the Invitation Rio Tinto Alcan series, featuring a number of illustrious pianists, with Hank Jones, McCoy Tyner and Dave Brubeck splitting up nine concerts, and wel-coming Brad Mehldau and Oliver Jones, among others.
For more information, visit www.montrealjazzfest.com.
JVC Launches Jazz Fest Web siteJVC, the electronics maker and sponsor of the JVC Jazz Festi-
val, has launched a new Web site, www.jazz.jvc.com.The recently launched site was conceived at the outset to be
more than just a schedule of JVC Jazz Festival performances, so in addition to offering all the details about the worldwide festival, it also offers artists profi les, feature articles and music tracks, and videos from selected artists.
The JVC Jazz Festival, now in its 25th year, presents live performances by both legendary performers and the genre’s most promising rising stars. The festival includes the JVC Jazz Festival – Newport, one of the most prominent and popular jazz events each year, as well as festivals in fi ve other U.S. cities this year, plus events in Rotterdam and Paris.
The new site presents a detailed schedule of performances for all eight 2008 festivals along with photos and profi les of more than 150 artists and a link for ticket purchases. There are also 25 full-length feature articles and a large selection of audio tracks and videos, along with links to the artists’ own Web sites.
Plans call for the site to be updated throughout the year with new information and insights into the music and the artists.
Visit the site at www.jazz.jvc.com.
Fox Jazz FestThe 16th Annual Fox Jazz Fest: Tribute to the Greats, hosted
by the Jazz Corner Society, will take place Saturday, August 30, 2008 and Sunday, August 31, 2008 in Jefferson Park, Menasha, Wis.
Free to the general public, the Fox Jazz Fest is dedicated to providing the residents of the Fox Valley with high quality jazz and entertainment every Labor Day weekend. This year’s festival features the Tigran Hamasyan Trio with Grammy award winning drummer Zach Harmon, the Jerry Bergonzi Quartet, Steve March Tormé, area jazz musicians and local middle and high school jazz bands.
For more information, visit www.foxjazzfest.com.
John Clayton
JAZ_10 10 7/15/08 4:20:13 PM
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12 JAZZed July 2008
1. “You Can’t Hide Love” – Earth Wind and FireLyrics so simple, but potent. The arrangement is beauti-ful, reminiscent of Wayne Shorter's fusion period. They are grooving their asses off.
2. “When You Dream/Aung San Suu Kyi/Fee Fi Fo Fum” – Wayne Shorter
There is no way for me to choose one Wayne Shorter tune. These three are the dearest to my heart, because to me, you hear three distinct facets of this completely brilliant being.
3. “Tarde” – Milton NascimentoThe version from Native Dancer. The lyrics are so haunting, and his singing is the closest I’ve ever heard a singer get to not “singing” with his/her instrument in the way.
4. “Love Poems” – BilalHe fi nds the mountain in his voice, and we get to scale it together. There are so many places he goes with his voice! It’s like he uses the different rooms in the house of his voice to show all of what he describes going through in a budding romance that he tries to tie into being “plutonic.” Brilliant.
5. World Clique – Deee-LiteThese guys were amazing! When I was about 8 through 14 years old, I would listen to them all the time. They had a sound way ahead of their time (or we are already starting to recycle that decade!). They made me listen to what was happening in the music for the fi rst time, because there was so much going on. It was like a fun game to try and hear everything happening in the cuts.
6. “Liberation” – André 3000The lyrics in this one resonate terribly deeply within me. Also, Erykah Badu’s featured in this tune. Viva el André! He is one of the most talented, creative artists of our century... I love everything he does.
7. Water No Get Enemy – Fela KutiRaw power. Not sure what else to say. Good way to test whether you are a corpse or not. If when you hear this song, your back doesn’t turn into a water snake, feet twisting and pounding the ground... you should be concerned.
Bassist/vocalist Esperanza Spalding was just 15 years
old when she began her professional music career, per-
forming at a Portland, Ore. blues club. Other early gigs
included stints with area jazz septets, a trio, and the fu-
sion group, Noise for Pretend, that released two albums
on the Hush Records label.
Spalding has since collaborated with the likes of
Stanley Clarke, Joe Lovano, Pat Metheney, Dave Samu-
els, and Regina Carter, among others. The 2005 recipi-
ent of the Boston Jazz Society scholarship for outstand-
ing musicianship, Esperanza also holds a B.M. from
Berklee College of Music, where she now teaches as the
youngest faculty member in the school’s history.
Her sophomore solo CD, Esperanza, is a showcase of
Spalding’s ambitious creative spirit and enormous musi-
cal talents, dipping into samba, bop, straight-up jazz,
pop, funk, latin, afro-cuban, and many other territories.
What’s on Your Playlist?
Esperanza Spalding’s album, Esperanza (Concord), was released in May of 2008. www.esperanzaspalding.com
Photo by: Johann Sauty
JAZ_12 12 7/15/08 4:23:24 PM
JAZZed July 2008 13
8. “Lo Que Vendra” – Astor PiazollaSounds like the natural world react-ing to the wind. You know, the tune is like a camera panning, and zooming in on different plants, ponds, trees, and faces, and framing them in afternoon sunlight, helping you notice how beautiful the simplest things really are – all the things that you wish you had time to appreciate when there is a spring breeze.
9. “Jazz (Ain’t Nothin But Soul)” – Betty Carter
It’s the truth, damnit. She was just the fi rst to say that s.
10. “K.O.S. (Determination)” –Black Star
Theme song.
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14 JAZZed July 2008
Most jazz educators and professional jazz musi-cians would agree that any aspiring young high school and/or middle school jazz student should spend a good deal of time actually listening to jazz in order to learn, recognize, and better appreci-ate the many characteristics of this unique mu-sic. Through time spent in focused listening, the young jazz musician will no doubt obtain a better feel for various jazz styles, improve per-sonal playing tech-nique, and ultimately become a more com-petent jazz musician. The premise being that as novices, most students cannot be expected to fully un-derstand the many subtleties of this com-plex form of music if their only exposure and experience with jazz is solely through partici-pation in the school ensemble rehearsal, perfor-mance, or occasional music festival/competition. However, I would venture to guess that even in
school programs where the enthusiasm for playing jazz is profuse, it is highly probable that a num-ber of students will lack an answer when queried to name a favorite jazz artist or specifi c recording they enjoy.
In my experience with working with young students, I have found that often the problem is not a student’s unwillingness to listen to jazz, but
rather with his or her uncertainty as to who to listen to and consequently which record-ings to obtain. Al-though published guides are avail-able, they may not be readily or easily accessible to stu-dents, or might in fact be too com-prehensive for the
average high school or middle school adolescent. In addition, the problem is often exacerbated by the high cost and sheer volume of recordings available on the market today. Even with the ease
guest editorial D R . R O B E R T K L E VA N
"IRequired Listening!Jazz Class Assignment:
n the name of increasing your knowledge of the music and
vocabulary, [listening] is really a must. It would be the equiv-
alent of reading newspapers on a daily basis and reading nov-
els if you want to become a writer…same process I think.”
– Saxophonist, composer/arranger,
band leader Bob Mintzer
Gerald Wilson
JAZ_14 14 7/15/08 4:24:42 PM
JAZZed July 2008 15
guest editorial
of obtaining recordings via the internet through on-line stores such as Amazon or Borders, or through such pop-ular sites as iTunes and Napster, students might be re-luctant to purchase a jazz CD or recording without some sort of direction, or a clear understanding of what they should expect to gain from their investment.
Whatever the reasons might be, if students are willing to lis-ten to jazz, but are not doing so, it is only fi tting that jazz edu-cation directors and organizations such as the Monterey Jazz Festival step forward and offer some added help and guidance.
Develop a Listening LibraryAs a high school instrumental and vocal music
teacher, I rarely dedicated time in rehearsal for listen-ing to jazz, and was unfortunately unaware of the fact that my jazz students were not listening to this mu-sic outside of the classroom. On one occasion during a sight-reading session at festival, my students in the big band were questioned by a clinician as to which jazz artists and recordings were their favorites. Only one of my young musicians could respond with an answer. Only one! I realized then and there that more effort was required on my part to encourage students to listen to jazz. However, as mentioned above, there were so many recordings available that it was difficult for me to recommend specific examples for students to hear. Of course, I personally owned a substantial collection of jazz recordings, but I was at a loss as to which of these, if any, would serve best for an educational and influential purpose.
In need of help, I sought the advice of experts in the field, specifically the professional jazz musicians who at the time were serving as clinicians with the Monterey Jazz Festival. I realize how fortunate I was to be living in the same area that hosts one of the world’s greatest jazz events and had at my disposal the expertise of these incredible musicians who devoted their time and effort to furthering jazz education in their role as the Monterey Jazz Festival’s traveling clinicians. Each month, the clini-cians would enter my jazz classroom and actually sit-in with my student musicians during rehearsals. On one of these occasions, I asked them for suggestions of re-cordings with which every aspiring young jazz musician should become familiar.
Below is a brief compilation of recordings recommend-ed for listening by the MJF traveling clinicians past and present. Clinicians who contributed suggestions to this list include Paul Contos (saxophone), Terry Russell (trom-bone), Bill Berry (trumpet), Bruce Forman (guitar), Scott Steed (bass), Tee Carson (piano), Vince Lateano (drums), and Madeline Eastman (vocals).
Recommended Recordings for Listening – Instrumental:Louis Armstrong – Louis Armstrong Meets Oscar Peterson (Verve)Count Basie – Long Live the Chief (Denon Records)George Benson –White Rabbit (Sony)George Benson –Body Talk (Sony)Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers –Free for All (Blue Note)Paul Chambers – Paul Chambers Quintet (Blue Note)John Coltrane – Ballads (GRP)John Coltrane – Blue Trane (Blue Note)John Coltrane – Giant Steps (Atlantic Rhino) Miles Davis – Kind of Blue (Sony)Miles Davis – Workin’ with the Miles Davis Quintet (Prestige) Duke Ellington – Live at the Newport Jazz Festival (1959) (Poly-gram)Duke Ellington, Johnny Hodges – Back to Back (Polygram)Bill Evans – You Must Believe in Spring (Warner Bros.) Slide Hampton – World of Trombones (Black Lion/Da Music/Ka) Johnny Hodges – At Sportpalast, Berlin (Pablo)JJ Johnson – Proof Positive (GRP)JJ Johnson – The Eminent JJ Johnson (Blue Note)Rob McConnell and the Boss Brass – Play the Jazz Classics (Concord)Wes Montgomery, Wynton Kelly – Smokin at the Half-Note(Verve)Joe Pass – Virtuoso (Pablo)Oscar Peterson – A Royal Wedding Suite (OJC) Frank Rosolino – Fond Memories of… (Double-Time Records)Wayne Shorter – Night Dreamer (Blue Note) Frank Wess Orchestra – Entre Nous (Concord)Gerald Wilson – Theme for Monterey (MAMA Records)
John Clayton
JAZ_15 15 7/15/08 4:24:46 PM
guest editorial
16 JAZZed July 2008
Recommended Recordings for Listening – Vocal:Chet Baker – Chet Baker Sings (Blue Note)Betty Carter – Inside Betty Carter (Blue Note) Ray Charles – The Genius of Ray Charles (Atlantic / Wea) June Christy – Something Cool (Blue Note)Kurt Elling – Close Your Eyes (Blue Note)Ella Fitzgerald – Ella in Berlin (live) (Verve)Johnny Hartman – John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman (Grp Re-cords)Billie Holiday – Lady Sings the Blues (Verve)Eddie Jefferson – The Main Man (Inner City)Nancy King – Live at the Jazz Standard (Max Jazz Records)
Lambert, Hendricks & Ross – Everybody’s Boppin’ (Sony)Carmen McRae – The Great American Songbook (Atlantic / Wea)Mark Murphy – September Ballads (Milestone) Flora Purim – 500 Miles High (Ojc)Leon Thomas – Spirits Known and Unknown (RCA Victor Europe)Nancy Wilson – Nancy Wilson & Cannonball Adderly (Blue Note)
Of course, these suggestions are just a very few of the thousands of recordings available that through devoted lis-tening would serve to increase the students’ vocabulary and knowledge of jazz. But, with this small library of recordings made readily available to my students for check-out, I made “listening” a requirement for the class, and pointed out that fail-ure to do the assignment would affect individual grade evaluations for the term.
As I suspected, my students did not voice any objec-tions, but eagerly began to participate. In hardly any time at all, each had completed the assignment and began to expand the library list on her or his own. Soon students were bringing to class their own suggestions of recordings
of other jazz artists they happened to run across and enjoy. Listening became infectious! Most importantly, I could im-mediately hear a positive difference in my band and vo-cal groups. The jazz ensembles began to truly swing, and I did not have to use up minutes for group listening from the precious little class rehearsal time I had available each week. I did note, however, that as the band and vocal jazz ensembles improved, I could actually devote a portion of my rehearsal to listening as a group. By then, students had become better listeners and were able to focus full attention on the exercise.
Digital Music Education Project
“The dream of every musician who loves his art is to involve gifted listeners everywhere as an active force in the musical com-munity. The attitude of each individual listener, especially the gift-ed listener is the principal resource we have in bringing to fruition the immense musical potentialities of our own time.”
– Aaron Copland from “Music and Imagination” (Harvard U. Press)
When I came on board as the jazz education director for the Monterey Jazz Festival, I realized that there was an op-portunity to establish a listening library source on-line that would reach beyond the borders of my classroom and our immediate area. By its very nature as being one of the great jazz festivals of our time, The MJF provided a means of connecting with the very top musicians in the jazz world, gathering their input, and making their suggestions and advice available to anyone with access to the internet. Last September, just prior to the 50th Monterey Jazz Festival, the Digital Music Education Project (DMEP) was offi cially launched.
For the DMEP, artists are basically asked three questions: 1. Who their infl uences were early on in their career? 2. What recordings should every aspiring young jazz musician list to and why? 3. What tips about playing jazz can they
share? Not only were artists
being interviewed on site at the MJF, but because of its extensive education program, the Monterey Jazz Festival also afforded other opportunities to in-teract with experts in the
fi eld. One such event where this takes place is the Next Generation Festival which utilizes the skills and knowl-edge of the incredible jazz musicians/educators who serve as adjudicators and clinicians. In addition, each year the MJF names an Artist in Residence, a major fi gure in jazz
“JUSTIFYING THE LEGITIMATE FORMAL STUDY OF JAZZ HAS BEEN, AND REMAINS, AN ONGOING CHALLENGE FOR HIGH SCHOOLS AND ESPECIALLY
FOR MIDDLE SCHOOLS.”
Peter Erskine
JAZ_16 16 7/15/08 4:24:50 PM
guest editorial
JAZZed July 2008 17
who works and interacts with stu-dents at the Next Generation Festi-val, Summer Jazz Camp, and at the MJF itself. Former Artists in Resi-dence have included Regina Carter, Branford Marsalis, Kurt Elling, and Terence Blanchard. In addressing young people in these various set-tings, each of these stellar jazz musi-cians emphasized the importance of listening to jazz recordings.
The Digital Music Education Proj-ect can be easily accessed via the MJF Web site: www.montereyjazzfestival.org. Listed under “jazz education programs,” the DMEP now has over thirty interviews available with some of the world’s most famous jazz mu-sicians. Included in the list are Dave Brubeck, Jim Hall, Randy Brecker, Gerald Wilson, Bob Mintzer, Pe-ter Erskine, Jeff Hamilton, Regina Carter, John Clayton, George Duke, Shelly Berg, Kendrick Scott, Terence Blanchard, Ornette Coleman, Chris Potter, Ernestine Anderson, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, and John McLaughlin, to name a few. Each interview includes a list of recordings that are recom-mended for listening by the artist as well as a link to a site to purchase the recording and to the artists’ own Web site where students can obtain even more information. The DMEP is an ever-expanding resource and in addi-tion to posting more interviews, fu-ture plans for the site include on-line podcasts, free sheet-music down-loads, access to videotaped clinics, and lessons and advice for teachers presented by some of the top jazz educators in the world.
Hopefully, students understand that the DMEP is just one of many valuable tools available to them in their musical development, and that an approach to the study of jazz should be no different than an ap-proach to understanding the com-plexities of other academic subjects. Were I teaching at the high school level today, I would create a new lis-
tening assignment for students based on the many recordings suggested through the interviews with artists on the DMEP. With this added em-phasis, students would have a better understanding that to become pro-fi cient in jazz requires practice and
focus in a wide range of skill sets and areas, and that the exercise of listen-ing is one of those skill sets and as important a requirement as any other component in the process.
Why assign the exercise of listen-ing to the jazz greats as a requirement
JAZ_17 17 7/15/08 4:24:55 PM
18 JAZZed July 2008
for your students? For music teachers who are seeking new ways to improve the skill level of their school jazz en-sembles, a listening requirement is defi nitely worth trying. A parallel can be made in the methodologies of other academic disciplines. In math-ematics, the math student studies the formulas and theorems developed by the great mathematicians in order to gain a better concept of the workings of the world of numbers. In studying a foreign language, the linguist might spend time listening to the infl ection and accents of the native speaker so as to obtain mastery of a foreign language. And, as saxman Bob Mint-zer alluded to in the quote above, an essential skill in learning to im-prove as a writer requires time spent reading the works of others deemed to be exemplary in the literary fi eld. In order to improve as a jazz musi-cian, listening to the performances of professionals, especially the jazz greats of the past is just as essential as the hours devoted to practice. To become a critical listener of jazz is a valuable skill which, with dedication and perseverance, the high school and middle school jazz student can develop into an enjoyable and re-warding lifelong endeavor.
Dr. Robert Klevan is the jazz education director for the Monterey Jazz Festival and conducts the wind en-semble and big band at the University of California at Santa Cruz.
For 27 years, Dr. Klevan served as director of Music and Fine Arts at the Stevenson High School in Pebble Beach and is currently the past president of the California Music Educators Association, MENC, vice president of the California chapter of IAJE, and a resource team member for IAJE.
In 2004 Dr. Klevan received the MJF Jazz Director of the Year award and most recently received the CMEA Jazz Educator of the Year Award for 2007.
guest editorial
Chord/Scale Mastery
Keith Felch
Jazz Chords and their Scales
For all InstrumentsTreble Clef
Play-along CD included!
© Keith Felch - All Rights Reserved www.KeithFelch.com
Master the Top Ten
Version
JAZ_18 18 7/15/08 4:25:00 PM
zildjian.com/education
Zildjian is. . .
“ F o r g e n e r a t i o n s , j a z z d r u m m e r s h a v e d e p e n d e d o n t h e s o u n d o f Z i l d j i a n t o h e l p s w i n g , c o l o r i z e , a n d s h a d e l a r g e a n d s m a l l e n s e m b l e m u s i c . W i t h d e t e r m i n a t i o n a n d p a s s i o n , t h e Z i l d j i a n f a m i l y c o n t i n u e s t o p r o v i d e t h e e x a m p l e f o r m y s t u d e n t s o f w h a t a n i n s t r u m e n t s h o u l d b e : c o n s i s t e n t , d e p e n d a b l e , a n d m u s i c a l .”
- S t e v e F i d y k ,Te m p l e U n i v e r s i t y C o - L e a d e r o f t h e Ta y l o r / F i d y k B i g B a n d
educat ionC o n c e r t b a n d , m a r c h i n g b a n d , i n d o o r p e r c u s s i o n , w i n d e n s e m b l e , j a z z b a n d o r o r c h e s t r a . Z i l d j i a n h a s t h e s o u n d t o c o m p l e t e a n y e n s e m b l e .
FULL ADS.indd 19 7/15/08 4:16:52 PM
20 JAZZed July 2008
The Pentatonic ScaleTechnically, a pentatonic scale is any scale with fi ve notes per octave. In practice however, there are only a handful of useful pentatonic scales. Today we will explore the two most common forms of the pentatonic scale: the major pentatonic and its rela-tive minor pentatonic. In contrast to the familiar heptatonic scales, which tend to lead the improvis-er towards more linear improvisations, pentatonic scales can help musicians achieve a more structur-ally focused intervallic ap-proach to their lines.
The major pentatonic and its relative minor pentatonic are displayed in Example 1a-b. Because both of these scales are made up of the same fi ve notes, they can be used inter-changeably. Some musicians prefer to think of the scale as a major pentatonic, while others tend to think of the
scale in its minor form. Personally, I’d rather think of the scale as a major pentatonic; so from now on, the term “pentatonic” will refer only to the major form of the pentatonic scale. If you prefer to think of these scales as minor, you may convert to minor simply by starting the scale on the last note of the major pentatonic. (see Example 1b)
Pentatonic PatternsPatterns can assist students with assimilating
new scales and sounds into their repertoire. In Examples 2a-b I have provided two examples of pentatonic pat-terns. Pentatonic patterns can be categorized as either scalar or intervallic. In general, sca-lar patterns tend to use adja-cent notes, whereas intervallic patterns tend to skip around the scale. To simplify the ex-planations of these patterns I
PPentatonic scales are everywhere! They can be found in folk music from all
around the world including: China, Japan, Greece, Poland, Indonesia, Ethio-
pia, and Scotland. American spirituals such as “Amazing Grace” and “Old Man
River” utilize pentatonic scales exclusively and many rock guitar players have
built their entire careers upon the five notes of the minor pentatonic scale
alone. Pentatonic scales can be found throughout the music of Impressionist
composers such as Maurice Ravel and Claude Debussy as well as in the music
of modern jazz giants like John Coltrane, Herbie Hancock, and Chick Corea.
focus session P E N TAT O N I C S C A L E S
The Power of PentatonicsBY CHAIM BURSTEIN
“YOUR OWN EAR WILL ALWAYS BE YOUR BEST
GUIDE AS TO WHAT WORKS AND WHAT
DOESN’T.”
Photo by: Lauren Hansen Fleish
JAZ_20 20 7/15/08 4:26:05 PM
JAZZed July 2008 21
focus session
Example 1a: C Major Pentatonic Scale Example 1b: A Minor Pentatonic Scale
Example 2a: Scalar Pattern
Example 2b: Intervallic Pattern
will refer to steps and skips. A step will occur when the next note is an adjacent note, and a skip will occur when we ‘skip’ over a note in the scale to play the next available note. Thus, we could describe the scalar pattern in Example 2a as: step ,step , step , skip . To play the same pattern in reverse, we simply invert the formula. Thus Example 2a in reverse is: step , step , step , skip . Example 2b is an intervallic pat-tern based upon 4ths and 2nds. The formula for this pattern would read: skip , step , skip , step . The reverse pattern for Example 2b would read: skip , step , skip , step .
These patterns are useful in a number of ways. First, it familiarizes the student with the scale and forces them to internalize the notes involved. Second, when developing an intervallic approach, these patterns will tie together two seemingly disparate tonal centers through their structural consistency. In order to have enough material to generate in-teresting lines, I have my students create several intervallic and scalar patterns of their own.
Chord Scale RelationshipsMost heptatonic scales such as locrian or lydian are useful
for only one type of chord or another. In contrast, pentatonic scales may be used for over a dozen different chord sounds. Example 3 displays twelve different uses of the pentatonic scale. The fi rst column shows the chord type (e.g. Major, Mi-nor, Dominant), the second column presents the scale de-gree from which to build the major pentatonic, and the third column displays the resulting chord tones and tensions that each chord/scale relationship will produce. Thus, when the improviser is given the chord CMaj7, he has the option of playing a pentatonic from the root 9th or 5th of the chord.
Generally, the easiest way to apply these new chord/scale options is by practicing them over modal or static chord pro-gressions.
Modal/Free PlayingMany improvisers complain of feeling boxed in or trapped by
modal tunes and free playing over ostinatos. Pentatonics can pro-vide a tonal framework with which to create new sounds that are not only interesting but structurally coherent as well. Example 4a displays three possible chord/scale options for the chord CMaj7. Notice how the scalar pattern from example 2a creates a structural consistency that links each new chord sound to the previous one.
Example 4b demonstrates a technique known as ‘side-step-ping’. In this example the improviser defi nes the tonal center by clearly outlining a C major pentatonic scale in the fi rst measure. Upon reaching the second measure, he plays the same pattern a 1/2 step above from Db, thus taking the listener ‘outside’ of the prescribed harmony. Measures 3-4 bring the listener back ‘inside’ the changes by playing the descending version of the
Chord Type Pentatonic Scale Note Functions
Major I 1 9 3 5 6
II 9 3 #11 6 7
V 5 6 7 9 3
Minor bIII b3 11 5 b7 1
IV 11 5 6 1 9
bVII b7 1 9 11 5
Dominant I 1 9 3 5 13
Altered Dominant bV b5 #5 b7 b9 #9
{4} - Avoid Note bII b9 #9 {4} #5 b7
Sus 4 IV 4 5 13 1 9
bVII b7 1 9 4 5
Half Diminished bVI b6 b7 1 b3 11
Example 3 Example 3
JAZ_21 21 7/15/08 4:26:10 PM
22 JAZZed July 2008
focus session
original C major pentatonic sequence. Example 4c combines the concept
of alternative chord/scale options with side-stepping. Try playing these ex-amples and creating a few of your own. Notice how your ear recognizes the se-quence and thus accepts each transpo-sition of the pentatonic scale as a devel-opment of the previous idea.
Running ChangesPentatonics are not confi ned to only
modal and free jazz improvisations. In
fact, pentatonics can provide the impro-viser with a break from his or her ‘stock licks’ when running changes. To break away from the scalar, or arpeggiated lines of your typical ii-V-I, I have provided two different ways of approaching the progression with pentatonics. Examples 5a-b utilize a pentatonic pattern built upon 4ths and 2nds. The formula for the ascending pattern is as follows: skip ,step , skip , step . The descending pat-tern would read: skip , step , skip ,step . Although both examples utilize
the same pattern, they each approach the progression differently.
Example 5a is a typical ii-V-I in the key of C. The pentatonics played over each chord are as follows: Dm7=G pentatonic, G7Alt=Ab pentatonic and CMaj7=G pentatonic. The resulting line is effective for several reasons. First, there is a pattern which our ear naturally gravitates towards. Second, each pattern begins on the root of its respective pentatonic, making it easier for our ears to recognize. Lastly, the
Example 4a: Chord / Scale Options
Example 4b: Side Stepping
Example 4c: Chord / Scale Options & Side Stepping Combined
Example 5a: ii-V-I
Example 5b: ii-V-I
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JAZZed July 2008 23
focus session
pentatonic patterns move around in half steps. Half step resolutions are very powerful and can often warrant the use of so called ‘wrong notes’. Example 5a contains a so-called ‘wrong note’ in the second bar. Even though the 4th is an avoid note on the V7alt, our ears justify the ‘wrong note’ because of the consis-tency created by both the pentatonic pattern and its chromatic movement between each chord change.
Example 5b displays the same ii-V-I progression with different pentatonics superimposed over each chord. They are as follows: Dm7 = C pentatonic, G7Alt = Db pentatonic and CMaj7 = D pen-tatonic. We still have chromatic move-ment between each pentatonic pattern. However, instead of creating the sound of parallel structures by starting from the root of each pentatonic as in Example 5a, Example 5b sounds more like one continuous idea based upon an interval-lic line. This result is achieved by start-ing the new pattern as close as possible to where the last pattern left off.
Pentatonic PracticeHopefully, the techniques and skills
outlined in this article have shed some light on the many uses of the pentatonic scale. In the next issue, we’ll take a closer look at altered pentatonics and their uses. Until then, hit the woodshed and get comfortable with the new chord scale options and intervallic structures cre-ated by the major pentatonic scale. For further listening and analysis, check out Chick Corea’s solo on the tune “500 Miles High” from Return to Forever’s Light As A Feather (Verve) or take a listen to Herbie Hancock’s free playing over the tune “A Jump Ahead” off his album Inventions & Dimensions (Blue Note). Additional exam-ples of pentatonic scales can be found in the opening of Maurice Ravel’s “Trois Po-emes de Stephane Mallarme,” as well as in the piano work, Pagodes by composer Claude Debussy. Try transcribing and analyzing some of these works to expand your knowledge of pentatonics. Always remember to experiment with your own
patterns and ideas as well. Oftentimes improvisers see a chord or a scale and for-get that jazz is about thinking ‘outside the box’. Your own ear will always be your best guide as to what works and what doesn’t. Good Luck!
Chaim Burstein holds a M.M. in Jazz Stud-ies from the University of the Arts in Phila-delphia and a B.M. from Berklee College of Music. He is currently residing in Philadelphia where he is working as an active musician and educator. www.myspace.com/chaimburstein
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JAZ_23 23 7/15/08 4:26:18 PM
24 JAZZed July 200824 JAZZed March 2008
By Christian Wissmuller
Chi
co H
amilt
onA
Dealingin Human Emotions
By Christian Wissmuller
A fearlessly creative and inspired drum-
mer, Chico Hamilton has exerted enor-
mous infl uence on the world of jazz
both as a recording and performing art-
ist, as well as a keen-eyed (and eared)
scout for fresh new talent.
JAZ_24 24 7/15/08 4:34:18 PM
JAZZed July 2008 25
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26 JAZZed July 2008
Hamilton was immersed in music virtually from the start – his early years saw him playing in a high school jazz group with the likes of Charles Mingus, Illinois Jacquet, Dexter Gordon, Buddy Collette, Ernie Royal, and Jack Kelso. Stints with Lionel Hamilton, Count Basie, and Lester Young followed and Chico eventually hooked up with Lena Horne, with whom he toured for six years.
Chico then assembled one of the most signifi cant of the ‘50s West Coast jazz ensembles, The Chico Hamil-ton Quintet. Initially featuring Buddy Collette, Carson Smith, Jim Hall, and Fred Katz, the group quickly became extremely popular and appeared in a number of high profi le studio fi lms in-cluding The Sweet Smell of Success andJazz on a Summer’s Day. After launch-ing a highly successful career compos-ing music for commercials in the mid-1960s, Hamilton became one of the architects of the jazz program at The New School in NYC, where he contin-
ues to instruct young musicians to the present day.
Earlier this summer, Chico Hamil-ton took a break from his active per-formance and recording schedule (and teaching duties) to speak with JAZZedabout his life as a student, performer, and teacher of jazz.
JAZZed: First off, thanks much for tak-ing the time to meet today.
Chico Hamilton: Sure thing. Whatever you want to talk about – it’s fi ne with me. Wanna talk about girls, booze, music?
JAZZed: I’d be up for shooting the breeze about all three, but let’s start off with music: How did you fi rst get into jazz?
CH: Well, when I came up, man, I came up with the people who createdthis kind of music, as far as jazz is con-cerned, you know? I learned quite a bit
from Jo Jones, Luther Henderson, Billy Strayhorn, and Duke Ellington.
JAZZed: You also started out of the gate hot: Your high school jazz band was a virtual “who’s who” of luminaries from that era.
CH: My high school band consisted of Charlie Mingus, Buddy Collette, Jack Kelso, Dexter Gordon, myself, Il-linois Jacquet, and Ernie Royal.
JAZZed: That’s just a ridiculous lineup. Was that ensemble traditional band mu-sic with “jazzy” overtones that you guys would slip in, or was it straight-up jazz?
CH: It was stone-cold jazz, man.
JAZZed: Talk a little about being a music student during that time.
CH: The education system out in L.A. at that time… Every student was required to take some form of music – either sing or play some instrument or something. It was a requirement before you could even graduate from grade school. Music was considered to be more important than it is today.
JAZZed: Who was the high school band director?
CH: The band director at the school was Samuel Brown.
JAZZed: Did he lead your jazz band or was he strictly in charge of the marching band program?
CH: He had nothing to do with our jazz band. The only reason why I joined the marching band was to get a sweater. You got a sweater free and my family couldn’t afford to get one of those sweaters, so I joined. [laughs].
JAZZed: Had you started out on the drums right from the get-go?
CH: My fi rst instrument was the clarinet. I was about 8 years old and my best friend, Jack Kelso, had a clari-net and I wanted one, too. It took my folks about six months before I could have one because it cost two dollars
“I just consider myself blessed. Hey man, I’m 86 years old
and I’m still able to play. That’s my reward.”
JAZ_26 26 7/15/08 4:34:34 PM
JAZZed July 2008 27
to rent a clarinet. Jack and I have been friends ever since that age we’ve never had an argument, and we’re still good friends. He was Best Man at my wed-ding, as a matter of fact, and I just got through recording with him, recently. Anyways, when I fi nally got a clarinet, my older brother Tommy was playing drums in the school orchestra. I was fi ghting this clarinet, man, and when Tommy graduated from grade school I just fi gured, “Hey, well, I might as well try to play the drums,” and that’s how I got started.
JAZZed: Who were some of your early infl uences or mentors as far as drum-ming goes?
CH: Lionel Hampton, who lived in L.A. at that time, infl uenced me very heavily. He had an act where he played on the walls and the fl oors – I used to imitate him.
JAZZed: Are you primarily self-taught?
CH: More or less self-taught. I didn’t learn how to read music until I went into the service.
JAZZed: Tell me about your time in the military.
CH: When I got drafted, they sent me to Anniston, Alabama. There were two camps: a white camp and a black camp. In the white camp there was a drummer by the name of Billy Exner who was with Claude Thornhill’s band. We used to meet in the woods and Billy would bring his drums – he taught me how to read drum music in the woods of Alabama.
What happened was: when I got drafted, man – you won’t believe this – I went down there with my drums, right, and they wouldn’t put me in the band! They had about four drummers in this band and none of them could play a show. I grew up playing shows, you know? They put me in the drum and bugle core and they made me play a bugle! [laughs] But every time they had a show to play, they had to send for me because none of those drum-mers knew how to play for dances and singers.
JAZZed: Unreal.
CH: You said it.
JAZZed: What was next for you after the service?
CH: I went back to L.A. and en-rolled in the L.A. Conservatory of Mu-sic. I was there for about six months and I got a gig playing for 88 dollars a week. All of a sudden Basie came into town and Jo Jones came by and got me and told me to come to the Lincoln Theatre that day. I was standing in the wings, watching the show, Jo comes off the stage, takes the sticks and puts them in my hand and says, “You got it!” Basie was really upset, but Freddie Green said, “Jo said the kid can do it – let him do it,” and that’s how I got started with Basie.
JAZZed: What a break. How long did you play with Basie?
CH: Oh, that was about six, seven weeks. It was cool.
JAZZed: How did you hook up with Lena Horne?
CH: I played for a dancer – a singer, comedienne, dancer, and all that – and she and Lena Horne were very close. At that time, I didn’t even know who in the hell Lena Horne was. I got a call from Luther Henderson to come out and audition for her – Charlie Dreyton and me. Man, that turned my whole life around. I didn’t know nothing about show business; I was a street musician. I made the audition for Lena, got the gig, and stayed with her for eight years.
In ’55 I decided I wasn’t going to go to Europe with Lena and I stayed in L.A. That’s how I got together with Gerry Mulligan and we got the original Gerry Mulligan Quartet going.
I recorded my fi rst album with George Duvivier and Howard Roberts. That was the fi rst time that guitar, bass, and drums were actually the solo in-strumentalists as opposed to being just part of the rhythm section. From then it went on to my second album with Fred Katz, Buddy Collette, Carson Smith on bass, myself on drums, and Jim Hall on guitar.
JAZZed: Can you tell me about how you fi rst got involved with teaching, your-self?
CHICO HAMILTON: PrécisAwards & Accolades: NEA Jazz Master Fellowship (2004), Congress confirms the nomination of Chico to the President’s Council on the Arts (2006), Living Legacy Jazz Award – Kennedy Center’s “Jazz in Our Time Festival” (2007), honorary PhD of Fine Arts from The New School (2007).
Selected Discography: Chico Hamilton Quintet feat. Buddy Collette, Chico Ham-ilton Quintet in Hi-Fi, Chico Hamilton Trio (Pacific Jazz), Ellington Suite (World Pacific), With Strings Attached, Gongs East!, The Three Faces of Chico (Warner Bros.), Chico Hamilton Special, Drumfu-sion (Columbia), Man From Two Worlds, Chic Chic Chico, El Chico, The Dealer (Impulse), The Master (Stax), Peregrina-tions, The Players (Blue Note), Nomad (Elektra), Reunion, Arroyo, Dancing to a Different Drummer (Soul Note), 6th Avenue Romp, Heritage, Hamiltonia (Joyous Shout!).
Web site: www.joyousshout.com
JAZ_27 27 7/15/08 4:34:39 PM
28 JAZZed July 2008
CH: It was the mid-‘60s and I was in London working with Lena and I was making a movie with Roman Polanski, Repulsion – I cued the whole fi lm and I earned quite a bit of recognition from it.
While I was doing the fi lm I got a call from a creative art director from Grey
Advertising by the name of Mike Wollman and he wanted to know if I would do a commercial for them.
JAZZed: You did quite a bit of that type of work throughout the ‘70s. How did that lead to teaching, though?
CH: Well, in the meantime, while I started this production company here in New York, Arnie Lawrence and Dave Levy decided that they were going to start this school. Dave was one of the big wheels at New
School University. They wanted me to come on board and I held out for a long time, but then I fi nally decided that I would participate and that’s how I started at the New School. That was 20 years ago – we started the jazz pro-gram there.
JAZZed: What’s your current teaching schedule like?
CH: I teach two classes a week: en-semble playing and rhythm classes.
JAZZed: How large are the classes?
CH: This semester I got about 20 kids in my reading class and about 10 in my ensemble right now.
JAZZed: What do you fi nd to be the most rewarding element of teaching?
CH: It’s my way of giving something back. Music has been very good to me, man. I realized that the very fi rst class I taught. I said, “This is a chance for you to give something back.” Let me tell you something, man: I believe that music is
“I don’t play music for people; I play music for the music’s sake.”
“…the Hot Club of Detroit proves their mastery of Reinhardt‘s music, since they can not only play his songs so well; they know how to translate it to other styles.” - All Music Guide
“…as good as the best.” - Jazziz Magazine
“…Hot Club of Detroit has impressively mastered a difficult and distinctive repertoire.” - Downbeat Magazine
Night Town, the follow-up to Hot Club Of Detroit’s acclaimed Mack Avenue
self-titled debut, showcases the band’s maturity, virtuosity, and musical growth.
While HCOD remains true to their ‘Gypsy Jazz’ roots – and continues to tip their
collective hat to Django Reinhardt – Night Town delves into a deeper and
wider milieu, drawing inspiration from the clubs of New Orleans to the
free wheeling architecture of Miles Davis. Featuring collaborative compositions,
these five-time Detroit Music Award winners are poised to cast an even wider net.
hotclubofdetroithotclubofdetroit
night town
www.mackavenue.com
JAZ_28 28 7/15/08 4:34:43 PM
JAZZed July 2008 29
one of God’s wills and God’s will will be done. I’ll tell you something else, Christian: I don’t play music for people; I play music for the music’s sake.
JAZZed: That’s defi nitely my take on it – not that anyone’s asking for my philoso-phy on how to approach being a musician.
CH: [laughs] No, you’re right, though. I don’t try to please any-one, because you get your feelings hurt, you know what I mean? I learned that from Lou-is Armstrong. “Fans are fi ckle,” he said. That’s why Pops converted all his fans into friends, because even after his chops were gone they still would go see Pops, right?
JAZZed: No argument here. So you’ve told me what you like most about teach-ing – what do you fi nd most annoying? What’s most frustrating?
CH: Listen man, I don’t let noth-ing frustrate me. That’s number one. Number two is: you’re always going to get an asshole in the class, you know? Not only just a village-idiot type, there’s always going to be at least one asshole, so you just take it with a grain of salt. I had something that happened to me just recently. The one black kid in my ensemble class always came in late, always had something to do, so yesterday he played one tune with us and then he said he had to leave and I just said, “Young man, let me tell you some-thing: don’t come back.” I put him out of my class, man. I went to the front offi ce and told them why, be-cause this kid’s got to be spanked.
JAZZed: That makes sense in a lot of ways though, because being a musi-cian isn’t just about reading charts and
having technique. If you’re unreliable or impossible to work with, that’s just as big a downside as not being able to keep time or hit your notes.
CH: Exactly, man. I try to teach these students how to become profes-sional musicians, as well as showing them how to play. Ensemble playing is nothing to be sneezed at, man. En-semble playing will determine what kind of living you can make as a mu-sician, you know?
JAZZed: With everything you’ve accom-plished it’s probably diffi cult to pinpoint a single “best moment,” but what do consider some of your professional highlights?
CH: I’m proud of everything I do, man. I just consider myself blessed. Hey man, I’m 86 years old and I’m still able to play. That’s my reward.
JAZZed: How about highlights as an edu-cator? Anything stand out as something you’re particularly proud of, or maybe
something that you’ve learned, yourself, as an educator?
CH: I’ll give you a phrase: Those who dare to teach should never stop learning. Aside from that, the things that I have defi nitely learned are what not to do as a teacher.
JAZZed: Thanks again for sitting down with me. Any fi nal thoughts you’d like to pass along to your fellow musicians and educators?
CH: We’re only dealing in human emotions. That’s what I’d like to im-part. If you realize that, you’ll under-stand it all.
JAZ_29 29 7/15/08 4:34:49 PM
WHEN YOU GET THE CALL WILL YOU MAKE THE GIG?
B Y C H E T W I L L I A M S O N
So, here you are: 18 years old, in your last
year of high school, you are an All-State tenor
saxophonist and have just been accepted to the
Berklee College of Music. Your best friend, a
trumpet player who works in a jazz orchestra
in Boston, just recommended you to substitute
this Saturday night.
roundtable S U B S T I T U T E G I G G I N G
Sub City
30 JAZZed July 2008
JAZ_30 30 7/15/08 4:36:39 PM
JAZZed July 2008 31
JAZ_31 31 7/15/08 4:36:45 PM
32 JAZZed July 2008
Are you ready? We talked with a handful of
bandleaders, professional players, edu-cators, and students who have all been in this type of situation. We asked them what they thought every young player should know to prepare him or herself for such a fateful call. • Saxophonist David Pietro, a veteran
of the Toshiko Akiyoshi band, says that obvious things such as reading skills come before turning to the more obscure details of the trade such as changing a mouthpiece to make your sound fi t better into a section.
• Pietro’s former high school band di-rector, Dennis Wrenn, stresses the im-portance of gaining experience.
• Freelance trumpeter Bill Fanning fo-cuses on the fi ner points of blending within a section, soloing, and the dif-ference between playing third trumpet and taking the lead.
• Drummer Mark Holovnia recalls about how he had his “head handed to him” in the Woody Herman band and how he became a better drum-
mer for it.• Trumpeter Greg Hop-
kins, Berklee educa-tor and jazz orchestra leader, remembers the lessons he learned in his early days growing up in Detroit.
• Drummer and former bandleader Kenny Hadley riffs on style and playing what’s ap-propriate in any given band.
• Young saxophonist Mark Zaleski, a senior at the New Conservatory of Music, explains what he does to get the gig.
Make a Good First ImpressionYour friend calls you. It’s a week
before the gig, and the only details he gives are where and when. Although you are nervous, your friend reassures you by saying he recommended you because he knows you can cut it. “Oh, and one more thing,” he offers wryly,
“There won’t be any rehearsals.”
Pietro is quite fa-miliar with such a scenario. “I always tell students: ‘You never get a second chance to make a fi rst impression,’” he says. “So be prepared. The most important skill to have when getting that fi rst call is sight-reading. The second thing is intonation. You really have to
have the pitch down. The other thing is the ability to blend your sound.
“What happens today is people focus on their solo sound. Then when they are put into a section they stick out and don’t blend in with the other players. Sometimes it requires using a different mouthpiece or at least working your sound in a different way so that you don’t stand out in the section.”
Pietro says teamwork and knowing one’s role within the framework of a large ensemble are crucial. “I recently
Mark Holovnia
David Pietro
JAZ_32 32 7/15/08 4:36:50 PM
JAZZed July 2008 33
fi nished conducting the Massachusetts All-State Jazz Band in Boston,” he says. “One thing that we talked about was: Say you are the lead alto player, and your part says ‘forte,’ and it is a back-ground part. You are not going to play it as loud as you would if it was a solo.
“It’s not enough to be able to read and see what is on the page; you also have to be aware of where your part fi ts in the overall picture of the orchestra-tion.”
Be a Quick StudySaxophone student, Zaleski, who
works with a variety of big bands around Boston, as well as in the NEC orchestra under the direction of Ken Schaphorst, says, “Besides the obvious, like being a good sight-reader, you have to learn how to work quickly. Taking notes can be helpful if someone makes a change in a part. People like to work with musicians who work effi ciently.”
In talking about the overall pic-ture, Zaleski says, “Rhythmic ability is important in a big band setting. It’s not just putting the eighth notes in the right place, but how you are going to phrase it.
People will call me even if I’m play-ing lots of wrong notes because if you put them all in exactly the right place, it’s going to feel really good. Obviously getting the right notes is best.”
According to Zaleski, when it comes time to solo, it’s different in a big band setting than, say, in a jazz quartet.
“If you are prepared for that, it has more to do with theory knowledge. When you are in a big band, you are looking at changes that could be stan-dard or totally modern. You need to be able to interpret and hear that. Sight-reading changes are different than sight-reading parts.”
Zaleski points out that more often than not you are a team player and not a soloist when playing in a section.
“Being in a saxophone section, jazz isn’t necessarily an individual voice. You are listening to the lead player and you want it to sound together. You have to listen down the section. When I play second, I feel it is my responsibility to get inside [the alto’s] style and play like him,” Zaleski says.
He also makes note of the impor-tance of doubling. “The advantage of doubling is you are more employable. If there’s a clarinet solo and you say you can’t do it, people aren’t going to hire you. It’s as simple as that.”
Know Your RoleFanning has freelanced with such
notables as the Artie Shaw, Nelson Rid-dle, and the Big and Phat Orchestras,
among others. Picking up on Pietro and Zaleski’s comments, he adds, “You have to know what your job is. You can’t go in saying, ‘I’m the new gunslinger in town.’
“Like if you are going in to play sec-ond, your job is to blend with the lead trumpet player. You have to really listen to what he is doing and follow. When I say listen to the lead player, you have to know how he phrases things, how they
JAZ_33 33 7/15/08 4:36:58 PM
34 JAZZed July 2008
articulate, how they cut notes off and just follow.”
Fanning says it’s a different thing entirely when you are the lead player. “You have to take charge. You can’t be intimidated. You have to go in there and say, ‘This is the way it is going to be.’”
Another obvious item on the “how-to” checklist is listening to the music.
“You should really be a student of the big band music to understand how the masters did it,” Fanning says. “Lis-ten to the music as much as you can. I know it is not popular in this day and
age, but listen. It will teach you a lot. You will become familiar with the rep-ertoire.”
Fanning elaborates by saying, “There is a lot of music that is played between bands in Boston, Providence, and Worcester – all over. They all play some of the same charts: the Basie things, the Ellington things.
“In some cases you will even be af-forded the opportunity to play from the actual charts that many of the greats read.
“Some of the original charts on the
Artie Shaw band are still there,” Fan-ning says. “They were written decades ago. It’s yellowed paper. There’s tape
on it. Is that a ‘C’ or ‘D’? But, it’s thrilling. It’s like reading the original gospels or something.”
Know the MaterialDrummer Hadley led his
own big band for more than 23 years. The group recorded, worked regularly, and appeared at jazz festivals on bills with guest soloists such as Clark Ter-ry. Last November, Hadley put the band back together to per-form the Duke Ellington Sacred Concerts for two nights in Bos-ton. It was the fi rst time the band had been together in fi ve years. These days Hadley is a regular member of singer Amanda Carr’s group.
Like Fanning, Hadley also talks about the importance of being a stu-dent of the music.
“If students are going to play in that idiom they have to listen,” he says. “I have students. I just try to pass on the do’s and don’ts. I get them to listen to Mel Lewis, Harold Jones, Buddy Rich, or somebody like Sonny Payne from the Basie band. When you sit down with a band like that and don’t have a background or familiarity, it can be overwhelming.”
Fellow drummer Ho-lovnia can relate. In 1990, he received a call to work in the Woody Herman band. It was his dream job and long before the phone rang, Holovnia was pre-pared for the gig.
“Every time they came around I’d go and sit right in front of the band,” he says. “I’d try and catch everything. I got all the re-cordings. I even sat down and wrote out all the drum parts. So I knew the tunes.”
Although he was pro-fi cient and took care of business, Holovnia claims he really wasn’t equipped for the role.
“I kind of had my head handed to me,” he admits. “I just didn’t have the power
or conception of what the band was all about. The tempos were ridiculous. I hadn’t been in a band of that level. I had to go back and do some more studying.”
Now in his 50s, Holovnia has been playing jazz drums since he was a child. His dad, Joe, is a bassist who performed with Boot Mussulli and Serge Chaloff. Since 1999, Mark has occupied the drum chair in the Artie Shaw Orchestra.
“It’s about experience,” he says. “But, it’s a kind of catch 22. In order to be a player you have to have played with good players. At the same time,
Greg Hopkins
Kenny Hadley
“EVEN IN AN AMATEUR BAND, THAT’S HOW YOU BUILD YOUR
REPUTATION, BY BEING CONSISTENT.”
Bill Fanning
JAZ_34 34 7/15/08 4:37:05 PM
JAZZed July 2008 35
you don’t get called unless someone knows who you are.
“It’s not like you go to school for four years and you know it all. It’s a long arduous process. I fi gure if I get it by 60, I’ll be doing well.” Holovnia adds jok-ing.
Build a ReputationTrumpeter Hopkins
says, “The people who get the calls for gigs are peo-ple with the reputation of being good readers, good listeners, and good ensemble players. It’s im-portant to always do a good job, even in an ama-teur band. That’s how you build your reputation, by being consistent.”
Growing up in Detroit, Hopkins received plenty of opportunities to per-form. “When I was in high school, in the early ‘60s, I was playing a couple of nights a week in dance bands. It was a great experience because there were so many different kinds of bands. I was lucky.”
Hopkins recalls that it was a time when many of those who experienced the big band era fi rst hand were still around and mentoring was still an im-portant part of the learning process.
“They’d encourage you,” he says. “I played with a lot of people that played with Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Count Basie, and Claude Thornhill. I listened to a lot of the re-cords and tried to emulate the phras-ing and that kind of sound. That’s all part of knowing what is required of the gig.”
Pietro’s former teacher at Algonquin Regional High School, Wrenn says one of the best things he can do for his stu-dents’ development is to put them in ‘real life’ playing situations.
“In other words going out and do-ing performances,” he says. “When I was 16 years old, bandleader Bob Nelson used to use me on gigs at the White Cliffs in Northboro. He played there every Saturday night.
My dad would drive me over. He would say, ‘Our Love is Here to Stay,’ in Eb.’
“I had never even heard the tune before. I’d say, ‘I don’t know it.’ He’d
say, ‘Don’t worry about it.’ It’s I-VI-ii-V. Here we go.’ He’d count it off and throw changes at me. I learned so much by just doing that. That’s how you learn. Get out and do it.”
Mark Zaleski
JAZ_35 35 7/15/08 4:37:14 PM
MUnderstanding Chord Characteristics
Sometimes we deliberately avoid the 3rd and 7th to create a certain type of melody, but when learning to play chord changes it is a good idea to understand how to create the characteristic sounds of the chords fi rst. You could say we are being chord specifi c when we in-clude the 3 and 7 in our so-los. If you listen to John Col-trane’s fi rst chorus on “Giant Steps,” for example, either the 3 or 7 is included in the improvised melody Coltrane
plays against each chord on this diffi cult har-monic progression.
I have had new students play thru the chords of the song “Confi rmation” just playing the guide
tones and then I have them improvise, telling them to fo-cus on the guide tones and not to worry about the other notes they play in between those guide tones. I fi nd this has a positive and immediate effect on their playing. You cannot improve at improvis-
any times a student has come to me and said, “I need to learn all my scales, so I can become
a jazz musician!”
Most scales consist of seven notes and I might say to that student, “Let’s just play one of
the notes from the scale, say the 3rd or the 7th.” ■ It would seem that should be a lot easier
than playing seven notes for each chord. ■ Of course it is not easier at all, because you must
see the scale and determine which note in the scale is the 3rd or the 7th and then play it in
time. ■ The 3rd and the 7th are the guide tones of chords because they define the quality
of the chord (i.e.: major, minor, dominorant7th, major7th, et cetera). ■ The 5th of C major
and C minor is the note G, which has no effect on the quality of the chord, but the 3rd of
C major is E and the 3rd of C minor is Eb and these notes do determine the quality of the
C major and C minor chords. ■ So playing any note in the scale does not necessarily create
the sound of the chord.
basic training G U I D E T O N E S
Applying Guide Tones to ImprovisationBY MILES DONAHUE
36 JAZZed July 2008
“YOU CANNOT IMPROVE AT IMPROVISING IF, WHEN YOU PLAY A SONG, YOU HAVE NO
ROAD MAP TO FOLLOW.”
JAZ_36 36 7/15/08 4:39:18 PM
basic training
JAZZed July 2008 37
ing if, when you play a song, you have no road map to follow. It would be like driving at night with no lights. The chord progression and the form of the song are key to operating the “vehicle” (chord progression). When you solo, you need target notes to aim for and guide tones make good target notes. Eventually your attention can focus on tension notes which are not guide tones, but rather rich harmonic notes which are diffi cult to hear if you can-not fathom the architecture of the ba-sic chord fi rst (1,3,5,7).
Sometimes I have seen the altered scale written out in books to help stu-
dents. In the case of a D7 scale, it looks like this: D, Eb, F, F#, Ab, Bb, C, D. If you play that scale it does not sound like something a young student would recognize and relate to either aurally or intellectually. What I have done in the Jazz Workbook is rearrange those notes in the shape of a piano voicing which would include the root, guide tones, and two notes from that scale (fl at 13 and sharp nine). The shape would then be D, F#, Bb, C and F, ascending. This shape makes the sound of the al-tered scale come alive because a stu-dent can hear the color of that chord, even though they may not yet under-
stand it intellectually. If a student were to play this aforementioned shape on the 9th bar of “All Blues” by Miles Da-vis, for example, he or she would be playing and hearing the sound of the harmony of this song at this point of the chord progression. When I teach a piano student, I show them the voic-ing and when they get to that part of the song I tell them to look at their left hand which is playing F#, Bb, C and F (a bass player would be playing the root, D) and tell them to play any of the notes they see in their left hand and then try to make a melody starting on one of those four notes. Horn play-
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basic training
38 JAZZed July 2007
ers, on the other hand, do not have the benefi t of looking at a voicing repre-sented by their left hand and therefore they must visualize the shape.
Relating Melody to Chord Structure
This is what I tried to do in the Jazz Workbook: The exercise I have written for the altered sound starts with the scale and the third and fourth bar of the eight-measure exercise has the shape of a piano voicing and its in-version. The other four measures are other shapes within the altered scale. In some books I have seen the altered scale described as a scale starting on the 7th degree of the melodic minor scale, which is true, but what is im-portant with this very sophisticated scale is for the student to know what each note in this scale is in relation-ship to the root. In order for this to happen, I feel you need to play a voic-ing shape as I described earlier and then make a melody from this scale, using chord tones and the altered ten-sion notes available.
If you were to play the song, “Good Bait” on the third and fourth beat of the second measure, the melody in relation-ship to the chord is fl at 13, 7, fl at 9, and sharp 9. Therefore you could think of this melody as germinating from the voicing shape: 3, fl at 13, 7, sharp 9. This melody has one of the guide tones ( 7 ) and three altered tension notes. If we look at the great be bop song, “Donna Lee,” on the 16th bar the melody is: 3, 5, 7, 5, fl at 9 , sharp 9, fl at 9, 8, 7. This melody is over the V7 chord and when it resolves to the I chord, the note it resolves to is the guide tone, 3. This is the better way to learn the altered sound – through me-lodic shapes that bring alive the sound of the chord and its tension notes and notthrough playing the melodic minor scale starting on the 7th degree, even if that is theoretically accurate.
Another thing I would like to point out with regard to playing guide tones is the symmetry involved when played in a cycle of 5th, as on the chord pro-gression of the song, “Confi rmation.” The second bar of this song starts on Eminor7b5, A7 followed by Dmi7, G7
to Cmi7, F7 and then Bb7 on the fi fth bar. Because this chord progression is a cycle of 5ths, the 7 of each chord re-solves down a half step to the 3rd of each successive chord, creating a har-monic map that has a shape that can be remembered. Often with my students I play the roots and they play the guide tones. Then we reverse roles and they play the roots and I play the guide tones. After doing this for a while, stu-dents start to hear the harmony of the song without needing to hear a chord instrument.
Final ThoughtsThis is why the Jazz Workbook CD
has no piano on it. When a person im-provises, the idea is not to listen to the piano player to keep place and play by ear, but rather to know aurally and in-tellectually the sound and the form of the chords and be an independent mu-sical entity. This is some of the knowl-edge one needs to know in order to be in a position to be creative. Some peo-ple may think these concepts are too involved for high school students, but I have found that teenage performer are able to grasp this type of material with a teacher’s help.
Tenor sax and trumpet player Miles Donahue remains a fixture in the Boston jazz scene, known for his hard-bop and post-bop music. He’s recorded a dozen albums, performed with his own group as well as with John Patitucci, Curtis Fuller, Billy Pierce, Fred Hersch, Jerry Bergonzi, and Kenny Werner. Mel Bay will publish the second volume of his Jazz Workbookseries this year. Donahue teaches both adult and teenaged students at his studio in Lowell, Mass.
Miles Donahue Selected Discography
Good Listener, Simple Pleasures(Ram); Double Dribble (Time-less); Standards Vols. 1-4, Bounce, In the Pocket (Amerigo)
JAZ_38 38 7/15/08 4:39:28 PM
roundup GU ITARS
Axe(s) to
With the summer NAMM and MIAC shows comes a num-ber of exciting instrument and music product introduc-tions from suppliers and manufacturers, both large and small. JAZZed takes a brief look at some new guitars, amps, and other “fretted-related” product releases.
AXL Headliner GuitarsAXL has introduced a new affordable electric guitar se-
ries with a classic SRO body design and hot pickups.Available in full, 3/4 or 1/2 size, the AXL Headliner
SRO (AS-750) electric guitar is a budding guitarist’s perfect
40 JAZZed July 2008
axe, featuring a solid alder body, three single coil pickups, maple neck and tremolo bridge.
Dealers have regularly inquired about fractional size guitars from the popular AXL electric guitar line and the Headliner SRO has met the demand.
Full-size SRO models are available in black, white, sunburst and red finishes. Fractional sizes are
available in black, metallic blue and metallic red.
www.axlguitars.com
Grind
JAZ_40 40 7/15/08 4:41:38 PM
JAZZed July 2008 41
roundup
Ampeg’s New BassAmp CombosAmpeg has now officially beefed up the bottom end of its BassAmp Series with four new combo models--the BA300/115, BA300/210, BA600/115 and BA600/210--each combining professional-grade power with extreme portability, durabil-ity, and tonal versatility.
The BA300/115 (single 15-inch driv-er) and BA300/210 (dual 10-inch driv-ers) bass combos both crank out 300 watts of pure Ampeg tone from an en-closure barely larger than four cubic feet. Solid low-end is delivered by Eminence ceramic magnet speakers, while top-end is supplied by a HF horn with level con-trol for customizing the sound.
The BA300’s 12AX7 tube preamp, five-position mid-tone “style” control, three-band EQ, and ultra-high/low switches provide supreme sonic flexibility in a rugged, lightweight enclosure. A vari-able compressor with peak LED, pre/post XLR tube DI with level control, and Class D power section and universal switching power supply--to keep the weight factor low without sacrificing power output or sound quality--are also offered. Mute and master controls, separate 0dB and -12dB inputs, an effects loop, and removable casters further round out the compact-
yet-powerful package.The BA600/115 and BA600/210
offer nearly all of the same features as their BA300 siblings with the added benefit of twice the power--a massive 600 watts crammed into
super-portable, sub-55-pound pack-ages. Custom-designed, proprietary neodymium speakers maximize power handling and performance while mini-mizing weight. The BA600 also features dual 12AX7 tube preamps and individu-al equalization controls for two separate channels: modern and vintage (for classic B15 tone). Channel switching and mute can both be conveniently activated via a footswitch as well as on the amplifier’s control panel.
www.ampeg.com
gig-fx’s New Choppergig-fx inc. has released the sec-ond generation of the innovative Chopper pedal. Aimed at the writing and gigging musician, the Chopper allows live panning and chopping and can generate both classic and in-novative tremolo and rhythmic patterns.
The new Chopper features improved by-pass circuitry that is superior to a true by-pass in terms of preserving the instrument signal in cables (gig-fx will soon be releasing test data to support that claim). The new Chopper also has improved tremolo / pan depth control, flush-mounted power jack for easier and more reliable connections, and access through the base of the pedal to the opti-cal switch adjustment if needed.
www.gig-fx.com
New Releases from Hal LeonardJourney through the career of musical giant, milestone guitarist, and re-cording innovator Les Paul, and marvel at the world of cutting-edge guitar design. The Early Years of The Les Paul Legacy, 1915-1963, along with its companion book The Modern Era of the Les Paul Legacy 1968-2007 (due out in the fall of 2008) emerged out of author Robb Lawrence’s years of re-search, interviews, extensive vintage archives (including original Les Paul/Mary Ford articles, press photos, music and recordings), and gorgeous original photography. It’s all here: the factory pictures, the designers, the electronics; the first experimental Log and Clunker guitars, stories of the various Goldtops, the humbucking pickup evolution, and over 80 pages dedicated to the heralded ‘50s Sunburst Stan-dard. Including exclusive interviews with Les Paul, as well as Michael Bloomfield and Jeff Beck, this is a beautiful and insightful book on a legendary inventor and musician.
Designed for both the seasoned rocker seeking a new challenge and the jazz new-comer looking for a good start, Introduction to Jazz Guitar Soloing by Joe Elliott will provide the vital concepts needed to begin a journey into jazz improvisation. Includes loads of step-by-step information, scales, licks, and techniques. In addition the accompanying audio CD features 65 full-band demo and play-along tracks.
www.halleonard.com
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42 JAZZed July 2008
roundup
Hart Productions Guitar RackHart Productions’ Guitar Rack is handmade from oak with a choice of fabrics and holds five acoustic or electric guitars and basses, includ-ing special shapes such as Flying V® and Explorer®.
The Guitar Rack’s attention to detail includes two special pockets lined with soft fabric to hold guitar accessories such as picks, slides, and tuners. It also features five padded neck slots and a two-inch foam pad to protect the guitars covered in a choice of fabrics to match any décor.
Overall design styles for the Guitar Rack are Vintage and Gothic available in Oak, Red Oak, Oak w/ Walnut/Mahogany and Cherry finishes. The Guitar Rack ships in five pieces and is easily assembled with a Phillips head screwdriver. Dimensions once set up are 32” H x 19 1/2” D x 37” W.
Also planned are limited custom shop versions of The Guitar Rack such as hand-painted “tattoo” and “relic” versions with special fabric options.
Featuring the finest workman-ship and materials The Guitar Rack and The Guitar Armoire are hand made in the U.S.A.
www.guitararmoire.com
PRS Guitars Mira Maple TopPaul Reed Smith Guitars has introduced the Mira Maple Top model, an instrument that combines the retro vibe of the PRS Mira with figured maple tops, with new col-ors and optional gold hardware. The new finishes are all wrap-around and include Tri-Color Sunburst, Dark Cherry Sunburst, Whale Blue/Black Burst, Violin Amber Burst and Vintage Natural.
The Mira Maple Top is comprised of the finest woods and materials available. In addition to the mahogany and maple top body, the mahogany neck and East Indian rosewood fingerboard neck come with ei-ther moon inlays or optional bird inlays. This in-strument is a 24-fret, 10” radius, 25” scale length guitar with either regular or wide-thin neck carve. Locking tuning pegs, Mira treble and bass pickups, volume, tone, 3-way blade and a mini toggle coil tap round out the features.
www.prsguitars.com
Randall Amplifi ers’ RB SeriesRandall Amplifiers has introduced the new RB Series of heads and speaker cabinets. The new series includes 3 heads and 4 cabinets with revolutionary technology available at varying power levels.
The three RB amps include the RB750, RB500 and RB300. Designed for the serious working professional, our revolutionary Tube/MOSFET power circuit pushes authentic power tube tone with-out the costs & headaches asso-ciated with real power tubes. With enhanced power & perfor-mance, bass players will instantly notice a life-like reactionary feel unlike any other hybrid or solid-state bass amplifier. Each model also includes a footswitchable Overdrive circuit for light to heavy distortion and a studio quality Compression circuit that softly squeezes the signal without dropping the volume or revoicing the tone.
Built for portability and the abuse of the road, the XLT Bass Cabinets are tailor made to pair with the RB Series Heads. Each XLT cabinet is handcraft-ed using 3/4” void free birch plywood for tight solid tone and years of wear and tear. Choose from 8x10”, 4x10”, 4x12” and 1x15” options.
www.randallamplifiers.com
JAZ_42 42 7/15/08 4:41:48 PM
A NEW ONLINE COMMUNITY BRINGING TOGETHER JAZZ EDUCATORS, PERFORMERS,
STUDENTS, AND FANS!
Brought to you by the publishers of
JazzPlayer.com is now live – visit www.JazzPlayer.com
to sign up and create your individualized profile
and start connecting with fellow jazz
aficionados and scholars.
FULL ADS.indd 43 7/15/08 4:09:32 PM
44 JAZZed July 2008
Within the bossa nova style, I reference a number of jazz tunes to improvise on: model tunes with very few chord changes, blues chang-es with a few more chord changes, and more complicated, standard tunes with frequent chord changes that are usually 32 measures long. Each style has certain advantages for teaching impro-visation, but at the entry level, the blues in a bossa nova style serves the purpose of getting students started with basic improvi-sational concepts of melody, harmony, rhythm, and form without excessive notes.
My aim here is to present an entry level improv work-shop as a model for teaching students who either don’t understand the fundamen-
tals of improvising or who need to be brought up to speed with a minimum of rehearsal time.
Head Tunes Based on Repeating RiffsSometimes the best lessons are the simplest. Too
much theory and too many technical terms can kill the best of intentions and enthusiasm for improvisa-tion. So I begin with simple riffs. Students are quick-
ly engaged in playing chord changes by rote using the ba-sic 12-bar blues progression: I, I, I, I, IV, IV, I, I, V, IV, I, I. With simple repeating rhythms and melodic intervals, students fl ow through the basics of blues improvisation.
Example 1 with Simple Blues Riffs
Irecently presented a “how to” jazz improvisation workshop at a private non-Eng-
lish speaking music school in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. ■ I had no advance knowl-
edge of who would be attending or what instrumentation I would have to work
with. ■ As it turned out, the ages of the participants ranged from 18 to over 65 and
nobody brought their instruments. ■ Though it was a challenge preparing for this
workshop, the results were gratifying. ■ Everyone ended up participating through
their voices – no one could “fake” it by just wiggling, which too often takes place
when students are improvising. Bossa nova was our style of choice because there
is often less stress with that than in other jazz styles. ■ I thought I could have run
for public office in Brazil when I suggested the bossa nova style over standard jazz
tunes for entry-level improv instruction, but the bossa nova style is my choice for
this type of introductory lesson, regardless of where the workshop takes place.
guest clinician I M P R O V I S AT I O N C O N C E P T S
Breaking The Improvisational Barrier Without Your Axe!BY JOHN KUZMICH, JR.
“TOO MUCH THEORY AND TOO MANY TECHNICAL
TERMS CAN KILL THE BEST OF INTENTIONS AND ENTHU-SIASM FOR IMPROVISATION.”
A SUREFIRE WAY TO LEARN IMPROVISATION CONCEPTS
JAZ_44 44 7/15/08 4:43:08 PM
guest clinician
Roots 1, fl at 7, 1 1, fl at 7 1, b3
Example 2: Blues Riff TransposedBy getting the students to sing the
riffs, they can overcome their instru-mental shyness and start to hear the changes. They become better oriented and don’t get lost while they’re mental-ly and aurally manipulating the root, fl at 3rd and fl at 7th of three chords with a series of simple rhythms. Voila! They’re improvising. Once that can be done smoothly, we expand the riffs to include:
Example 3 with More Complex Blues Riffs
1, fl at 7, 5, fl at 7, I
1, 3, 5, 3 1, 3,5 8, fl at 7
First Time Comping
ConsiderationsTeaching improvisation concepts
and using a rhythm section are re-ally two distinctively different tasks that need to be done simultaneously. Rhythm section players need some V.I.P. attention in order to instill stabil-ity for successful improvisation teach-ing. The rhythm section is the foun-dation for good improv experiences. Here are some shortcuts for dealing with the rhythm section. Use some play-along recordings in which the rhythm parts are fully notated, provid-ing a structured way to teach and learn basic comping techniques and styles. As an example, consider using Jamey Aebersold’s Volume 54, tracks 3 and 10, which are excellent entry level blues tracks. There are also three Volume 54publications written for bass, drum, and piano with fully transcribed parts
for each track students can listen to and practice with for a more authentic experience. And each CD is enhanced with its bass, drum, or piano part mixed louder than the surrounding rhythm section.
Don’t have Jamey Aebersold’s Vol-ume 54? Pick any medium bossa nova or jazz shuffl e and have the pianist, bassist, and drummer incorporate some of the following ideas: bossa nova bass parts are usually in fi fths. The piano avoids the roots in the right hand and emphasizes upper chord extensions. The drummer avoids us-ing the bass pedal on every beat, concentrating more on the hi-hat on beats two and four on the ride cymbal on every beat, and avoid back beats on beats two and four on the snare drum.
By listening to Jamey Aebersold’s “Maiden Voyage,” #54, will give your rhythm section some basic comping techniques that work well on medi-um jazz tracks like #3 (“Bb Blues”) and #10 (“F Blues”) or bossa nova track #4 (“Solar Flair”) and #7 (“Song For My Father”). This takes pressure off of the teacher so he/she can con-centrate more on the horn players without neglecting the rhythm sec-tion. Again, there are separate pub-lications by Jamey Aebersold Jazz for Volume 54 with fully notated parts for piano (Jazz Piano Voicings by Jamey Aebersold, Volume 54), bass (Tyrone Wheeler Bass Lines transcribed by Evan Barker from Volume 54) and drums (Jazz Drums Play-Along by Steve Davis from Volume 54) along with CDs with great stereo separa-tion and mixing for enhanced listen-ing for each instrument.
Jamming With Riffs and Background Riffs
Now you are ready to get your stu-dents improvising. Have the group (ensemble) begin singing a rhythmic riff such as, “doo-bah doo-wah” on the previously mentioned I, IV, V roots for one or two choruses. Then have each
JAZZed March 2008 45
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46 JAZZed July 2008
guest clinician
student sing that riff or their favorite riff alone for one chorus as a solo mak-ing sure that they transpose the riff through the three chord changes. On the second chorus, have the student repeat the riffs with the group sing-ing a catchy four-beat background riff only on the root of each chord. Involv-ing all students all the time backing up every soloist, helps everyone master the chord changes and strengths their confi dence.
Opening Up Improvisation Jam Session
At this point, the jam session can be opened up quickly in several ways. Try introducing more sophisticated riffs with catchy rhythms and/or dif-
ferent notes. Students will respond to catchy head tunes that can lead to more sophisticated riffs. I like to let students learn how to imitate each other using the simple riffs al-ready taught by trading fours with a partner. The ear training concepts employed here are invaluable as the
participants imitate each other’s riffs, alternating four-measure sequences in a call-and-response manner. The trick is to help students not get lost in the changes when they are not solo-ing. Each pair of students will need to trade two or three choruses. Remem-ber to start and end the trading fours section with the head tune to make it a complete composition.
Stop-Time: Spice Up the Jam Session!
“Stop-Time” is a great stimulus for featuring students who are learn-ing to incorporate slick melodic and rhythm patterns into their soloing. When one student lights that fire, it motivates others to come up with
“THE RHYTHM SECTION IS THE FOUNDATION FOR GOOD IMPROV
EXPERIENCES.”
JAZ_46 46 7/15/08 4:43:16 PM
JAZZed July 2008 47
guest clinician
slicker riffs. The process is simple. Play the head tune and then have each student solo for one chorus. On the second chorus, have the rhythm section play only on the first beat of each measure or the first measure of each new chord. Soloing against stop time, without any comping ex-cept for the beginning of each chord change helps the student make the changes correctly. Horn players can also play the roots with the same isolated stop time rhythm for each chord. On the third chorus, the rhythm section comes back and the soloist keeps soloing. Stop-time is a good way to provide extended solos for entry level students as they work on melodic/rhythmic riffs in a posi-tive, supportive experience.
A Good BeginningThis workshop can be use in sev-
eral installments or as presented in 60 minutes. Even with a translator, everybody understood how to im-provise on the changes, melody, riffs, and trading fours. Once students ex-perience the building blocks of im-provisation by singing rather than searching for notes on their instru-ments, they grasp the basics of what is needed and ear training clearly supported through imitation. What I like about this experience is that nothing comes between the students and the music. No music is passed out. Their ears and their own voices let them feel the very essence of the jazz improvisation experience. Stu-dents learn to participate in a unique step-by-step process beginning with the roots, to simple riffs, to more so-phisticated riffs through stop-time and trading fours with call-and-re-sponse imitation concepts. But you, the educator, are the secret ingre-dient for success, so I strongly ad-vise you to participate, as well. You break the ice, infuse energetic confi-dence, and seamlessly weave theory
and technique with just your voice. The ultimate goal is transferring this learning to the instrument. Success is immenent with this positive, step-by-step experience. Fingers will find what the mind has imagined.
CodaOnce this approach has been initi-
ated, your jazz ensemble is ready to apply the improv instruction with a daily fi ve-to-10-minute warm-up based on a riff or head tune. Bingo! You will have everybody in your band instantly improvising, albeit rudimentarily, at fi rst. Eventually change keys in future rehearsals, fi rst using the more common keys of con-cert Ab, Eb, F. Riffs will become very apparent as they pop up in students’ solos and you hear them expand their improv ideas at music festivals and in live concerts. I regularly use the head tune approach as sound check right in front of the audience. It’s a great crowd pleaser and a good warm-up.
Dr. Kuzmich is a nationally-known music educator with more than 30 years of teaching experience. He has certifica-tion from TI:ME (Technology Institute for Music Educators) to serve as a training instructor throughout the country. His aca-demic background also includes a Ph.D. in comprehensive musicianship.
As a freelance author, he has more than 250 articles and five textbooks published. As a clinician, Dr. Kuzmich frequently participates in workshops throughout the U.S. and several foreign countries. For more information, visit his Web site: www.kuzmich.com.
SurveyIf you are interested in participating in upcom-ing JAZZed music educa-tion surveys, please contact Editor Christian Wissmuller at [email protected]
JAZ_47 47 7/15/08 4:43:20 PM
noteworthy
48 JAZZed July 2008
crossword1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
12 13 14
15 16
17 18 19
20 21 22
23 24 25
26 27 28 29
30 31 32 33
34 35 36 37
38 39 40 41 42 43
44 45 46
47 48 49 50 51
52 53 54
55 56 57 58 59
60 61 62
Across 1. Musical genre and jazz ancestor5. ___ Calloway, bandleader and master of energetic scatting7. ___ Shaw, clarinetist and composer considered to be one of best jazz musicians of his time12. What you might say to a mouse?13. Miles Davis was one of the main origina-tors of this type of jazz14. Playing along to the click-track (2 words)15. Have to have16. ___ Wilson, famous pianist known as the “Marxist Mozart”17. Bob Crosby’s group, Bob ___18. Eastbound, for short20. Code of life21. Musical scale note22. Guitar neck section23. Ray Charles and Diana Krall song, “Deed I ___”24. ___ City Jazz, marked the transition from big band style to Bebop26. New Orleans jazz style, with land27. Great Britain, abbr.28. Type of jazzy blues that was infl uenced by the big band sound30. Jazz piece
32. Pa’s mate33. Spurs city initials34. Mingus Ah ___, 1959 Charles Mingus album36. Photo ___38. Web address39. Moldy ___, bebopper’s term to describe someone whose tastes are not up to date42. In bass, to play one note per beat44. ___-up, the members of the band46. It happened on 34th Street?47. Great Lake48. Dream Keeper artist, Charlie51. Dexter Gordon album title52. Type of Blues for Louis Armstrong and W.C. Handy, ___ Louis?53. Aka outro56. Verbose57. It’s Strange, for Billie Holiday?60. Jazz style developed by Wayne Shorter61. “___ For My Father,” Horace Silver ditty62. ___ Berne, Five Year Plan artist
Down 1. ___ Goodman, “The King of Swing”2. “Donna ___,” bebop jazz standard com-posed by Miles Davis3. Banjo kin
4. Greensboro locale5. Famous New York Club that launched the career of Duke Ellington6. Pub purchases7. Whichever8. Type of highway, abbr.9. “___ Rag,” Dixieland standard10. Leonard Cohen song “___ Your Man”11. Seafood delicacy14. Song preceders, usually17. You usually can’t have it and eat it too?19. “Polka Dots and Moon___,” Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole tune20. Bebop standard and the name of Sonny Rollins’ record label21. ___ Book, collection of illegal jazz charts23. English princess25. Atlantis artist, fi rst name26. ___ time, tempo twice as fast28. German for yes29. Jazz’s sax man, Charlie30. “Born __ be Blue,” Ella lyric31. In a fast tempo32. ___ Favorite Things, popular Coltrane album35. ___ Jazz, Ornette Coleman’s 1960 album37. ___ Pastorious, famous jazz bass player38. ___ Structures, Cecil Taylor’s 1966 album40. T or L follower41. Martini ingredient42. Tail movement43. Bean or Cool J45. Tax collector48. Wind instrument49. Sum up50. “The ___ of Wine and Roses,” Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett tune53. Fawn over54. Dot com follower55. “___ I Should Lose You,” song by Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald56. Madison locale57. Footnote, abbr.58. “Say ___ Isn’t So,” Dinah and Billie lyric59. La follower, in music?
Crossword by Myles Mellor
www.jazzedmagazine.com
For the solution to this issue's crossword, visit:
JAZ_48 48 7/15/08 4:44:01 PM
JAZZed July 2008 49
GearcheckP. Mauriat SaxesMonteVerde Music, the North American Distributor for P. Mauriat Saxophones, announces the debut of two new models. The PMXA-67R UL alto saxophone and the PMXT-66R UL tenor saxophone are the same design as the current PMXA-67R and PMXT-66R, except they are un-
lacquered and they go through a special process to make them look “weathered,” like an older vintage horn, while main-taining the huge, fat sound and intona-tion. Another version of the PMXA-67R and PMXT-66R, the “Infl uence,” has a totally redesigned keywork.
www.monteverdemusic.com
1000 Songwriting Ideas & West Coast Jazz Piano from Hal LeonardFrom melodies to lyrics, great songs need great ideas to spark the creative energy that will help you write your next big hit. 1000 Songwriting Ideas, by Lisa Aschmann, is a handy book of creative exercises that stop writer’s block and turn the imagination into a powerful songwriting machine. The book offers a thousand concepts to ponder as starting points for lyric and melody writing, along with provocative and inspirational examples. These proven exercises move the lyrical self, stir the melodic soul, and give you the power to be the creative songwriter you’ve always wanted to be.
West Coast Jazz Piano is a book and CD package by Gene Rizzo that is devoted to providing a complete overview of the techniques and styles popularized by the greatest West Coast jazz piano players of all time. All the best are here: from the cool classical jazz of Dave Brubeck to the smooth and tuneful Vince Guaraldi, to the post-modern stylings of Billy Childs. The CD includes 15 full-band tracks.
www.halleonard.com
JAZ_49 49 7/15/08 4:46:38 PM
Gearcheck
50 JAZZed July 2008
Zildjian Brilliant K Crash Ride Cymbals
The Avedis Zildjian Company has introduced two new Crash Ride cymbals in the K Zildjian Series. The 21 and 22-inch K Crash Rides feature a Brilliant Finish and a medium-thin weight. These new models now become Zildjian’s largest Crash cymbals available and offer an explosive Crash sound.
The 21 and 22-inch K Zildjian Crash Rides were developed with Zak Starkey, who has been using them in his set-ups with The Who and Oasis since 2000. These cymbals help Zak cre-ate the “wall of sound” he needs when playing with both bands. While adding a dynamic visual impact, Zildjian’s Brilliant Finish also helps to smooth out the sound and add extra high-end sparkle. The K Zildjian Crash Rides open up quickly and are excellent for “shouldering” with the stick.
www.zildjian.com/kbrilliant
The Serious Jazz Book II
Sher Music Co. has announced the publication of The Serious Jazz Book II: The Harmonic Approach, by Barry Finnerty. Starting where his Serious Jazz Practice Book left off, guitar legend Finnerty has created another woodshed classic for all jazz soloists. Known for his work as a recording artist alongside Miles Davis, the Brecker Bros., the Crusaders, and more, Barry shows how to become a better improviser by melodically master-ing the individual chords used in jazz, how they connect with each other, and how they are used in various song forms.
www.shermusic.com
ChopSaver Gold with SPF 15ChopSaver®, the all-natural lip balm created with the special needs of musi-
cians in mind, is now available with sunscreen (SPF 15). The new product, ChopSaver Gold features bright orange packaging with the familiar green hues of ChopSaver Original.
ChopSaver was created in 2004 by Dan Gosling, a professional trumpet player who was not satisfi ed with the selection of lip care products then on the market. His company, Good for the Goose Products, LLC, was established to market and sell the ChopSaver line. The company spent more than a year developing ChopSaver Gold, including the time required for FDA testing and approval.
ChopSaver Gold will not replace ChopSaver Original. Both items have a sug-gested retail price of $4.95.
www.chopsaver.com
JAZ_50 50 7/15/08 4:46:45 PM
JAZZed July 2008 51
HotWax New & Notable Music ReleasesAll dates are subject to change
July 15Roy Ayers - Everybody Loves the Sunshine (Universal International)
John Braden - Gentle Storm (High-note)
Geof Bradfi eld - Urban Nomad (Origin Records)
Ron Carter - Jazz and Bossa (EMD International)
Frank Catalano - Bang (Savoy Jazz)
Jeff Coffi n - Mutopia (Compass)
Jamie Davis - Vibe Over Perfection (Dig)
Bill Evans - Living in the Crest of a Wave (Wounded Bird)
Gil Scott Heron - Live at the Town & Country 1988 (Acadia)
Hot Club of Detroit - Night Town (Mack Avenue)
Adrian Iaies - Vals de la 81st & Columbus (Sunnyside)
Yusef Lateef - The Gentle Giant (Wounded Bird)
Livin Out Loud - What About Us (Livin Out Loud)
Mad Tea Party - Found a Reason (Nine Mile)
Richard Maegraith - Free Running (Jazzgroove)
Jakob Magnusson - Special Treat-ment (Wounded Bird)
Phil Markowitz - Catalysis (Sun-nyside)
Gerard Masters - Pendulum (Jazzgroove)
Jeremy Pelt - November (Maxjazz)
Danilo Perez - Across the Crystal Sea (Concord)
Play-Rite Boys - So Far So Good (Frederick Production)
Zoot Sims - Complete Live Record-ings (Gambit Spain)
Cedar Walton - Seasoned Wood (Highnote)
Glenn White - Sacred Machines (OA2 Records)
July 22Cannonball Adderley - The Quintet Plus (Universal Japan)
The David Berger Octet - I Had the Craziest Dream: The Music of Harry Warren (Sweet Thunder)
Trevor Dunn - Four Films (Tzadik)
Henry Franklin - O, What a Beauti-ful Morning (Skipper)
Michael Garrick - Black Marigolds (Universal Japan)
Johnny Griffi n - Smokin’ Sax (Drey-fus)
Henry Grimes - Going to the Ritual (Porter)
Eddie Henderson - Heritage (Blue Note)
Bobbi Humphrey - Fancy Dancer (Blue Note)
Isham Jones - 1929-1934 (Jazz Oracle)
JFK Quintet - New Jazz Frontiers From Washington (Universal Japan)
Byard Lancaster - Personal Testi-mony (Porter)
The Latin Jazz Quintet - Latin Soul (Universal Japan)
Joe Magnarelli - Persistence (Res-ervoir)
Ronnie Mathews - Doin the Thang (Universal Japan)
Jackie Mclean - Capuchin Swing (EMI Japan)
Chip McNeill - Four Steps (Capri)
SHORT & SWEET.Introducing ANDY™ — The Travel Guitar for the Jazz Community
. .com
JAZ_51 51 7/15/08 4:48:21 PM
52 JAZZed July 2008
HotWaxNew Cool Collective - Out of Offi ce (Dox)
Keith Oxman - Caught Between the Lion and the Twins (Capri)
Duke Pearson - Sweet Honey Bee (EMI Japan)
Pony Poindexter - Gumbo! (Univer-sal Japan)
Dizzy Reece - Asia Minor (Universal Japan)
Edgar Sampson - Savoy Stomp (Montpellier)
Wayne Shorter - Speak No Evil (EMI Japan)
Kay Starr - Swingin’ With Kay Starr (DRG)
Jeremy Steig - Howlin’ for Judy (Blue Note)
Streetwize - Mary J (Shanachie)
The Three Sounds - Elegant Soul (Blue Note)
Glenn White - Sacred Machines (Oa2)
Paul “Shilts” Weimar - Jigsaw Life (Nu Groove)
Mike Westbrook - Celebration (Uni-versal Japan)
Reuben Wilson - Set Us Free (Blue Note)
July 29Audio Lotion - Adelante! (Mole Listening)
Eric Bode - The Little Garden (Native Language Music)
John Chicai - Afrodisiaca (MPS)
Duduka Da Fonseca - Samba Jazz Fantasia (Anzic)
Alyssa Graham - Echo (Sunnyside)
Glen Gray - Casa Loma in Hi- Fi! (Collectables)
Hugh Hopper - Dune (Moonjune)
Just Friends - Doo Wop Greetings from Florida (Collectables)
Fridrik Karlsson - The Feel Good Collection: Magical Spa (Gemini Sun)
Pork Pie - Transitory (MPS)
Ron Westray - Medical Cures For The Chromatic Commands Of The Inner City (Blue Canoe)
Barney Wilen - Dear Prof. Leary (MPS)
If you have information on an upcoming album or music DVD release which you’d like to have included in the next issue of JAZZed, please e-mail editor Chris-tian Wissmuller at: [email protected]
JAZ_52 52 7/15/08 4:48:28 PM
JAZZed July 2008 53
Swedish-born pianist Esbjörn Svensson was the leader of the Esbjörn Svensson Trio, better known as E.S.T., one
of Europe’s most popular progressive ensembles. Reaching beyond the jazz world for musical inspiration, E.S.T.
appealed to both jazz affi cianados, as well as younger fans by deftly blending elements of melodic post-bop,
electronica, rock, and classical.
Svensson attended Stockholm University for musical studies and, in 1990, formed E.S.T. with bassist Dan
Berglund and drummer Magnus Öström. He was voted Swedish Jazz Musician of the Year in both 1995 and
1996 and Songwriter of the Year in 1998. E.S.T. recorded 11 albums in total, their fi rst being When Everyone
Has Gone (Dragon), released in America in 1996. The trio won the Guinness Jazz in Europe Award for the
album Strange Place for Snow (Act) in 2002, which was also the disc that received the most exposure stateside,
reaching #22 on Billboard’s Top Jazz Albums chart. Then, in 2003 E.S.T. was awarded the International Artist
Award at the BBC Jazz Awards. 2006’s acclaimed album, Tuesday Wonderland (Act) was followed up in 2008 by
Somewhere Else Before (Sbme Special MKTS).
Esbjörn Svensson passed away on June 14 at the age of 44.
Backbeat
Esbjörn Svensson1964-2008
Pho
to c
redi
t: M
atti
as E
dwal
l
JAZ_53 53 7/15/08 4:49:18 PM
54 JAZZed July 2008
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56 JAZZed July 2008
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J.J. Babbitt Co. Inc. www.jjbabbitt.com 23
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Chord/Scale Mastery www.keithfelch.com 18
Claude Lakey Mouthpieces www.claudelakey.com 47
Cuyahoga Community College www.tri-c.edu 33
DANSR, Inc. www.dansr.com cov 2
EM-BEE Ideas www.embeeideas.com
Five Towns College www.ftc.edu 35
John Fedchock www.johnfedchock.com 38
Jupiter Band Instruments www.jupitermusic.com 11
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Mack Avenue Records Inc www.mackavenue.com 28
Superscope Technologies www.superscopetechnologies.com 13
New Horizons Tour & Travel www.nhtt.com 1
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Pacifi c Coast Jazz www.pacifi ccoastjazz.com 18
Pearl Corp. www.pearldrum.com cov 4
PM Woodwind, Inccts www.pjlamusc.com 52
Pro Winds www.prowinds.com 39
Sher Music Co. www.shermusic.com 50
Stromberg Guitars www.strombergguitars.com
The New School for Jazz www.jazz.newschool.edu 13
Vic Firth, Inc. www.VicFirth.com 18
Vic Firth, Inc. www.VicFirth.com 17
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