The Sermon is a blues written and recorded in 1957 by jazz legend, Jimmy Smith. I haven't learned the complete melody yet but I thought I would take a stab at playing it from memory. After all, it's just an F blues. Watch on Vimeo The Sermon … [Read more...]
R.I.P. Max Roach
Max Roach, one of the original bebop drummers, died early this morning. He played with all the greatest jazz musicians: Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk, Coleman Hawkins, Bud Powell, and Miles Davis. I've personally spent many, many … [Read more...]
Duke Jordan, 84, Jazz Pianist Who Helped to Build Bebop, Dies
Duke Jordan, a pianist whose work with the saxophonist Charlie Parker endures in the jazz canon, died on Tuesday in Valby, Denmark, a suburb of Copenhagen. He was 84, and he had lived in self-imposed exile from the United States since 1978, … [Read more...]
Music from 12-14-05b
[tag]Practicing[/tag] [tag]walking bass[/tag] and soloing over [tag]Bb[/tag] [tag]rhythm changes[/tag] on the [tag]Hammond[/tag] [tag]organ[/tag] at [tag]195bpm[/tag]. [tag]jazz[/tag] [tag]Perdido[/tag] [tag]bebop[/tag] [tag]organ … [Read more...]
Music for 06-22-06b
I'm focusing on two things here. Hand interdependence and phrasing with little or no regard to pitch. So motion and rhythm basically. 205bpm. Very choppy. 1:35: Walking bass. We'll see how it goes... 2:45: Slowing it down because I'm not … [Read more...]
Music for 06-22-06a
This is a warm up on a cool and dreary day. 0:56: Turn around into the blues in Bb. 75bpm. 1:57: Working on my hand interdependence here. 3:55: Charlie Parker's bebop classic Parker's Mood. I should memorize this solo better because it's … [Read more...]
To All My Readers In UK And Ireland
Emily Chang just told me about "a free program that find gigs, tickets and tour dates using your iTunes Music Library." Can't wait to get bebop in the US. … [Read more...]
Rollins tells what it takes to survive
Rollins tells what it takes to survive: Tenor saxophone legend Sonny Rollins, who at 75 has been nominated for a Grammy for best jazz instrumental solo, says people often ask him what goes through his mind when he's playing one of his celebrated … [Read more...]