I only have a couple of students that I teach at my house. I had a lesson yesterday with a high school sophomore. It was his second lesson, and he is a pretty good player. He likes jazz band, so we started talking about improvisation, which he said he wanted to learn. I played a vamp in Bb on the piano, and he played some stuff over it. He sounded pretty good for a beginner, so I put on the Aebersold Major/Minor and we traded 8’s, just trying to deal with playing simple melodies. As we kept playing, we went from 8’s to 4’s, then we were both playing together, and then it happened. I got that feeling. That feeling I get when something cool starts to happen, when there is interaction between improvisers, when it starts to really get fun. I love that feeling. I guess it can even happen with 15 year olds and Aebersold LPs.
Category: Music
Lucky 7s review in JazzTimes
From the Jan/Feb 2007 issue:
Jazz | JazzTimes Magazine CD Reviews
The creative music scenes of Chicago and New Orleans join forces in the Lucky 7s septet, presented here live and raw. Neatly balancing abstraction with fat, chewy grooves, the band gleefully stomps through compositions by co-leaders Jeb Bishop and Jeff Albert, pulling back occasionally for stark atmospherics or somber ensemble sections. Jason Adasiewicz’s cool vibraphone work adds an intriguing extra dimension to the second-line rhythms and ballsy horns in this dynamic north-south summit.
Blue Bayou: An industry that hates its customers
I’ve blogged similar stuff before, but this post (Blue Bayou: An industry that hates its customers) gets the point pretty well.
Imagine an industry that was so hostile to its customers that it regularly sued them; that resisted all new technologies for distributing its products, even as their best customers were embracing them; and that lobbies in Washington to try to take away its customers’ legal rights to use its products.
The future is coming, and artists have to decide if they want to join it or fight it. Many of us have dreamed about getting major label deals, but at this point, does that put you on the right side of the future?
Little-Known Music Magazine Attempts Big-Time Ad-Sales Scheme
You hear stories, but yikes…
Little-Known Music Magazine Attempts Big-Time Ad-Sales Scheme – Idolator
The gist: Joyce, who’s under the impression that his magazine is a “highly influential force within the indie rock genre,” asks Johnson if he’s planning on advertising Amplifier. Johnson says no, explaining that Birdman’s ad budget is nonexistent; Joyce replies with an off-the-cuff “well, it was nice writing about your artists.”
the 12 in 2007 Project
A pretty cool idea from bassist Rueben Radding…release a new album length project as free downloads every month in 2007. The first one lands in the abstract, somewhat-noisy, free-improv space.
via be.jazz
Michael Brecker – RIP
Michael Brecker passed away today.
Saxophonist Michael Brecker succumbs to cancer – USATODAY.com
I first became aware of Michael Brecker when I was in high school. His band was on one of those PBS Newport Jazz Festival shows. They played “Original Rays” and he did that killer EWI stuff that he could do. It totally knocked me out. I taped it and watched it over and over. He played some stuff on that set that was SO burnin’. It was one of the first times I realized that jazz could be so fiery and energetic that it just made me want to jump in the air and shout.
Years later I heard him at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival with McCoy Tyner. It was one of those special religious musical experiences. A few days ago I was listening to Pat Metheny’s 80/81 and thinking about how bad Michael Brecker is. Too bad that is has become a was. Thank you, Michael, for all the great music.
New Lucky 7s mp3s
Here are three pieces from the Lucky 7s‘ September 6, 2006 performance at Elastic in Chicago.
I Know It’s Here Somewhere (mp3)
The musicians are: Josh Berman (cornet), Keefe Jackson (tenor sax), Jeb Bishop and Jeff Albert (trombones), Jason Adasiewicz (vibraphone), Matthew Golombisky (bass), and Quin Kirchner (drums).
This music free to share under a Creative Commons Music Sharing License.
Keefe Jackson’s Fast Citizens: Ready Everyday
I have acquired a lot of music in the past couple of months, and have intended to write about much of it, but the going has been slow.
I will start with a great new CD on Delmark, by my Lucky 7s colleague Keefe Jackson. Ready Everyday is the new album from Keefe’s band Fast Citizens. It is a pleasing balance of composition and freedom. The band is excellent. Frank Rosaly and Anton Hatwich provide a great feeling drive and swing, and the improvisations are excellent.
I have to give some props to the other member of the Lucky 7s on this album, cornetist Josh Berman. I know Josh is bad from playing with him, but everytime I hear him on something new, I dig his stuff even more. That’s also an indicator of Keefe’s sucess as a bandleader; he puts the musicians in situations that allow them to shine. Check out Ready Everyday, it is well worth it.
Flow: Living in the Stream of Music – Terence Blanchard
I knew Terence Blanchard has some stuff going on, but this DVD really opened my eyes and ears to his badness. The movie follows his band through a few tour stops and a soundtrack session. It provides a great look into the vibe of the band, and what it is that makes them a real band instead of a collection of guys hired to play the leader’s music. There is also a great bonus piece that is some footage of Terence teaching at the Thelonious Monk Institute at USC. The way he presents things to the students is very inspiring.
The music in the film is very happening. So much so, that it inspired me to go buy the CD that they were supporting on the tour that is the setting for the movie. Well, I didn’t actually buy the CD, I got it on iTunes. The only other Terence CD I had was Wandering Moon, and it didn’t really light me up, but I am digging Flow.
Jim Pepper
Doug Ramsey has a nice bit on Jim Pepper today in Rifftides.
Rifftides: Doug Ramsey on jazz and other matters
Jim Pepper is often strong medicine. Strong medicine can make you well.
My first exposure to Pepper came from a cruise ship band roomate I had in the mid-90’s named Barry Bergstrom. Dr. Bergstromi loved him some Pepper, and it rubbed off. If you haven’t explored the music of Jim Pepper, you’re missing out on intense and spirit filled music.