Creating charts for small jazz ensembles is an art form. Balancing information on a page can mean the difference between a smooth performance and a train wreck. This is a detailed case study of why—and how—I spent two days reworking a chart. Maybe it will come in handy the next time you’re arranging a song. Problem: I never perform “Belief” because […]
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How do you know what to practice?
That lick is telling you how you feel about the music, not how Coltrane felt about the music. If you’ve ever found yourself in the practice room, horn in hand, thinking “What should I work on?”, this fantastic mini-master class from Hal Galper is for you. Some points to listen for: Where he learned vocabulary […]
37 Most Popular #InTheShed Posts of 2014 – Brecker, Redman, Potter, Marsalis, Webster, Henderson, Hawkins, Shorter & More…
I put a lot of stuff on this blog in 2014. If you missed any of it (all of it?) here’s a short list of the most popular posts…in reverse order. 37. Look inside my practice journal from 20 years ago 36. Wynton Marsalis’ 1-Minute Guide to Playing Hipper Rhythms 35. Storytelling in Jazz: The […]
How Joshua Redman practices
Check out what he says from 15:00-18:30. I posted this video before, but for different reasons. One of my students asked about what to do when his practicing felt unfocused. I explained the common phenomenon of the beginner’s curse: plenty of time to practice & not sure what to practice. Once life’s demands take some […]
From swing tunes to Sting tunes, Déjà Vu captures 21 years of musical friendship
On the day we recorded this album, Juan and I had been friends for 21 years and 11 days. Déjà Vu by Bob Reynolds Bob Reynolds, tenor sax (left) Juan Rollan, tenor sax (right) Hamilton Price, bass Kyle Crane, drums The story of Déjà Vu On the day we recorded this album, Juan and I […]
Charlie Parker with Strings turns 65
Recorded 65 years ago today (Nov 30, 1949), Charlie Parker with Strings is one of those classic jazz recordings you must get intimately familiar with. Don’t just take my word for it. 6 prominent alto saxophonists recently named this in their top favorites. There’s a reason why: It holds up. As I re-read the liner […]