The following selections are from this republished 1985 interview with Miles Davis. 1. Avoid flatted fifths; finish what’s already started Miles to Bob Berg: “[I told Bob] when you start playing just try and finish what somebody’s left. Don’t just play till it dies. If [Bob] tries to find a tone center, he’ll just fuck […]
#InTheShed
I publish a new #InTheShed post each week. Don't miss the next one »
4 Things You Can Learn from Cory Henry’s Tribute to Organist Melvin Crispell
I’m cramming to learn 22+ Snarky Puppy tunes before I play a few shows with them next week, and it reminded me of this wonderful clip I wanted to share with you. It’s organist, and SP member, Cory Henry playing a tribute to an influential organist named Melvin Crispell. Cory Henry is an incredible musician. […]
Roy Hargrove on What It Means to Be an Artist
If you take care of the music, the music will take care of you. You gotta put it ALL in there. – Roy Hargrove
Real Sax Daily: Highlights from the First 50 Videos
For the last couple months I’ve published a mini music video 5 days a week. It began as a challenge to myself to practice more. A small, public-facing incentive to shed (I’ve always loathed practicing…at least the getting started part). “But you have a whole blog called #InTheShed?!”, you say. Yes, that is true. But […]
Chris Potter on Singing in a Tuxedo, Moving to New York, and Studio Recording Philosophies
Every time that I play I learn something that I didn’t know before. —Chris Potter There’s no shortage of Chris Potter recordings to listen to, and there are hundreds of bootleg clips of him on YouTube. But it’s not often we hear him speak candidly about himself, his early experiences, and his thoughts on making […]
“He Kicked My Behind from Genesis to Revelations.” – Russell Malone’s Lessons Learned on the Bandstand
In today’s world of social media, and everybody telling each other “You sound great, man!”, when is it appropriate to offer criticism to a younger player? Check out what guitarist extraordinaire Russell Malone has to say about getting his butt handed to him by [organist] Jimmy Smith in Atlanta in the eighties. “He kicked my […]