Getting the Gig and Keeping It

“Play what you want and let the audience catch up.” - Thelonius Monk 

Some Jazz Albums That Influenced and Informed a Younger Version of Myself

I grew up playing and listening to punk rock, metal, new wave, and other types of rock music before enrolling in a jazz ensemble at a community college at the age of 20. At that time I knew nothing about jazz and had never listened to it. I had just never been exposed to it growing up in my little West Texas town. The reason that I joined the jazz ensemble was that I figured it was the only outlet in music school for a drum set player. I figured that I should start listening to some jazz if I was going to play in a jazz band so I hit the local music stores! Later I found out that my hometown of Amarillo, TX actually had a rich music history with great local players, some of whom I was fortunate to have the opportunity to play with. They became mentors to me.

Without further adieu, here are some Jazz albums that influenced and informed a younger version of myself.

Unknown Jazz Piano Cassette Tape Compilation

A friend gave me a cassette tape that was a compilation of jazz piano greats. The writing was worn off so I never knew who was on it until years later when I heard the tracks on different albums. Included was Chick Corea's "Matrix", Herbie Hancock's "Riot", Duke Ellington w/Max Roach and Charles Mingus "Caravan", a track from Michel Petrucciani, and others. Needless to say, I wore this tape out and these tracks significantly influenced my conception and aesthetic of jazz.

The Last Time I Committed Suicide (Movie Soundtrack)

I don't remember much about the actual movie but this soundtrack was an early introduction to some heavy hitters for me. The first track on the album was Charles Mingus' "Better Git Hit in Your Soul", and the second was a killer take of "Straight, No Chaser" by a piano-less Max Roach quartet. Also on the album were Miles Davis, Thelonius Monk, Ella Fitzgerald, and more!

Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers

I didn't know anything about Art Blakey when I picked this album up. When I first started getting into jazz in my early 20's I would buy any album that looked interesting. All I could tell from the album cover was that the drummer looked awesome. As it turns out, he was awesome and album is a classic! My introduction to Horace Silver and tunes like "Nica's Dream"

Thelonius Monk - The Best of Thelonius Monk: The Blue Note Years

It's Monk! My favorite track was "In Walked Bud"

Horace Silver - Song For My Father

The first thing I noticed about this album was the way that space was used and the minimalist chords and modal harmonies that Silver was using. I dug the Latin influence and many of the compositions had a meditative quality to them.

Oscar Peterson - Exclusively For My Friends: Lost Tapes

I probably ran across this album in the clearance bin at the music store. I was absolutely floored by Peterson's playing. Blistering runs, killer harmonies, stride piano, high energy ensemble. Peterson would take tunes to the next level with double time solos accompanied by left hand walking or boogie-woogie bass lines, and of course, his signature octave and block chord solos. Peterson's playing will always inspire and astound me!

Herbie Hancock - Maiden Voyage

Herbie Hancock, Freddie Hubbard, Tony Williams, and Ron Carter! These guys were a musical factory churning out albums that would be top sellers in their own day and go down in history as Jazz classics. Surprisingly I owned and listened to this album before hearing the Headhunters album. 

Guess which album is next on the list...

Herbie Hancock - Headhunters

Judge me if you will, but it took me a second to get into this album. I couldn't appreciate the vintage synths upon the first hearing. It sounded dated and almost cheesy to me which was perhaps due in part to me growing up in the 80's, but when Hancock takes off on his Rhodes and Moog solos and Bennie Maupin kills it on the saxophone I knew my initial impressions needed to be reconsidered. To this day Hancock's solo on Chameleon is one of my favorite of all time and this album will always be one of those at the top of my music list. I just recently found a copy on vinyl!

Pharoah Sanders - Thembi

One of my music teachers passed me a copy of this album. I listened to it a lot.

Miles Davis - Kind of Blue

I don't know what to say about this one other than regardless of what type of music you listen to this album should be in your collection. Miles Davis changed the course of music in the 20th century more than a few times and his influence is just as heavy today as it was then and will be felt for at least the next century and most likely beyond.

Miles Davis - Bitches Brew

I had a next door neighbor once who had this on vinyl. I asked him if he would be willing to trade another record for it. From my collection he chose a blue colored vinyl copy of Sonic Youth's "Jet Set, White Trash, and No Star" for it. His remark about Bitches Brew was that, "I'm not that into it, there's no melody." I said something along the lines of, "Hmm... well... thanks for the record dude." and went along my way.

There are so many jazz albums that I love and I can only begin to list a few here. The next album on the list is one that I found on cassette tape, also when I was in my early twenties and led me down another musical path that I could never have imagined at the time.

Ravi Shankar - The Genius of Ravi Shankar

This album was my introduction to the music of India. Pandit Ravi Shankar on sitar with Ustad Allah Rakha on tabla. I now have a vinyl copy of this one as well.

Thanks for reading! Comment and share some of your favorite jazz (or otherwise) albums below!

Online Fake Book Index

I have found this online Fake Book Index extremely helpful today!

http://www.seventhstring.co.uk/fbindex.html 

Jazz Piano Left Hand Shell Voicings

Jazz pianist and composer Earl McDonald's site contains some great free jazz piano lessons and videos: http://www.earlmacdonald.com/jazz-education.html

Check out this video about Jazz Piano Left Hand Shell Voicings!

Tone Clocks - Serial Composition Technique

Peter Schat (1935-2003), author of Tone Clock, was a Dutch composer who created a system of organizing twelve tone rows into tonal groupings for the purpose of music composition. I have been using this method with some success in my own compositions and find that it gets more interesting and challenging the more that I work with it.

• Peter Schat's Tone Clock in Jazz and Improvised Music by Theo Hoogstins
  This article by Theo Hoogstins explains the fundamentals of the Tone Clock.
• The Tone Clock by Theo Hoogstins
  Same article as before in a different format.
• Peter Schat - Autobiography (Official Peter Schat Website)
• Peter Schat - Wikipedia entry

Here is a short "riff-based" composition entitled "Mitten Clause" played by The Fakebooks (Perry Justus, drums; Steven Ronk, bass; Dustin Adams, keys) that I came up with a couple of years ago when I first learned of the technique.

The Universal Mind of Bill Evans

Watch and learn from the master.

The "Giant Steps Progression" and Cycle Diagrams

Check out this great article about Coltrane's "Giant Steps" progression and other cyclic progressions in music by Dan Adler: http://danadler.com/misc/Cycles.pdf

Any questions? Comment below!

• Coltrane's Subsitution Tunes by Jason Lyon
• Coltrane Changes (Wikipedia)

Fred Hamilton Jazz Guitar Video Lessons

Fred Hamilton is a wonderful guitarist, bassist, and all around musician and human being that I've been fortunate to have the opportunity to play a concert with. He is also a jazz guitar professor at the University of North Texas. I found the following videos helpful in my journey of learning the guitar. I hope you will too. Cheers!

Guitar Technique - Playing on One String

• Jazz Guitar Method - Single String Exercises

Hal Galper Jazz Master Class

I became aware of Hal Galper through his jazz education book Forward Motion: From Bach to Bebop

There are some great videos of Hal Galper teaching master classes on YouTube. Check them out and learn something!

Through Music to the Self: How to Appreciate and Experience Music Anew by Peter Michael Hamel

I just finished reading Through Music to the Self: How to Appreciate and Experience Music Anew by Peter Michael Hamel which was recommended to me by my beatnik/jazz musician friend Jim Griffin and found it to be an engaging and enlightening read. I highly recommend this excellent book to any student or lover of music.

Here is the description from the back cover:

"What is Music?

What does it do to us?

What does it reveal to us?

Today, due to our ability to record and reproduce sound mechanically, we hear a great deal of music. Are we losing the art of listening to it? Do we really benefit from it?

Peter Hamel, born in 1947, studied music, psychology and sociology in Munich and Berlin, after which he spent three extensive periods in Asia studying Eastern traditions of music.

Now a practising composer and musician, he has become convinced that through encounter with the ancient and unspoilt non-European disciplines it is possible to re-discover the natural laws and the magical powers of sound. In this practically-based book, he discusses the effects on the human psyche of Indian, Tibetan, Arabian and other Far Eastern techniques of vocal and instrumental improvisation, especially in the religious context. 

Relating the exoteric sound lore of these traditions with the rational Western tradition and its modern research into harmonics, the conformity of the harmonic series to natural law is seen as pertaining on the one hand to the level of mystical experience and on the other to scientifically demonstrable psychological effects.

We therefore have the ability of chant, rhythm and melodic patterns to invoke the deeper levels of experience which transcend our subjective self-concern; at the same time these effects need not be arbitrary and accidental. Through experiment with sound, even those without musical training can awaken to a new consciousness of its powers and derive renewed strength for everyday living. 

There are sections dealing with modern group music, psychedelic music and drugs, mantra, relationship of vowels to parts of the body, meditation, music therapy, breath and voice, singing and "one's own sound".

This is a book for those who suspect that music is more than entertainment or an obligatory cultural activity and who with to explore its powers as a tool for self-development."

Indian Classical Music

As a student and lover of the Classical music of India, I especially appreciate Hamel's section of the book devoted to this beautiful musical tradition. Topic covered in this chapter include the concepts of raga, rasa, tala, Indian music studies, Nada Yoga, and a "Singing Sahdu on the Ganges"

Below are some of the artists mentioned in the book.

Ravi Shankar

Sitarist Ravi Shankar performing with Allah Rakha on tabla at the Monterey Pop Festival in California, 1967. Shankar's performance lasted 4 hours and played a major role in the introduction of Indian Classical music to the West. The festival also included performances by Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Janice Joplin, Otis Redding.

Vilayat Khan

Abdul Karim Khan

Teacher of the "Singing Sadhu on the Ganges". 

Hamel tells the story of meeting an ascetic musician on his way to see the Indian holy woman Ananda Mayi Ma. This sadhu lives in a tent on the edge of the Ganges river who teaches him singing and Nada Yoga.

From wikipedia:

"Nāda yoga is an ancient Indian metaphysical system. It is both a philosophical system , a medicine, and- as the name suggests- a form of yoga. The system's theoretical and practical aspects are based on the premise that the entire cosmos and all that exists in the cosmos, including human beings, consists of sound vibrations, called nāda. This concept holds that it is the sound energy in motion rather than of matter and particles which form the building blocks of the cosmos."

Hamel cites Ravi Shankar from "My Music, My Life"

"These great musicians were not just singers or performers, but also great yogis, whose minds had complete control of their bodies. They knew all the secrets of Tantra, hatha yoga, and different forms of occult power, and they were pure, ascetic and saintly persons. That has been the wonderful tradition of our music -- and even today, though such miracles may not be performed, one can see the immense impact on the listener and, as many put it, the 'spiritual experience' the listener feels."

He finds out later that this man was a disciple of the great singer Abdul Karim Khan. At his death in 1937 Khan was reckoned to be India's last great musical genius and singer. 

Subbalakshmi

In his book Hamel briefly mentions the Karnatic South Indian vocalist named Subbulakshmi who I had never heard of. I was delighted to find that recordings of her have been uploaded to YouTube.

"Periodic Music" and "Minimal Music"

Terry Riley

Steve Reich's "Drumming"

Finding Your Sa

One of my favorite parts of the book was a section about finding your "Sa". Sa is the tonic note in Indian music and every singer finds their own Sa based on their particular voice. 

Here is a nice blog post about this subject: http://shabadkirtan.blogspot.com/2009/02/your-own-sa-and-vocal-range.html

The instructions in the book say to sing your lowest comfortable note and that becomes Ma below Sa.

Resources and Further Reading

• Peter Michael Hamel (wikipedia)
• Through Music to the Self: How to Appreciate and Experience Music Anew by Peter Michael Hamel (Amazon)
• The Mysticism of Sound and Music by Hazrat Inayat Khan

Drop 2 Piano Voicings

Drop 2 Piano Voicings are a sophisticated way of voicing chords and can be heard in the playing of virtually all of the jazz piano greats. Drop 2 is a technique that many arrangers use to spread out chords played by an ensemble. Many guitarists are already familiar with the sound of these voicings as many of the basic seventh chord grips on guitar are drop 2.

The concept behind drop 2 voicings is to take the second voice in a four note chord and drop it down an octave. Drop 2 piano voicings take quite a bit of work initially to conceptualize and get under your fingers on piano and even more so to work them into your playing but with persistent practice over time drop 2 piano voicings can become second nature. Melodies can be harmonized beautifully utilizing drop 2 voicings.

I have created a video that can help you get started with Drop 2 Piano Voicings.

The Drop 2 Voicings pdf demonstrates an easy to follow, systematic way to learn these voicings. I say easy to follow because of the way that I present the information. There's no shortcut to learning Drop 2 Voicings, the only way to learn them and work them into your playing is through focused and consistent practice.

I offer these educational materials for free so that more people can benefit. Sign up for email updates and make a donation if you like what you see here, thanks!

Guide Tone Jazz Improvisation

 

Bert Ligon's Connecting Chords With Linear Harmony is an excellent resource for jazz improvisers looking to improve their lines using guide tones. The entire book focuses on three basic melodic patterns that can be found in some shape or form in many of the solos of the jazz greats.

Check out an example of how this works here from the UNC Jazz Studies website: Basic Outlines or Fundamental Patterns to Connect Chords in Jazz Improvisation

• University of South Carolina Jazz Improvisation and Jazz Theory Examples and Handouts
  This site contains tons of free jazz education resources and transcriptions.
• Jazz Practice Tip by Bert Ligon

Free Jazz Handbook

This free resource from Jamey Aebersold’s website might change your life, or not. I guess it depends on if you read it and practice what’s inside.

Click on the image or download the PDF directly here: Jazz Handbook

Jazz Piano Voicing Skills

Wanna get your jazz piano on?

 

Jazz Piano Voicing Skills: A Method For Individual or Class Study by University of North Texas jazz piano professor Dan Haerle is very systematic and practical in its approach and will put the world of jazz piano harmony at your fingertips and into your ears if you put the necessary practice time into it.

This book was recommended to me by Amarillo College professor and UNT alumni, Dr. Jim Laughlin during my second year in music school. I personally own a small library of jazz piano books and still consider this to be one of the best and most useful. After studying this book on my own I was able to start reading chord charts and began playing piano in jazz bands.

Learning jazz piano is a lifetime study but this book can give you a major jump start.

P.S. You are also going to need a Jazz Fakebook: The Real Book: Sixth Edition

Jazz Piano Chords

Here are some things you can practice to get your jazz piano chords going.

Print these documents out and create a binder where you can keep information like this as well as other music you are working on.

You will need software installed on your computer such as Foxit or Adobe to open and view these files.

1. Download and save Jamey Aebersold’s Free Jazz Handbook
2. Print out pages 50-51 “Piano Voicings”
   
3. Practice

You could print this yourself or take the file to a print shop and have them print a copy. Jamey Aebersold’s company www.jazzbooks.com sends a free copy of this book anytime you order something from them. Check out the Aebersold Play-Alongs.

The next documents by Bert Ligon are available free courtesy the University of South Carolina Jazz Theory and Jazz Improvisation Examples website.

• Overview of Piano Voicings
• Basic Blues Voicings for Bb and F Blues
• Two Hand Voice leading without Roots

After playing the written examples. Play these same voicings in different keys. Ideally you want to be equally comfortable in every key, major and minor.

• Start applying these concepts by learning tunes and reading chords out of a fakebook.
• Make up your own chord progressions.
• Play with other people!

This is FREE high quality information generously made available to the public. Send the author(s) a message thanking them for it if you find it useful.