JULY 2010 • $5.00
THE JAZZ EDUCATOR'S MAGAZINE
SHELTON BERG
How the Spiritual and the Technical Come Together to Make Art Jazz in the Classroom History & Culture Focus Session Charting
The Official Publication of
JAZZ EDUCATION NETWORK
JAZZ PLAY-A-LONGS
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contents
J U LY 20 1 0
JALC’S 15TH ANNUAL ESSENTIALLY ELLINGTON COMPETITION 10 A report from this year’s get-together in NYC, showcasing some of the nation’s finest high school jazz ensembles.
SHELTON BERG – HOW THE SPIRITUAL & THE TECHNICAL COME TOGETHER TO MAKE ART 22
JAZZed speaks with the dean of the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami about his career as a performing and recording artist, and renowned music educator.
FOCUS SESSION: CHARTING 30
Saxophonist and composer Ed Harlow outlines five key components to effectively charting pieces of music.
LESSONS LEARNED: PLAYING JAZZ ON THE BASSOON 32
Acclaimed recording artist Daniel Smith discusses approaching the jazz idiom as a player of a “non-traditional” jazz instrument.
JAZZ IN THE CLASSROOM: HISTORY AND CULTURE 35
In this installment of his regular column, Brad Howey provides a valuable companion piece to this month’s ‘Focus Session,’ discussing how simply learning and playing charts doesn’t provide a complete understanding or appreciation of jazz.
™
2 JAZZed July 2010
™
JULY 2010
Volume 5, Number 4 GROUP PUBLISHER Sidney L. Davis sdavis@symphonypublishing.com PUBLISHER Richard E. Kessel rkessel@symphonypublishing.com Editorial Staff EDITOR Christian Wissmuller cwissmuller@symphonypublishing.com
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ASSOCIATE EDITOR Eliahu Sussman esussman@symphonypublishing.com STAFF WRITER Denyce Neilson dneilson@symphonypublishing.com Art Staff PRODUCTION MANAGER Laurie Guptill lguptill@symphonypublishing.com GRAPHIC DESIGNER Andrew P. Ross aross@symphonypublishing.com GRAPHIC DESIGNER Laurie Chesna lchesna@symphonypublishing.com Advertising Staff ADVERTISING SALES Iris Fox ifox@symphonypublishing.com CLASSIFIED SALES Maureen Johan mjohan@symphonypublishing.com
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departments PUBLISHER’S LETTER 4 NOTEWORTHY 6 JEFF LORBER: WHAT’S ON YOUR PLAYLIST 12 JAZZ EDUCATION NETWORK SECTION 14 • PRESIDENT’S LETTER • NETWORTHY NEWS • JEN CONFERENCE • STUDENT ART CONTEST • JOHN LAPORTA AWARD • SAVE THE DATE
JAZZ FORUM 38 CROSSWORD PUZZLE 39 GEARCHECK 40 HOT WAX 42
Business Staff CIRCULATION MANAGER Melanie A. Prescott mprescott@symphonypublishing.com ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Popi Galileos pgalileos@symphonypublishing.com Symphony Publishing, LLC CHAIRMAN Xen Zapis PRESIDENT Lee Zapis lzapis@symphonypublishing.com CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Rich Bongorno rbongorno@symphonypublishing.com Corporate Headquarters 26202 Detroit Road, Suite 300 Westlake, Ohio 44145 (440) 871-1300 www.symphonypublishing.com Publishing, Sales, & Editorial Office 21 Highland Circle, Suite 1 Needham, MA 02494 (781) 453-9310 FAX (781) 453-9389 1-800-964-5150 www.jazzedmagazine.com
CD SHOWCASE 43 CLASSIFIEDS 45 AD INDEX 47 BACKBEAT: LARRY WARRILOW 48
Cover photograph: John Zillioux JAZZed™ is published six times annually by Symphony Publishing, LLC, 21 Highland Circle, Suite 1, Needham, MA 02494, (781) 453-9310. Publisher of Choral Director, School Band and Orchestra, Music Parents America, and Musical Merchandise Review. Subscription rates $30 one year; $60 two years. Rates outside U.S. available upon request. Single issues $5. Resource Guide $15. Standard postage paid at Boston, MA and additional mailing ofces. Postmaster: Please send address changes to JAZZed, 21 Highland Circle, Suite 1, Needham, MA 02494. The publishers of this magazine do not accept responsibility for statements made by their advertisers in business competition. No portion of this issue may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher. © 2010 by Symphony Publishing, LLC. Printed in the U.S.A.
Member 2010
RPMDA JAZZ EDUCATION NETWORK
JAZZed March 2010 3
publisher’s letter
RICK KESSEL
Today’s Well Rounded Musician
W
hen Shelton Berg, this month’s featured educa- line, to performing in an ever widening variety of tor, performed at the recent JEN conference at genres. Jazz groups, orchestras, opera companies, the University of Missouri in St. Louis, it was as studios, and other musical ensembles are having to though he was being propelled up from the pia- be more creative than ever in order to sell tickets, no bench and wanted to bring the keyboard out recordings, raise funds from corporations, and the in front of the audience to help launch them into like, so it is essential for students to be able to take the music. His energy level was captivating, which charge of their individual careers, rather than be reflects his passion and love for jazz. Perhaps a bit swept along by a wave of economic troubles that of this showmanship was derived from his experi- they cannot control. Though vocational training ence in playing other forms of music, specifically is not the core focus of most colleges, the more his early days playing disco, salsa, education and background students country, and even performing with have in a wide variety of disciplines, The days of bands such as KISS, the Steve Miller the greater chance of their overall Band, and others. Berg is an edusuccess in the field of music. musicians being cator, musician, and administrator The Frost school is a unique ineducated only to who not only espouses versatilstitution, as it has been on the cutity and passion to his students, but be adept at playing ting edge of its offerings to music whose career is reflective of this atthat go beyond the normal music seems to be students titude. There are few things Berg regimen of music classes. Their pasfading fast. has not accomplished in the field of sel of coursework in music performusic, so he seems perfectly suited mance, jazz, music business, audio for his position as dean of the highly engineering & technology, comrespected Frost School of Music at the University position and so many other disciplines is widely of Miami. known and respected, and reflect this concept that The days of musicians being educated only to musicians need to be well-rounded and broadly be adept at playing music seems to be fading fast. educated as well as have great depth within their More and more conservatory and university music chosen concentration. programs are educating their students to be capable Finally, don’t forget to reserve your trip to the of undertaking a wide variety of careers with skills upcoming 2nd Annual JEN conference in New Orthat range from being able to manage the finances leans – January 6-8, 2011… you won’t be disapof a recording studio, to marketing their music on- pointed!
rkessel@symphonypublishing.com
4 JAZZed July 2010
Aspire. Accomplish. Achieve.
The Frost School of Music will elevate your artistry and prepare you for today’s professional world of music with
Nurturing and Brilliant Faculty Groundbreaking Frost Experiential Music Curriculum Award-Winning Jazz Orchestras and Ensembles Extraordinary Master Classes and Guest Artists Wonderful Collaborative Opportunities
Jazz Faculty
Shelly Berg, piano/dean Glenn Basham, strings improvisation Chuck Bergeron, bass/ensembles Richie Bravo, percussion/Afro-Cuban Jason Carder, trumpet/combos Don Coffman, bass/associate dept. chair Rainer Davies, guitar/ensembles Alberto de la Reguera, Afro-Cuban/Salsa Orchestra Randall Dollahon, guitar/ensembles Stephen Guerra, arranging/composition Gary Keller, saxophone/improvisation
Rachel Lebon,
voice/vocal health
Lawrence Lapin,
Jazz voice, Jazz Vocal 1 Ensemble Gary Lindsay, studio jazz writing, composition, technology
Dante Luciani,
trombone/Concert Jazz Band Lisanne Lyons, voice Nicky Orta, bass
Stephen Rucker,
drum set, Funk Fusion Ensemble
Whitney Sidener,
department chair/theory/saxophone Daniel Strange, piano/ear training John Yarling, drums, combos Nicole Yarling, voice
Outstanding Jazz Scholarships Available. Inquire Today. Email: admission.music@miami.edu Application deadline: December 1 Q
ZZZ PXVLF PLDPL HGX The University of Miami Frost School of Music has been an institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Music since 1939
noteworthy NAMM Foundation’s 2011 Program Grant
T
he NAMM Foundation’s Phase I of its 2011 Program Grant initiative opened on June 15, 2010. The Foundation seeks to fund proposals for projects that further the music products industry’s mission of creating more active music makers of all ages and expanding access to music making. The Foundation Program Grants support
non-profit, public service music learning programs that, “motivate and inspire people of all ages to play music.” To be considered for funding, a program representative must complete an initial Letter of Inquiry by the stated deadline, and meet all criteria and application requirements described in the guidelines. Programs implemented during the school day may supplement, but
cannot replace core curriculum music education programs. Selected applicants will then be invited to complete a full proposal during Phase II. Phase I Letter of Inquiry submission deadline is September 30, 2010. To access Program Grant funding guidelines and details for submitting a Letter of Inquiry for consideration, interested parties should visit www.nammfoundation.org
Litchfield Jazz Camp’s Teach the Teacher
T
each the Teacher was developed by Litchfield Jazz Camp to help music teachers at all grade levels develop or expand effective strategies for educating their students about jazz. Held on the campus of Kent School in Kent, Connecticut, July 20 and 21, the workshop is open to music teachers and undergraduate music education students. This inaugural program is led by saxophonist/composer/educator and music director of Litchfield Jazz Camp, Don Braden. Master teachers include baritone saxophonist Claire Daly, drummer Alvin Atkinson, trombonist Peter McEachern, pianist Helen Sung and alto saxophonist Kris Allen. They will provide tools to help music teachers take their jazz ensembles to the next level or to create a jazz ensemble if their school does not yet have one. Taking this course may help teachers
6 JAZZed July 2010
accumulate professional development credit in their districts and meet National Standards in their classrooms. For Connecticut teachers, the course offers 1.2 continuing education units. Teach the Teacher will tailor its instruction to both beginner and intermediate/advanced jazz teachers. Teachers will learn to help students develop clear goals for their musical expression, improve their rhythm, enhance basic piano skills, blend more effectively in an ensemble setting, practice more productively, and more. The faculty will also help teachers sharpen their jazz theory skills and refresh their desire to teach jazz. Participants are invited to a faculty concert on July 20 followed by jam sessions, all included in the workshop fee. Workshop fee is $250 for teachers and $200 for undergraduate music education students. For more information, visit www.litchfieldjazzcamp.com.
Faculty member Don Braden
noteworthy
Say What?
Berklee College Visits Nairobi, Kenya Berklee College of Music visited Kenya, June 28 to July 5, for the second straight year to hold events that included auditions and interviews for scholarship opportunities, music education outreach, workshops, and clinics for area musicians and educators. The programs were conducted by a team comprised of faculty members Dan Moretti and Ron Reid of the Contemporary Writing and Production Department, Michael Shaver from Admissions, Sam Skau from International Programs, and student ambassador Joey Guglielmo. The auditions – part of Berklee’s Africa Scholars Program offering
talented musicians from across the continent the chance to be awarded scholarships to attend the college – are open to citizens of any African nation. Students and area musicians were also invited to attend harmony and performance clinics, and an ensemble class presented by Moretti and Reid in the afternoon. The day culminated with an early evening performance by Brookhouse students and Berklee faculty and alumni. Candidates who audition in Kenya will be considered for a host of other scholarships that Berklee awards annu-
“By and large, jazz has always been like the kind of a man you wouldn’t want your daughter to associate with.” - Duke Ellington
ally as part of its World Scholarship Tour, where the college visits more than 40 cities. The Africa Scholars Program is part of a larger effort to increase the number of students from underrepresented areas of the world, including Africa, China, India, and Cuba, fostering a significant cultural exchange. For more information, visit www.berklee.edu.
Jazz Arts Group Awarded NAMM Grant NAMM announced that the Jazz Arts Group (JAG) of Columbus, Ohio is one of 25 recipients worldwide to receive a NAMM Foundation Program Grant. The NAMM Foundation’s 2010-2011 program grants will allocate $585,000 in funding to support innovative community-based music learning programs that allow more
people the opportunity to experience the proven benefits of active musicmaking. JAG will receive $5,000 to support a new program initiative entitled “Adventures: The Jazz Academy Reaches Out.” NAMM Foundation Program Grants are available to non-profit public service organizations for innovative music
education and hands-on music-making programs that reach and serve new audiences with new protocols. Since 1994, NAMM has supported worthy music-making initiatives through its grant program, providing $12.5 million in support. For more information, visit www.jazzartsgroup.org.
Rochester Jazz Festival Launches Mobile Site for Smart Phones The Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival launched a new mobile site for Internet-enabled mobile devices including the BlackBerry, iPhone, and other smart phones for their 2010 Festival, held in June. The mobile site provided the latest
news, daily schedules, venue information, artist information, jazz links, and the Festival’s Facebook and Twitter pages, offering information on artists including bios and photos, online ticket sales, e-newsletters, and electronic press kits from artists. Fans were also able to scan
a QR Code (Quick Response) on signs around the Festival to download the Festival site instantly. QR codes are twodimensional bar codes that help smart phone users easily view information. For more information, visit www.rochesterjazz.com.
JAZZed July 2010 7
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The Jazzschoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Rising Stars Summer Series Each summer, the Jazzschool, in Berkeley, Calif., celebrates the accomplishments of its students in the Rising Stars Summer Series. The 2010 Summer Series will include a performance, on July 30, from the Jazzschool High School Jazz Intensive students. The five-day jazz intensive program is for advanced high school jazz instrumentalists. Six to eight advanced high school musicians are selected to work closely with top Bay Area jazz artists for a week of rehearsals, master classes, and private
lessons. The performance will feature the students, and the second set will feature members of the faculty, including Mike
Zilber, saxophone; Erik Jekabson, trumpet; Peter Horvath, piano; John Shifflett, bass; and Jason Lewis, drums. For more information, visit www.jazzschool.com
Ornette Coleman Receives Honorary Doctorate of Music Music legend Ornette Coleman received an honorary Doctorate of Music from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor during the Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2010 commencement. The event also included a commencement address by President Barack Obama. In 2007 Ornette Coleman was honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and won the Pulitzer Prize in Music in 2007 for his al-
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MADE IN THE USA 8 JAZZed July 2010
bum Sound Grammar. In 2009 he became the 16th musician in history to be presented with the Miles Davis Award, in recognition for his regeneration of the jazz idiom. His recent 80th birthday in March was marked with a variety of tributes, from articles, to concerts, to all-day broadcasts of his music. For more information, visit www.ornettecoleman.com.
The 39th Stanford Jazz Festival Season Stanford Jazz Festivalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 39th six-week long season begins at Stanford University, on June 25, with a night of Brazilian jazz, headlined by Grammy nominee Luciana Souza, and concludes on Saturday August 7 with pianist Taylor Eigstiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s concert celebrating his new Concord Jazz recording, Daylight at Midnight. The Festival builds upon its association with Stanford Jazz Workshopâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s summer Jazz Camp and Jazz Residency education programs. In honor of the Stanford Jazz Workshopâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dedication to the perpetua-
tion of jazz, the Festival presents a series of themed concerts, honoring the music of Ella Fitzgerald, Dave Brubeck, Django Reinhardt, Billy Strayhorn, and even Stevie Wonder. During the Ella Fitzgerald concert, singers Mary Stallings and Kenny Washington will be joined by teenage Workshop participants Laila Smith and Holly Smolik, to further strengthen the link between the Workshopâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s jazz camps and the Festival stage. For more information, visit www.stanfordjazz.org.
noteworthy First Annual JEN Conference The Phoenix Has Risen
The inaugural JEN (Jazz Education Network) Conference, held Thursday May 20th through Saturday May 22 at the University of Missouri – St. Louis, exceeded all expectations. The almost 1,300 attendees, who traveled to the gathering from over 14 countries, enjoyed performances, workshops, and speeches from some of the biggest names in contemporary jazz.
JEN president Mary Jo Papich and president-elect Dr. Lou Fischer at Thursday night’s gathering for founding members of the Jazz Education Network.
The event began on Thursday morning, with JEN president Mary Jo Papich calling a meeting of the board that aimed for “full transparency” by making the meeting public. The turnout to watch the board in action and ask questions was relatively strong and more trickled in throughout the two-hour meeting. Jim Widner, conference host who was key in bringing the event to his hometown, welcomed every one and said he was overwhelmed by how many registered for the gathering. Papich, who had admitted she could not have predicted the response and would have been happy with two thirds of the final tally, said she was extremely pleased with how it all came together from the amount of talent on
display to cooperation of the University of Missouri-St. Louis and even the Hilton hotel where most stayed. “We sold out two hotels just like that!” she said. “And we weren’t even going to have a conference this year!” “We’re really excited about the registration numbers, but in addition to bringing people here, we’ve really tried to embrace the local community,” said president-elect Lou Fischer. Papich added that while they didn’t feel they had the resources to bring a lot of kids in, they desired to have an outreach program go out into the St. Louis area schools while the organization was in town. She then yielded the floor to Phil Dunlap, who is director of education of Jazz St. Louis, a nonprofit organization support jazz performance and education. He reported that his committee, with help of board member Terrell Stafford and others, put a program together where they sent out nine clinicians into the metro-area schools. “There’s a lot going on to be proud of,” he said. The ensuing days included over 50 exhibits, 48 topnotch performances, and 39 panels and clinics. As keynote speaker (and David Baker recent JAZZed cover-subject) David Baker noted during his address on Friday, “The Phoenix has risen.” Next year’s JEN Conference will take place in New Orleans from January 6 - 8. For more information on upcoming events and to join JEN, visit: www.JazzEdNet.org.
Jim Widner
JAZZed July 2010 9
JALC's 15th Essentially Ellington Competition SHOWCASING THE FINEST IN HIGH SCHOOL JAZZ BANDS
O
n the second weekend of this past May, top high school jazz bands from around the country converged in New York City for the finals of Jazz at Lincoln Centerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Essentially Ellington competition. The 15 ensembles selected as finalists, chosen from more than 95 school groups that sent in audition materials, were vying for cash prizes and, more importantly, the opportunity to perform on stage at Avery Fisher Hall with members of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, including artistic director Wynton Marsalis. This year marked the 15th annual Essentially Ellington competition, a program designed to inspire high school students and advance appreciation and understanding of jazz through the music of Duke Ellington.
Garfield High School performs with Wynton Marsalis at Jazz at Lincoln Center's 15th Essentially Ellington. (all photos: Frank Stewart)
10 JAZZed July 2010
Dillard Center for the Arts performs with Wynton Marsalis and Marcus Printup at Essentially Ellington.
Foxboro High School performs with Wynton Marsalis at Jazz at Lincoln Center's 15th Essentially Ellington.
Prior to coming to New York, each of the school groups selected as finalists were paired with a JALC orchestra member, who helped prepare the students for their performances at Lincoln Center. And of the 15 groups that made the trip to the Big Apple – some hailing from as far away as California, Arizona, Texas, and Wisconsin – the top three finishers were Garfield High School from Seattle, Washington, Dillard High School from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Foxboro High School, from Foxboro, Massachusetts. “In the band, we scratch our heads and ask each other, ‘Is it me, or are the kids getting better each year?’” says Walter Blanding, a saxophone player who has been with the JALC orchestra for 12 years and serves as one of the Essentially Ellington in-school clinicians. “This competition – although I like to call it a festival, because while the children have a healthy competition, they all really support each other, it’s very positive, and they’ve got great energy towards one another – has inspired the students and their instructors to really try each year to make improvements, and we’ve seen that happening. We provide educational materials and go out to the schools, like I did, and we do workshops. All of these things collectively have helped the children play better and better, and when they come out here, they sound great.”
Steven Massey, director of bands at Foxboro High School, has been participating in the Essentially Ellington program for 14 years, placed in the finals 12 times, and has seen his group win the competition on several occasions. Asked about how EE has grown since its inception 15 years ago, Massey says, “The scope of the program has grown nationally, and the quality of the groups has been elevated as the word about this festival has spread around the country. Also, the music of Duke Ellington is now a part of the school band curriculum, much more than it ever was before. [The Essentially Ellington competition] has now become, in my mind, the finest amateur music festival in the world.” The final concert, which took place on Monday, May 10th, was a spectacular celebration of music, as the packed house at Avery Fisher Hall hooted, hollered, and roared their approval as the student ensembles showcased their talents before the JALC Orchestra took the stage. Among the many notable performances, Garfield High School senior Riley Mulherkar, who was later named the competition’s Outstanding Soloist, just about upstaged Wynton Marsalis himself as the two traded whimsical, yet intense trumpet solos on the classic Ellington tune, “The Shepherd.”
Along with helping to ensure the enduring legacy of one of America’s greatest composers, the Essentially Ellington program also has a deeper purpose. “The real goal is to help give children the ability to understand how they can reach their potential,” says Walter Blanding. “Learning to play an instrument helps a person become profoundly connected with him or herself. Whether it’s just a hobby or more serious, learning jazz is like learning communication. It’s like learning a language. Through this music, students are learning how to multitask, how to solve problems creatively, how to express themselves. These are the tools that everybody needs to be successful at anything, to create a good society, to understand what it means to do your part in something – whatever that may be – and most importantly, to realize that it’s okay to be yourself. That’s what jazz is about, and these are the things that we really want to help kids understand.” Since the program’s inception, over 300,000 students in 3,000 high schools have participated, and Essentially Ellington has distributed over 90,000 copies of previously unavailable Duke Ellington scores, in addition to reference recordings and additional teaching materials.
JAZZed July 2010 11
What’s on Your Playlist? A key figure in fusion and contemporary jazz for over 30 years, keyboardist/composer Jeff Lorber draws upon his background in R&B, rock, and other idioms to create a musical voice that’s distinctly his own. With the Jeff Lorber Fusion, he toured the world in the ‘80s and scored a Best R&B Instrumental Grammy nomination for the wildly popular track, “Pacific Coast Highway.” 1991’s Worth Waiting For was Lorber’s first official solo release and, in the years since, he’s continued to make an impact as a performer, recording artist, and producer. 2010’s Now is the Time finds Jeff revisiting his own past, with creative reworkings of some of the Jeff Lorber Fusion’s most compelling tracks. 1. “Chicken Grease” – D’Angelo This is one of the funkiest grooves ever. The live version from “The Chris Rock Show” is awesome, also. Very relaxed, in the pocket playing always sounds fresh and makes you want to move when you listen. 2. “Ponte De Areia” – Esperanza Spaulding Fantastic composition by Wayne Shorter and an equally inspired interpretation, with a very cool groove and some very creative reharmonization. I’ve had a chance to see Esperanza a few times and she shows tremendous talent for such a young player.
music has a joy, unpredictability, simplicity, and humor that’s completely unique. I love the funky rhythms and angular melodic movement. 5. “To Beat or Not to Beat” – Horace Silver Another great piano icon who’s music is full of life and joy. When I was a music student at Berklee trying to understand the complexity of Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea’s music, I started to explore the history of jazz piano. Horace stood out as a pianist whose music I could really get into and also understand.
3. “Heart’s Desire” – Donald Blackman He only made one record... for GRP in the ‘80s, but it’s a great one. Super funky groove and very jazzy, pretty irresistible, with a very fun, Monk-inspired solo.
6. “Rock and Roll Doctor” – Little Feat I’m a huge fan of the blues and especially the funky swampy blues approach of Lowell George. The rhythmic feel of this band and Lowell’s phrasing, guitar playing, and production are amazing.
4. “Bye-Ya” – Thelonious Monk This was one of the first jazz records that I ever heard. My cousin gave it to me when I was about eight years old. Monk’s
7. “Nocturnal Sunshine” – MeShell Ndegeocello This is a fantastic track produced by David Gamson of Scritti Pollitti fame, featuring some inspired improvization from
Jeff Lorber’s newest CD, Now is the Time (Heads Up), was released in June of 2010. www.lorber.com 12 JAZZed July 2010
Herbie Hancock and backed up by MeShell, Harvey Mason and Wah Wah Watson. 8. “Help I’m a Rock” – Frank Zappa When I first heard this on the radio, when I was about 1, it completely blew me away. This funny, crazy track is a good reminder about how creative and outrageous music can be.
9. “Love Disease” – Paul Butterfield Blues Band Great track from a band that probably didn’t get the recognition they deserved. Great solo from a young David Sanborne. 10. “Chinese Medicinal Herbs” – Jeff Lorber Fusion I do listen to my own music, of course. I’m really happy with the way this particular track turned out Fantastic drumming by Dave Weckl and a very nice solo from Larry Koonse.
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JAZZed July 2010 13
Our network is growing
JAZZ EDUCATION NETWORK A MESSAGE FROM JEN PRESIDENT LOU FISCHER As our organization moves into uncharted territory due to the first ever turnover of the Presidency, I assure you the collective vision that Mary Jo and I shared for the organization when JEN was established remains intact. The mission statement dedicated to building the jazz arts community by advancing education, promoting performance, and developing new audiences, so carefully and painstakingly written by the steering committee in 2008, has come alive! When we initially began talking about founding a startup organization to fill the void left in jazz & jazz education in 2008, I sent Mary Jo an email containing a personal heartfelt “vision” of what I thought JEN should be. Some members may remember seeing this vision statement as it appeared on the “Splash Page” of our website early on: JEN….is a chameleon without prejudice with a face of all color; is a person who speaks all languages, but communicates through a common usage of jazz within the family; is humble and serves the needs of friends and neighbors; has the respect of peers as an authority in the field; has the support of many; is rich with passion; is all enduring. JEN is the Jazz Education Network. YOU are the Jazz Education Network. Together, WE are the Jazz Education Network. As I stood before the attendees during the JENeral session at the St. Louis Conference one month ago, I became quite over-whelmed as I looked out among the faces... the vision I shared with Mary Jo had truly come to fruition. Our attendees came to celebrate this historic event from so many parts of the world...like a chameleon with a face of all color... Canada, Japan, Mexico, Sweden, Brazil, South Africa, France, Germany, Belgium, Austria, as well as being from over forty of the United States. Many of us, no doubt communicating in different languages on a daily basis, communicated through a common usage of jazz within the family at the conference. JEN remains humble and serves the needs of friends and neighbors, through the Outreach initiative, the JENerosity Project, and the outstanding clinics and concerts delivered to our membership on campus. JEN has garnered the respect of peers as an authority in the field at an early age, having been invited to sit among long established organizations, working collectively in partnership formulating a path to Advance Jazz Education around the world. JEN has the support of many; industry and institution partners, network affiliate groups, the collective membership at all levels, together providing a support system for Promoting Performance and Building New Audiences. The rich passion demonstrated by all was truly a spectacle to behold! Treasurer (now President Elect) Andrew Surmani in writing to the Board recently said: “What started as a dream when we met in Chicago in June 2008 to form this new organization somehow became a reality with this conference, thanks to the thousands of hours of work by all of you.”
President’s Log:
June 20-26 Music For All/JEN Jazz Camp July 9-18 Lancaster/Wigan, England -Vacation & Wigan Jazz Festival Performances August 2-6 New Orleans, LAJEN Board Meetings August 30 Classes Begin at Capital U.
For the sake of those not able to be with us in St. Louis, I want to share with you a quote I used during the JENeral session, penned by someone much wiser than I... “Where you begin is simply a footnote. Where you finish is History.” I would boldly say again that... “JEN is therefore in the footnote stage of our existence, and TOGETHER we will prove JEN to be a major performer in jazz history” I have no doubt JEN is destined to be all enduring. For those of you that missed those historical moments in St. Louis, I truly hope to see all of you in New Orleans for what I guarantee will be another memorable Hang! Bass-ically Yours; Dr. Lou Fischer JEN Co-Founder, President lfischer@JazzEdNet.org
JEN Board of Directors (2010-11): Ruben Alvarez, Paul Bangser, Paul Chiaravalle, John Clayton-Vice President, Orbert Davis, Jose DiazSecretary, Dr. Lou Fischer-President, Monica Herzig, Willard Jenkins, Rick Kessel-Treasurer, Mary Jo Papich-Past President, Paris Rutherford, Bruce Silva, Bob Sinicrope, Terell Stafford, Andrew Surmani-President Elect. Office Manager/Webmaster: Steve Crissinger Our goal is to be a vital resource for a constantly evolving global art form today and for JENerations to come.
www.JazzEdNet.org
networthynews Taking Jazz Education To The Next Level:
Welcome JEN! by John Kuzmich, Jr. May 27, 2010
Meet the new player on the jazz education scene and welcome the Jazz Education Network or JEN (www.jazzednet. org) who just hosted their first inaugural global jazz conference at the University of Missouri in St. Louis on May 20-22, 2010. For three days from 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. concerts, clinics panel discussions and organized jam sessions rocked the campus. Dr. Lou Fischer, the President-Elect of JEN, said it best, “Where you begin is simply a footnote. Where you finish is History. JEN is therefore in the footnote stage of our existence, and TOGETHER we will prove JEN to be a major performer in jazz history.” Attendance doubled expectations with the 1350 jazz educators, enthusiasts, performers, clinicians, students, journalists, exhibitors, et. al. representing 45 states and 18 foreign countries including South Africa, Japan, and Brazil. The conference brought together the who’s who of jazz education such as Jamey Aebersold, David Baker, John Clayton, and Rufus Reid. Other top-line artists included Bob Minzer, Wayne Bergeron, Terell Stafford, Victor Lopez, Gene Perla, among a host of others plus music ensembles from coast to coast and Sweden. Clinic topics ranged from composition/arranging and improvisation to jazz history to music technology and just about everything in between. The caliber of the musical performances was superb. The facilities were excellent. The student center and the Touhill Performing Arts Center made the conference a joy, including the convenience of riding golf carts between buildings. The conference hotel, a 9-story Hilton Inn, and two additional overflow hotels, were sold out. The conference reached out over the course of three days (May 20-22), to eight schools and one institution with visits from artists and university groups under the JEN banner. Nearly 600 students in the St. Louis region benefited from this conference. The artists and where they visited were:
• Sherry Luchette (interactive jazz story) - Mark Twain Elementary, 30 students • Milton Academy (exchange concert) - East St. Louis Senior High, 10 students • Marshall University (performance for music students) - Parkway Central Middle, 150 students • Lisa Kelly, JB Scott, Per Danielsson (clinic w/ jazz choir) - Parkway North High, 30 students • Tony Garcia (clinic w/ high school combo) - Jazz St. Louis, 6 students • Brubeck Institute Quintet (performance for music students) - Central Visual and Performing Arts High, 150 students • Hannes/Sigfridsson Trio (performance for music students) - John Burroughs School, 30 students • Tomas Janzon (performance/clinic for music students) - Central and Visual Performing Arts High, 100 students • Osland/Dailey Jazztet (performance for 3rd graders) - Ames Visual and Performing Arts Elementary, 30 students • Alan Molnar (clinic) - Parkway South High School, 20 students Some featured school groups included the 2010 Missouri All State Jazz Band, UCLA Jazz Orchestra, University of Northern Iowa Big Band, Jazz St. Louis All-Stars, Milton Academy Jazz Combo, University of Alabama Jazz Ensemble, Omaha’s Metropolitan Area Youth Jazz Orchestra, and many others. Evening concerts featured: the Clayton Brothers Quintet, Marvin Stamm/Bill Mays Duo, the Hannes Sigfridsson Trio from Sweden, Brubeck Institute Quintet, Caswell Sisters, The Army Blues “Pershing’s Own”. Sixth Wave, Rufus Reid’s “Out Front” Trio, and the University of Missouri –St. Louis Big Band among others. The clinics were equally dynamic. Frank Alkyer of DownBeat magazine conducted a “live” version of their Down Beat Blindfold Test with Rufus Reid. Clinics included Bob Mintzer as the saxophonist
in the rhythm section and Rufus Reid in “Who’s Minding the Store” with reference to rhythm section management. Andrew Surmani moderated a panel discussion on social-networks and how to use the latest tools to develop a strong relationship with your community online. Michele Weir presented practical tools for taking your choir to a higher artistic level. Victor Lopez presented the key components of Latin music unraveling its mysteries. Mark Gridley’s “how to” approach to teaching jazz history and appreciation was superb for identifying instrument roles, layered listening approach, what is improvised, what is preset, the unfolding of an improvised line, what is African about jazz and all-important cultivating listening skills. Antonio Garcia went beyond merely transcribing the notes and chords with superb lessons taken from jazz masters. Dave Robinson taught that traditional jazz is not just for breakfast anymore. Tim Davies taught techniques and tips to help take big band writing to the next level. Teachers were exposed to key rehearsal ingredients by Pete Barenbregge for making your band sparkle with reference to listening, critical articulation, jazz concept, blend, balance, effective rehearsal tips, improvement tips, and providing motivation using play-alongs effectively. Now the real work begins. How do we take JEN’s conference ideas to the next level and into your teaching situations? One way is using JAZZed magazine with its regular features on the latest developments, news and pedagogy with JEN on a bimonthly basis. In closing, Dr. Lou Fischer includes the following in his email signature: “Have YOU joined JEN yet? Catch the buzz! Meet Me in New Orleans! Second Annual JEN Conference, January 6-8, 2011!“ You won’t be disappointed! As a photographer for the conference, I attended nearly every concert and clinic and can testify I repeatedly encountered excellence on every level at this inaugural JEN national conference. Welcome JEN!
JAZZed July 2010 15
JAZZ EDUCATION NETWORK
St. Louis Conference... The JAZZ! All In The Family
Bobby Shew Student Drummer
ArmyBlues UCLA
“You made the impossible, possible…” - Sid Davis
Victor Goines
“For many members of my jazz ensemble it was their first time to attend such an event and now they are hooked!” - Sparky Koerner Take One
Students
16 JAZZed July 2010
Shelly Berg
Mel Martin College of the Mainland
“The late-night all-star jam session on Friday was amazing, and hopefully something which can happen every year.” - Doug DuBoff
Rosana Eckert
Stefon Harris
Wayne Bergeron
Terell Stafford Gene Perla Walkin’ Bass
Student Saxophonist
“We are all part of something very special that needs to be nurtured and passed on to future generations.” - Katja von Schuttenbach Metropolitan Area Youth Jazz Orchestra
John Wojciechowski Quartet
OutFront Trio
Capital Focus Jazz Band
JAZZed July 2010 17
JAZZ EDUCATION NETWORK
St. Louis Conference... The EDUCATION!
Mark Gridley: Teaching Jazz History & Appreciation Scholarship Recipients Justin Young & Kim Aubuchon
Larry Lapin & Sixth Wave: Arranging for the Jazz Vocal Ensemble
“I left feeling full of the fire that the dialogues and performances sparked.” - Katie Bull
Panel Discussion: Achieving Success in Your College Interview
Victor Lopez: Latin Rhythms-Mystery Unraveled
“What you have accomplished is the most important development for jazz education in the last 35 years.” – Shelly Berg
Panel Discussion: The Evolution of Jazz Music in the 21st Century
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Christian Howes: The Classical String Player-Making the Leap to Jazz Improv
Jim Widner Directing the UMSL Big Band
Fran Morris Rosman: An Afternoon with Ella Fitzgerald
Ariel Alexander: Where are the Girls?
Frank Alkyer-Bob Sinicrope: DB Educator of the Year Award
JAZZ EDUCATION NETWORK
St. Louis Conference... The NETWORK! YamahaCandyStore
Rufus Reid & Karen Kennedy
MJ Welcoming the Thelonius Monk Institute
Scott McCormick of Music For All greets an interested party
Orbert Davis & MikeVax
Ice Sculpture presented by Jennifer Purcell at the Hilton Airport Hotel
Dr. Larry Ridley listening intently at the AAJC Booth
JEN business no doubt!
“I had such a good time connecting with old friends and making some new ones.” – Fran Morris Rosman What? There’s a conference going on today?!
Jamey Aebersold discussing Improv!
Gail Boyd, Karen Kennedy, Terri Pontremoli
Marvin Stamm, Rufus Reid, Phil Brown, Lou Fischer
Photographs were taken by Chuck Gee, John Kuzmich Jr., Mary Ann Fischer, and John Clayton and are used with permission. Additional photos, comments, newsletters, and articles related to the conference are posted online at www.JazzEdNet.org On the Home Page, click on the comments tab directly under the heading: THANKS FOR A GREAT CONFERENCE!
JAZZed July 2010 19
JAZZ EDUCATION NETWORK
Program Cover Design Contest A Call to participate in the JEN first annual program cover design contest! A Call to all directors to encourage talented arts students to enter! Prize information: The selected design includes YOUR artwork being published as the cover of the official JEN Program Book for the 2010 New Orleans Conference and a cash prize. The theme is JAZZ! Design a program cover that embraces the spirit of jazz! The design program cover is a celebration of jazz music and should be your interpretation. • • • • • • •
Artwork must be original work by the artist Artist must be an elementary or high school student Artwork may be created in any media Limit your color palette to three colors Artwork must be in a portrait format Your design should have areas where text will be inserted Deadline for the program cover art competition is October 1, 2010.
• Winner will have their artwork published as the cover of the official JEN Program Book for the JEN 2011 New Orleans Conference which is distributed to several thousand people and receive a cash prize. • Visit www.JazzEdNet.org for submission details. • EXPRESS YOURSELF!
NEWS RELEASE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . June 19, 2010
JEN and Berklee join to present John LaPorta Jazz Educator of the Year Award The Jazz Education Network and Berklee College of Music will collaborate to present the John LaPorta Jazz Educator of the Year Award. The award is named after legendary jazz educator John LaPorta who served as a distinguished professor at Berklee for more than three decades prior to his death in 2004 and played a pivotal role in the earliest stage of formalized jazz education. The award will recognize an outstanding high school or elementary school educator with a focus on jazz education and who represents the highest standards of teaching and whose results in the classroom have brought distinction to their institution and their students. The LaPorta Award and a $2,500 check will be presented to the winner at the 2011 JEN Conference in New Orleans. The honored recipient will be provided with coach airfare (up to $500), one complimentary hotel room, and conference credentials. The recipient will also be profiled in JAZZed magazine, on the JEN website and in the conference program. The winner’s school receives up to $200 of Berklee Press publications, a Berklee online course and a visit by a Berklee clinician to their school.
20 JAZZed July 2010
Eligibility Criteria for Nominee: • Minimum of 5 years of successful classroom and/or directing experience • Open to an educator in elementary or secondary education • Nominee represents the highest standards of jazz teaching, and results in the classroom have brought distinction to nominee’s institution and students
Submission Criteria: • All nominations must be received by October 1, 2010 to be considered for the award. • Nominations may be submitted by current JEN members online at www.jazzednet.org • Include complete contact information of the person submitting the nomination • Describe how the nominee meets the eligibility criteria • Include a nominee biography, address, phone number(s) and email address • Up to five letters in support may be uploaded as a unit to the JEN website no later than October 15, 2010
SAVE THE DATE!
2nd Annual JEN Conference January 6-8, 2011 New Orleans, LA Historic Roosevelt Hotel – Famed Blue Room Details online NOW! • Exciting Headliners • Enlightening Clinics/Panels • Exhilarating School Ensemble Performances • Enticing Exhibits – 20,000 sq. ft.! All under one roof, two blocks from the French Quarter! Registration, Housing, Exhibitor & Volunteer Applications available online NOW!
Check the website often for updates as they materialize! www.JazzEdNet.org Your portal to the global jazz community!
“I think that jazz is more relevant than it’s ever been.”
Shelton Berg
Art
How the Spiritual and the Technical Come Together to Make
S
helton Berg, dean of the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami, is a classically trained pianist who has had one heck of a jazz career. “I’ve played with a lot of the people that I never dreamed I’d get to play with,” he says. Berg worked his way
through college playing six nights a week in Top 40 bands. “We played country, disco, salsa music, jazz – everything you could think of,” says Berg. From there he went on to record and play with everyone from Freddy Hubbard and Randy Brecker to KISS, Chicago, Steve Miller and Joe Cocker. Berg has scored music for film, television and even written a few jingles, all while maintaining a successful teaching career. To get a better handle on what makes Shelton tick, JAZZed sat down with Shelton to discuss how he got to where he is today, where he thinks jazz education is headed, and his work at the Frost School of Music.
JAZZed: Many jazz teachers today look down on the “Pop” world, yet you have had a very successful career, not only in jazz, but in other styles as well. Do you encourage your students to study “nonacademic” styles?
they’re being replaced by infinitely more puddles of opportunity. I think if you’re a broadly trained musician and you have a lot of skills, you can work and you can have a viable career. The flipside of that is, I think I bring
Shelton Berg: Absolutely, and I do it for a number of reasons. First of all ,I think the large pools of opportunity are not so large anymore. I’m living in Miami and thirty years ago, if you could put your horn together there was a gig for you in the city, but those pools are drying up but I believe that
“We’ve been considered as one of the top five jazz programs since the very beginning of jazz education.”
some of that to my jazz performance and I think that those influences have their place. JAZZed: How did you get your start playing music?
SB: I began playing by ear when I was three or four years old. I don’t have a memory of not being a musician. On top of that my father was a very, very good musician – he was a jazz trumpet player. He always had a separate career, but he had played with Charlie Parker and Sonny Stitt and continued to play – the last time he played was a month before he died. So there was constantly music in my house and my father, recognizing that I had an interest, was very attentive to that. JAZZed: Who were some of your early influences as a player? SB: The first one undeniably, was Oscar Peterson. My dad played me Oscar Peterson recordings and I just felt that there was something infectious about the swing, the joy of it, the way it bowls you over and I thought: I have to do that. In fact, in the mid ‘90s I did an Oscar Peterson tribute CD with Oscar Peterson and Ed Thigpen. I had to pay Oscar that tribute and I’m glad I did. Then along the way, like a lot of jazz pianists, I was very influenced by Bill Evans, Herbie Hancock and then later Keith Jarret. Cannonball Adderley was a big influence on me, as was Milt Jackson, so it wasn’t just necessarily pianists. JAZZed: Were there any teachers who influenced the way that you teach? SB: There were a few and they were actually classical teachers. I had a pia24 JAZZed July 2010
no professor in college named Albert Hersch. Rudolf Zirkin told me, “There’s nobody better than Albert Hersch.” He could do anything on the instrument, and his ability to illicit emotion was amazing. But, what I learned from him more than anything was that every problem has a root and it’s not enough to identify a problem as a teacher – you have to get at the root, like a weed. And Albert Hersch always structured his teaching around that question: “What’s the root of the problem you’re having?” So he was huge. I also had a composition teacher named Tom Benjamin who taught me how to edit, edit, edit, edit. And, that there is an essence to everything that you’re trying to do and you’ve got to understand the essence before you can get to all the stuff that goes around it. JAZZed: How did you start teaching? SB: Teaching is something else that I think I just naturally gravitated to-
Berg and the Bourbon Bros.
wards. By the time I was 13 or 14, I was giving piano lessons to younger kids and even as an undergraduate I was student conducting the choir and the orchestra. In fact, in high school I
was student conducting the choir, so I think I’ve naturally gravitated towards it. When I got my undergraduate degree from the University of Houston, the theory faculty came to me and
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said, “Would you be a TA for us?” So I taught theory and ear training classes and it really gave me the bug. When I graduated with my Masters Degree I went out and looked for a job and got a job teaching at a community college and went on from there. I think it helps that I have a natural inquisitiveness about how things work and how the spiritual and the technical come together to make art.
JAZZed: How do you reconcile the spiritual and the technical in your own teaching? SB: Well, I like to say that we have two wells. We have a spiritual well and a technical well and we fill the technical well up with “stuff.” The stuff that we practice, the stuff that we learn about. If we’re a jazz artist, we’re talking about scales and arpeggios and diminished
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Otto Link Vintage for tenor sax.
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MOUTHPIECES FOR CLARINETS AND SAXOPHONES
and augmented and upper structures and textures that can be played and so forth. To me, all of those things are technical things but they have spiritual implications. A II7#11 is very hopeful, a bIIIdim is very mysterious. There are sounds imbedded in the songs that we play that have very, very, strong connections to the emotions. So, it’s important to learn those technical things, but to also learn how they connect. The spiritual well is that well which we fill with our imagination. It’s everything that we can feel and experience and know. To me, as a musician the idea is to foster the ability in students so that they can live in the spiritual well and unconsciously draw from the technical well those building blocks and devices that illuminate the things that they’re feeling. JAZZed: Can you tell us a little bit about the Frost School of Music? SB: I think that Frost is an amazing music school because we have so many programs. There’s probably not another school in the country that has as many music programs as we do and we’ve been considered as one of the top five jazz programs since the very beginning of jazz education. The faculty is not a “who’s who” of players like some schools, but people flock here to study with them because they’re brilliant and they’re very, very hands on. They’re here – they’re here working with the students. We probably have more visiting artists and guest artists than any other school in the country. Now that we’re the home of the Henry Mancini Institute, our jazz students are working with our classical players. This past year we did an album with Dave Grusin, Gary Burton, Arturo Sandoval and other guest artists. We also did an HBO special this year, so our jazz students are not only doing what jazz students do at other schools but as part of the Henry Mancini Institute they’re working with classical musicians and broadening what they can do as well. JAZZed: What are the benefits of attending a University as opposed to a Conservatory for music education?
Dick Hyman and Berg.
SB: I may get in trouble for saying this but my feeling is, if you’re really smart and inquisitive as a person, then you’re best off at a University where you can tap into a variety of things. In our case, we’re a very broad music school inside of a very small and selective University that’s also very broad. If you’re interests are to learn about things that are beyond just playing your instrument, to sort of fill out the whole person, and if you’re really smart and inquisitive, then a University with a really good music school is a good choice. If you’re not particularly bookish or that interested in things beyond music, then you’re probably better off going to someplace where that’s the only focus. We have a jazz major who’s double majoring in math. He’s carrying a 4.0 and he’s growing tremendously as a jazz artist and I love to be in an environment that can foster that. JAZZed: Jazz is relatively new to the academic world. What’s your advice to colleges that are trying to build a jazz program? SB: I guess my advice is that jazz is not some separate appendage. It’s really something that is at the core of learning music in America. We have our classical students engaged at things at the Mancini Institute and I think for a small school or a school that is new to jazz, the idea is that jazz is something that’s an important part of everybody’s education. When jazz education first stared, I think it was all about big band but really skills in music are probably honed most effectively in small ensembles. So if you’re a small school or
you’re just getting started, build your program around small groups where people have to write, and improvise and play in tune, play together, so that everything they do matters. In this school we’re now building the whole school around chamber ensembles. People who are classical students will be composing and ear training and gaining all their skills in their string quartets and brass quintets, not just in orchestra. JAZZed: Do you have any advice for students who are looking at going to music school?
where even your teacher doesn’t have a gig! Our students are working like crazy here. It’s a broad scene, but our school trains people broadly. If I try to line students up for something and I call four of my piano students, sometimes it could be a Tuesday night and they’ll all have a gig. So they are working here and I think it’s fantastic. JAZZed: Do you have any advice for your fellow teachers? SB: Well, I call music the mortar of humanity. Because when a performance is radiating out something that all of us feel – some universal emotion – then it binds us all together because we’re all feeling some version of the same thing based upon the power of that performance. It’s so easy for teaching to become about the “things.” Can you play this scale? Can you play this chord? And all that’s well and good, but it’s all meaningless if it’s not creating some transcendent experience that binds the audience together. So my best advice for teachers is that our constant quest is to help our students mine those things that are going to make performances transcendent in that way.
SB: I do. I think it’s important to know what you’re looking for. There are schools like Berklee that are just huge and you have this critical mass where you’re going to be around hundreds and hundreds of other players. Then there are other schools that are pretty small, where you have to be very self motivated because you’re JAZZed: Anyone can teach guide tones not going to be pushed by hundreds and scales, but the emotional element of other students, but you may have a that you’re talking about are often diffivery good teacher and a lot of hands cult. Can those aspects really be taught? on guidance. I think it’s important who you study with – that the right SB: There’s definitely a way to teach it. chemistry is there. I think it’s imporYou just have to start unlocking people tant to know the opportunities that in a different way. We get so concerned you will have to grow, to play and to about a thousand notes that we forget be involved in the school you’re in and I think it’s important to understand the overall education that you’re trying to get. A lot of jazz students want to flock to New York. That’s great, but the opportunities in New York have diminished exponentially in the last thirty years. It’s not the only place to go. It’s a great city, but it will always be there, so I don’t think it’s important for everybody to rush to New York, because it’s not the same city that they’re dreaming about. Don’t go somewhere Bruce Hornsby and Shelton Berg. JAZZed July 2010 27
“If you’re a broadly trained musician and you have a lot of skills, you can work and you can have a viable career.” about one note. I’ll often stop a student after a performance and ask them what their longest rest was. They won’t know and I’ll tell them “Oh, it was about a beat.” What was your longest note? It was a quarter note! So, having a student daydream their solo to where they hear the chord change and they have to think up the note that sort of creates the emotion or the word: “Ok, here’s the chord change, I want a note that says regret.” If you can play the note that says regret, then all the other notes are either going to lead to that regret, or they’re going to sum it up. The other thing is, there’s a yin and yang to this music. Let’s talk about the Great American Songbook. I teach students that there are thirteen harmonic idioms. For instance, II-V-I is going to be in 100 percent of all the songs. IIV to the IV chord is going to be in 75 percent of songs and so forth. So, one way of looking at it is, “Ok, I have thirteen harmonic idioms and once I learn them all I can play all the songs.” But the Yang of that Yin is that every great standard is a completely unique expression of something we want to talk about in music. So, somehow the way 28 JAZZed July 2010
the lyric, the melody, the harmony and the form all come together to create a unique expression. It’s really important in teaching and in learning to understand what makes Stella By Starlight completely different from Just Friends. They both have a II-V to the IV chord but they’re completely different tunes. So many musicians play Just Friends as another happy song when it’s really a sad tune. Similarly, a lot of people play Stella without thinking about the lyric. It’s about the mysteriousness of falling in love and what makes these tunes different from one another is in the journey of each chorus. Where is it hopeful? Where is it not? Then they can start using the tools that they’ve been learning to create that story, that narrative, each time. So it can definitely be learned. But, if it’s all about this scale going with that chord, then you’re never getting to the essence of music. JAZZed: Jazz is no longer in it’s “golden age” and there are those who think that it’s even “irrelevant” at this point. What are your thoughts on the state of modern jazz?
SB: I think that jazz is more relevant than it’s ever been. Music is healing and as I said, it’s binding and it’s unifying. And, because jazz is an improvised art, I think it has the greatest power of any music to heal and to bind people together. I played with a very famous artist a few weeks ago who shall remain nameless and he said to me: “I never consider the audience when I play.” Well, to me, jazz becomes irrelevant when you don’t consider the audience. I don’t want anybody to pander to an audience but when you invite the audience in to that journey that is a jazz solo, you’re changing lives. I don’t care if they think they like jazz or don’t like jazz -- if you do it with honesty, they’re going to love jazz and they’re going to know that somehow their life is better because they heard your performance. I think that you’ll talk to people that will lament that there are no gigs and then you’ll talk to people who you can’t hire because they’re busy playing gigs. I think that when your music has something to say and it’s truly compelling, you’re going to have a career. JAZZed: Outside of your own teaching, how do you feel about the state of jazz education today? SB: Well, I think that jazz in academia keeps getting better and better. At first there people that studied it in school and were teaching it, there were people that decided they wanted another gig because they’re playing was diminishing, but along the way, the good ones -- we’ve grown up. I think we’ve been around long enough that the actual state of jazz teaching is probably the best it’s ever been. I think because of YouTube and other avenues the ability for people to check stuff out has been more than it’s ever been. The access to materials that people have now is just tremendous. I’m very encouraged about the Jazz Education Network starting – there’s now an association for us all to get together with. So I think that jazz education is in a very good place right now.
focus session
CHARTING
Charting Songs BY ED HARLOW
L
earning jazz repertoire takes time, and it can be very helpful to have a way to organize what you’ve learned so you can better remember it. This is a method of documenting critical song information for reference in the practice room, or as an aid in rehearsals and performances.
There are five components to document. From these five components, you can quickly remind yourself of the important characteristics of a song you’re about to play.
Documenting the key helps to clarify any ambiguities that may exist for those songs that don’t begin in the song’s overall key.
THE FIVE COMPONENTS 1. Key
Knowing the first chord of a song and whether or not it overtly indicates the overall key is critical information.
Although the first chord of a song is often indicative of a song’s overall key center, this is by no means always the case. For example, “Sweet Georgia Brown,” “In Your Own Sweet Way,” “Poor Butterfly,” among many others, are examples songs that settle into their key centers after their first chords have sounded.
30 JAZZed July 2010
2. First chord
3. First chord of the “B” section (assuming there is a “B” section). Sometimes the transition from the “A” to the “B” section is a common one - such as up a fourth, as is the case with “Take the A Train” and “I Remember You.” The transition to the “B” sections of such songs are usually relatively predictable - since the key of the “A” and “B” sections are so closely related, your ear will tend to lead you there. Other times, the relationship between the “A” and “B” sections is a much less common one. For example, in “Cherokee,” the “B” section begins with a II-7 V7 I up a half-step from the song’s primary key. In “The Girl From Ipanema,” the “B” section begins with a Major 7th chord up a half step from the primary key. It is important to be very familiar with the construction of these types of songs because the chordal movements from the “A” to “B” sections of such songs is not as predictable.
focus session
4. Form AABA, ABAB and 12-bar Blues are very common song forms in jazz, but there are others that crop up now and then that should keep any player from becoming complacent on the matter of form. For instance, “One Note Samba,” and “Besame Mucho” have an ABA form with, with 16 bar “A” sections and 8 bar “B” sections. It’s easy to accidentally add an extra “A” section before the “B” section in an ABA song form. “Chega De Saudade” (ABCD) and “Cheek to Cheek” (AABBCA) are two songs that start simply enough, but are quite lengthly and have unusual forms that can easily go awry for those who are unprepared. Be rock solid with the form of every song you learn.
5. First note
“Stella by Starlight” is in B ƌ , but you’d never know it by the opening series of chords. Knowing what the first note of a song is helps to cut through any confusion when the key of a song is not overtly stated in the first few measures.
Song Information Chart The prospect of memorizing dozens or hundreds of jazz tunes can seem overwhelming. Making a spreadsheet with song names along with their basic components is very useful in getting to know each song’s basic structure, for keeping a record of the songs you’ve worked on and as tune list for practice, sessions and gigs. Not only is it handy to have this list for songs you’re learning, but it helps
you to recognize the similarities and differences among these songs. Here is a sample song information chart: You’ll notice that the songs and their five musical components (plus an additional field for “special notes”) are neatly organized and the list itself is as compact as a real book’s table of contents. Plus, this is your unique list - it’s customized to the songs you like to play. Using a song information chart encourages and promotes your originality while bolstering your musical competence.
through endless songs in a book or on a phone - plus those around you won’t assume you don’t know the music or are texting a friend! Composer and saxophonist Ed Harlow has played with Tony Bennett, Paquito D’Rivera and the orchestras of Glenn Miller, Artie Shaw and Tommy Dorsey. An alumnus of New England Conservatory, Harlow publishes his original compositions through Advance Music.
Summary Over the past few years, there has been a proliferation of real books for every possible instrument and more recently, electronic versions made for smart phones. These are very useful tools and are great for learning songs. However, being so easily obtainable, and in the smart phone version, portable, the aspiring jazzer may be lulled into a sense of complacency in regards to learning jazz tunes on a deep level. This would be a mistake. The written chord changes, whether on paper or pixels are an aid to learning a song and should only be used in performance as a last resort for unfamiliar material. The process itself of charting songs, as outlined above, is a quick and direct way of familiarizing the player with one song, or a group of songs. This not only gives you a valuable reference for practicing, sessions and gigs, but it can also serve as a list of the songs you’ve at least taken the time to map out. Having one or more pages of this vital information on selected pieces is far more effective than flipping JAZZed July 2010 31
lessons learned
Playing Jazz on the Bassoon
I
BY DANIEL SMITH
n recent years, several instruments not traditionally associated with jazz have come into the picture, including various strings instruments, brass, and woodwinds. There are many reasons why the entry of new instruments into jazz is now taking place, some of which I would like to cover in this article.
From the start of jazz – or ‘jass,’ as it was called at the start of the 20th Century – the main instruments used in ragtime, early blues, swing and onto bebop and avant-garde were the trumpet, trombone, clarinet, percussion, saxophone, bass, guitar and piano. But what about all the remaining instruments which have been around for so many years, and which have been part of classical, pop, and other musical genres? The flute, violin, banjo, tuba, cello, oboe, French horn, harp, even the bagpipes, or an instrument, which at first glance, would not seem particularly adaptable to jazz: the bassoon? Many of these instruments have since made a breakthrough in jazz...the time has now come for this most misunderstood member of the woodwind family to do likewise! As a bassoonist myself, I have had to work my way through a maze of difficulties over the years to learn how to improvise in a convincing way on this most difficult of instruments. The challenges to overcome were many, in-
cluding the fact that anything played on the bassoon in jazz, whether a simple melody or serious improvisation, is several times more difficult to achieve than on, for example, a saxophone. Like a violin, the bassoon is a ‘ten year’ instrument, meaning that to achieve the level of a virtuoso requires roughly this amount of time, whereas with steady practice and a good teacher, one can learn to convincingly play the saxophone in a fraction of this time. So where to begin? I was already a “virtuoso,” so to speak, on the instrument when I took the plunge into jazz on the bassoon. However, all the years of performing with major orchestras and ensembles, recording and performing numerous concertos and recitals, were of no use when making the move into jazz. For starters, the scales and chords utilized in jazz improvisation are not the same as your basic classical language. I had to practice all the permutations involved in jazz scales and chords in every key, from the bottom to the
ANYTHING PLAYED ON THE BASSOON IN JAZZ, WHETHER A MELODY OR ON TO SERIOUS IMPROVISATION, IS SEVERAL TIMES MORE DIFFICULT TO ACHIEVE THAN ON, FOR EXAMPLE, A SAXOPHONE.
32 JAZZed July 2010
lessons learned top of my instrument for quite a few years before even beginThe Double Up By Lee Morgan ning to attempt to improvise. Meas. 4-5 ♩ = 138+ After roughly three years doing this, I finally had this new language in my fingers and mind. At one point, the pain in my right arm became almost unbearable due to using muscles I had never used before in classical music. I was Billie’s Bounce By Charlie Parker almost about to throw in the Meas. 9-10-11 of Parker Solo ♩= 165+ towel when miraculously, the new scales and chords became comfortable to execute and the pain went away. Next were attempts to place the notes of the various chords in the right place above a piano Well You Needn’t By Thelonious Monk accompaniment, followed by Meas. 13-16 ♩ = 144 crude attempts to execute musical ideas without getting lost. As time went by, everything got looser and easier to execute, and I eventually felt enough confidence to try out my new skills in public. It was also at I came back to the USA in 2005, and came from, where I am in the piece, and this time that the virtuosity I already by this time, had built up enough confiwhere I am headed with whatever idea I had achieved in classical music now dence to start to perform with American am executing. All I need is to know is the came into play and, combined with players, whom to this very day, I have starting note and I am off and running. the new skills I had mastered in the learned so much from. I also made the Just by coincidence, I was performing at jazz idiom, made everything fall into decision to learn everything from memory a jazz club recently and forgot the starting place: technique, style, sound, ideas, and found it easier to close my eyes when note of a piece. I quickly glanced at the and whatever else necessary to become performing, listen to the chord changes music on the stand of the bass player, saw a first rate jazz improviser. and the band surrounding me, and imit was a low F, and off I went without any I also had to consider how to esprovise knowing exactly where I have just problems. I suspect this mental process is tablish an individual style on the bassoon, given there are no role models. I found that listening to many of the great saxophone greats and other wind players gave me ideas in developing a language that would sound convincing on the instrument. I was living in London at this time, and with a quartet I formed, eventually felt confident enough to perform at jazz clubs, private functions, and music club series. Each of these performances helped pave the way for me to understand what to do, and more important what not to do, insofar as upgrading my improvising skills. JAZZed July 2010 33
lessons learned exactly what a great classical pianist does when performing a concerto or sonata. Once the first note is sounded, everything will follow as the mind has already stored all the information necessary, and the fingers will do what they have to do from that point onwards.
There is obviously a lot more involved in learning how to improvise on the bassoon than in this somewhat short article, but suffice it to say that it can be done. I am not the only bassoonist currently performing in jazz, and I am sure that many more will
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34 JAZZed July 2010
follow in the coming years. It is not easy to accomplish, but from my own perspective since entering into the jazz world, it is well worth the effort. Like everything else worth achieving in life, it takes a lot of hard work and staying power, but as the saying goes,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Who said life is easy?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;&#x201C; which can be adapted to â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;who said playing jazz on a bassoon is easy?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; For bassoonists taking the plunge into jazz: hang in there, it will be a roller coaster ride, but there will be a lot of rewards to come! And last but not least, the bassoon must be amplified to be heard above a rhythm section, ensemble or orchestra. There are several ways to accomplish this, including a small microphone attached to the bocal which leads via a cord to a pre-amp and then onto a full amp and/or house sound system. The late and great saxophone player Illinois Jacquet was also an accomplished bassoonist. Performing at Ronnie Scottâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in London some years ago, Jacquet started to play a piece on bassoon. After a few minutes, he stormed off the bandstand in a rage as it was obvious nobody was listening or paying attention to him. The reason? No one in the audience could hear his non-amplified bassoon above the rhythm section! With a good amp set-up, one can easily be heard above even a full symphony orchestra. I recently performed the world premiere of Robert Farnonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bassoon concerto in the UK accompanied by a 100-piece orchestra and jazz rhythm section. I actually had to lower the volume of my amp at one point as it was pointed out at the dress rehearsal that the bassoon was too loud! Along with releasing many award winning classical and crossover albums, Daniel Smith was nominated as finalist in 2008 and 2010 for the prestigious â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Player of the Yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; award given by the Jazz Journalists Association in their category of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Instruments Rare in Jazzâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Daniel Smith has the following Web sites where you can learn more about his career: www.danielsmithbassoon.com, www.myspace. com/danielsmithbassoon, www.facebook. com/danielsmithbassoon
in the classroom
History and Culture ‘in the Classroom’: WHY PERFORMING CHARTS WELL IS SIMPLY NOT ENOUGH
BY BRAD HOWEY
W
hat a joy it is to teach and to play jazz. We perform a music that is full of joy and community—turning glyphs of ink into exciting melodies and rhythms for all to enjoy. Our improvisations serve to give voice to the individual, while confirming the importance of the group; and our many compositions and arrangements turn old into new, while affirming the majesty of our great masters. We listen to, analyze, memorize, evaluate, and study this music with diligence and passion. And we make connections: to other musics; to other arts; to other cultures. This is what we do, and what we teach. But does simply performing jazz provide these many benefits to our students? Jazz is something of a performer’s art, it is true—no amount of reading, study, or listening to the music of the Swing era can replace performing Swing for a happy, dancing crowd. And reading a bit about Benny Goodman and how the nation was so captured by the music of those days can only add a layer or two to the depth required for a student to truly understand Swing. But the rehearsal and performance of chart after chart by student ensembles without so much as a glance behind the music does not fully account for either the richness of the music itself or the time and educational resources being invested in its performance. I recently asked a friend and colleague: “If we, as music educators, were to have but one chance to teach America’s young people about jazz—knowing that it would probably be the very last formal music education they would JAZZed July 2010 35
in the classroom ever receive—what would we teach them? What would we want them to have learned from us and from this great music: as life-long learners; as consumers and concertgoers; as future parents and politicians—as humans being?” It is easy to get caught up in doing things the way they have always been done before. Many jazz educators work very hard to introduce their students to the world of jazz, and deserve to be celebrated for their efforts. But there is more to jazz than is being taught; and more to jazz education than many students are learning. Dr. Ron McCurdy, chairman of the Jazz Studies Department at the Thornton School of Music at USC and past president of the International Association of Jazz Educators, addressed this issue in Teaching Music Through Performance in Jazz: “We are missing a very important link in the chain when we fail to explain the social, economic, religious, political, cultural, and technological variables that influenced how jazz was performed…....I suggest we pursue two things: a better understanding of the historical events that helped to shape the music, and an investigation into our souls as artists and educators, asking ourselves if we are doing all that we can to connect our students to the historical and cultural ramifications of the music.” [1]
1) Begin with the End In Mind
Consistently failing to connect students to the influences that have shaped the music they perform comes at a cost—to our individual students and to our society as a whole. In If You Build it, Will They Come: Building New Audiences for the Arts Through Arts Education, Paulette Beete writes: “Recent research…makes it clear that, overall, arts participation in the U.S. appears to be waning. While there are no straight line reasons for this erosion…one contributing factor to disappearing audiences may be a declining focus on cultural literacy as a component of arts education in the U.S. While many ongoing arts education experiences are aimed at instilling student proficiency and skill in an art form, cultural literacy speaks to a deeper engagement with the art form that allows the student to see and make connections within a particular discipline, between arts disciplines, and between the arts and other subject areas such as the sciences and humanities. In other words, cultural literacy is concerned with the idea that art does not, in fact, exist in a vacuum but is a vital and vibrant part of our everyday lives.” [2]
3) Student Performances: Showcases of Student Learning
But while it’s easy to recognize the importance of cultural/ historical literacy in our nation’s young people, actually addressing it in our own classrooms can be a challenge. Where do you begin—and when? With so much to do and so little time, how are you supposed to fit yet another thing into an already-full rehearsal and performance schedule? Here are a few suggestions to help you get started: 36 JAZZed July 2010
Stephen Covey’s admonition in his best-selling book Seven Habits of Highly Effective People[3] is as applicable to the music room as it is to the board room. What are the ultimate goals of the teaching and learning taking place in your classroom— and what are you doing to ensure that those goals are being accomplished? Decide what you want your students to have learned from their time with you and then keep ‘the end in mind’ as you teach them.
2) View Each Chart as a Window of Opportunity A textbook has not yet been written that can convey America’s history and culture the way that jazz can—from the mood of the post-WWI/prohibition-era, to the horror of pre-WWII lynchings in the south; from the optimism of WWII-era American popular culture, to the anger felt by so many over racial inequality and injustice during the civil rights era. Jazz is full of potential for deepening student understanding of both the music itself and of the circumstances that inspired it. Each chart we program is a potential window of opportunity for students to view times and places and cultures in ways that text-books simply cannot convey.
We have all enjoyed the incredible experience of attending a professional-level concert that was, by all accounts, magical. Concerts like these serve to inspire us, and have always served as model for performances at every level of skill and sophistication. But is the professional-level concert the ideal model to showcase student learning? It is difficult to imagine members of one of the great bands stepping up to the mic to explain the historical significance of a particular tune, and what it meant to folks at a given time and place; or to describe its formal design, and what must be considered when approaching it as improviser—or even to report on its technical challenges, and what must be overcome in order to be able to perform it. Yet this is exactly what is needed to deepen student understanding of the music they’re performing and to increase the audience’s awareness of what is involved in its study. And though this type of presentation may very well seem out of place at a professional-level concert, it is difficult to imagine a school concert audience that would not consider such a presentation to be, by all accounts, magical.
4) Sometimes, Less is More For directors already buried in bake sales, performances, and travel, it is difficult to imagine adding yet another thing to the schedule. But the key to increasing student understanding of the music they perform is depth, not breadth. It involves looking more deeply into the music we program and asking why:
in the classroom “So much of jazz education is concerned with the what and how (e.g., this scale will fit over this chord change). A crucial element that is often missing when planning and executing a lesson dealing with jazz is the why. Students deserve to know, for example, why the blues is such an integral part of understanding jazz, or why musicians like Charlie Parker and Thelonius Monk played such an important role in the development of jazz as a uniquely American art form.…teaching the why can encourage a need to know among students and lead to musical experiences that foster curiosity and generate enthusiasm for continued learning.”[4] Choose one piece from your program and involve your students in its investigation: • Why was this particular chart (or in the case of an arrangement, the original tune) created and/or what purpose did it originally serve? • What personal, social, political, historical and/or cultural circumstances might have influenced its creation? • Were words originally written to accompany the melody, and if so, what do they suggest about the tune itself? • How does this chart differ stylistically from other charts on the program—and why is it different? Yes, replacing part of your rehearsal routine with this type of discussion and study may require you to reduce your program by a selection or two; but the net gain for your students in terms of depth of understanding will far outweigh the loss of performing yet another chart. Though there may be no shortage of enthusiasm for jazz in our own individual ensembles, The Na-
tional Endowment for the Arts’ 2008 Survey of Public Participation in the Arts—the largest periodic study of arts participation in the United States—reports that young peoples’ attendance of arts activities is continuing to decline. Moreover, it indicates that for the first time, young peoples’ participation in jazz activities has significantly decreased; and that since 1982, young adults’ attendance of jazz activities has declined significantly[5]. I would argue that though these figures may be the result of many factors, they are most certainly not an indication that student jazz ensembles aren’t swinging as hard as they have in the past; or aren’t entertaining audiences as well as they have in the past; or are receiving lower festival ratings than they have in the past. And, I would argue, they don’t suggest that jazz education isn’t producing more outstanding young artists than it has in the past, or that it isn’t deeply enriching the lives of some young people who, having fallen in love with this great music, have made its study a lifelong pursuit. What I believe these figures do suggest is that we are not doing enough to connect the jazz our students rehearse so thoroughly, and perform so well, to their lives outside the music room by helping them to understand the historical/cultural aspects of the music they perform. It isn’t enough to introduce them to the great figures in jazz if they don’t understand what made them great so that they can apply that knowledge to the making of their own lives. It isn’t enough to introduce them to great music if they don’t understand why it’s great, and the role that great art plays in the society in which they live. And it isn’t enough to teach them how to perform this music that is so uniquely our own and not teach them where jazz came from, and why that story is so important to us all. Yes, having a strong music program with great
ensembles that perform charts so well they rival the pros is wonderful. But if the students who participate in such programs are not gaining an understanding of what jazz is and the historical/cultural influences that have shaped its development—then performing charts well is simply not enough. Brad Howey is a doctoral student at the University of Idaho, is an award-winning author and an active performer. His most recent publications can be found in Downbeat and JAZZed magazine. While teaching high school music in Alaska, Brad founded and directed the Sitka Jazz Festival--bringing artists such as John Clayton, Steve Turre’, Paquito D’Rivera, The Air Force Band of the Pacific, and others to Sitka to teach, inspire, and perform.
1. McCurdy, R.C., Rehearsal techniques: A holistic approach integrating composition, improvisation, theory and cultural considerations in the rehearsal, in Teaching music through performance in jazz, R.C. Miles, Ronald Carter, Editors. 2008, GIA Publications: Chicago. 2. Beete, P., If you build it, will they come: Building new audiences for the arts through arts education, in NEA Arts. 2009, National Endowment for the Arts. p. 18-20. 3. Covey, S., Seven habits of highly effective people. 2004: Free Pr. 4. Barron, J., Lessons from the Bandstand: Using Jazz as a Model for a Constructivist Approach to Music Education. Music Educators Journal, 2007. 94(2): p. 18. 5. Arts Participation 2008: Highlights from a national survey, in Nationl Endowment for the Arts Office of Research & Analysis, N.E.f.t. Arts, Editor. 2009, National Endowment for the Arts: Washington DC. p. 16. JAZZed July 2010 37
jazzforum
www.aajc.us
I Walked With Giants
The African American Jazz Caucus membership whole-heartedly endorses and recommends this book’s authenticity and major entrance into the Jazz Canon! The Autobiography of Jimmy Heath - Major BeBop Saxophonist, Stylist, Composer and Arranger: I Walked With Giants By Jimmy Heath and Joseph McLaren Foreword by Bill Cosby and Introduction by Wynton Marsalis TEMPLE UNIVERSITY PRESS – Philadelphia, PA 19122 www.temple.edu/tempress “Jimmy Heath has not only walked with Giants, he is truly one of the Giants. This autobiography is a jazz history must read!”- Dr. Larry Ridley - Jazz Artist; professor of Music Emeritus, Rutgers University; and, AAJC executive director. Composer of more than 100 jazz compositions, NEA Jazz Master, three-time-Grammy nominee, and performer on more than 125 albums, Jimmy Heath has earned a place of honor in the African American heritage, legacy and history of Jazz. During his long career, Jimmy has known, performed and interacted with many jazz giants and innovators, such as Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, and especially Dizzy Gillespie, who he lauds as his main hero. Jimmy Heath won their respect and their friendship. In this extraordinary autobiography, the legendary Jimmy Heath creates a “dialogue” with musicians and family members. As in jazz music, where improvisation by one performer prompts another to riff on the same theme, “I Walked with Giants” juxtaposes Heath’s account of his life and career with recollections from jazz giants about life on the road and making music on the world’s stages. His memories of playing with his equally legendary brothers, Percy and Albert (aka “Tootie), dovetails with their recollections.
38 JAZZed July 2010
Jimmy reminisces about a South Philadelphia home filled with music and a close-knit family that hosted musicians performing in the city’s then thriving jazz scene. Milt Jackson recalls, “I went to their house…Jimmy’s father put Charlie Parker records on and told everybody that we had to be quiet till dinner because he had “Bird” on…When I [went] to Philly, I’d always go to their house.” Nancy Wilson, consummate song stylist, says of Jimmy’s autobiography – “I have long admired Jimmy’s passion heard so clearly in his music; he is a soulful musician and a consummate educator. In these pages he gives a new voice to his love of life and music. He once told Dr. Camille Cosby that ‘our history is a mystery’, so here he pulls back the veil and sets forth a wonderful collection of reminiscences culled from a long life of accumulated wisdom.” Cornel West, Princeton University “Jimmy Heath is an artistic genius and spiritual giant whose work and life represent the last of the golden age of jazz. His teaching links him to the younger generation, and his new music keeps him grounded in our time as a grand master.” Publishers Weekly – “Heath puts all of the peaks and valleys of a rigorous professional life in a unique memoir that speaks volumes to the values of discipline, tradition, and perseverance. Heath’s story is told in a classic call-and-response manner… A true jazz milestone, this bold account…further illuminates the seldomtold story of our creative homegrown music.” Joseph McLaren, Jimmy’s co-author, is professor of English at Hofstra University. Professor McLaren is the author of “Langston Hughes: Folk Dramatist in the Protest Tradition, 1921-1943,” and is the editor of several additional titles.
crossword 1
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3 10
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32
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Across
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1. George and Pepper 4. ___ Berigan, jazz trumpeter that composed “Chicken and Waffles” and “Blues” in 1935 7. ___ Stein, in 1957 he scored a U.S. Top 40 hit with “Almost Paradise” 10. “Tickle ___,” 1940 Lester Young and Jon Hendricks standard 12. “I Put A ___ On You,” 1956 standard written by Screamin’ Jay Hawkins 14. Graeme ___, Australian dixieland and classical jazz pianist, composer and band leader 16. Singing in pitch (two words) 19. Captain ___, a 3-D film formerly shown at Disney theme parks 20. Listening device 22. Basin ___ Six, a Dixieland sextet 23. This, in French 24. Ocean, to some 26. Flying saucer 27. Always 28. More close 31. Dewey ___, American jazz saxophonist known for free jazz 34. Coltrane song that appears on the album, A Love Supreme 37. Most in fashion 40. Yusef Lateef instrument 41. Artistic movement
36
45
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61
35
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55 60
39
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64 67
29
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13
27
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9
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8
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37 41
18
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Crossword by Myles Mellor
69
44. Carol ___, American jazz singer who worked with Les and Larry Elgart’s orchestra 46. “Nica’s ___,” Horace Silver standard 48. Occupy 49. Paving material 50. Roman amphitheater center 52. Legumes 54. ___ ___ Blackbird, 1962 Coltrane album 56. Sing like a Swede 58. ___ Jarreau, American singer who has won seven Grammy’s 59. ___ Liebman, American saxophonist that played on and toured two albums with Chick Corea 63. “Cotton ___,” Duke Ellington standard 64. ___ note, an ornamental note not performed rhythmically 65. Sound boomerang 67. Johnny ___, “Body and Soul” artist 68. Space explorers 69. Talk back
Down
1. Manny ___, jazz baritone sax player that was influenced by Bix Beiderbecke 2. Albert ___, Spiritual Unity player 3. Street, for short 4. George ___, jazz guitarist who uses a reststroke technique similar to Django Reinhardt 5. Never, before
6. X’s other 7. ___ Smith, he is a trumpeter and composer working primarily in the fields of avant-garde jazz and free improvisation 8. “___ Man River,” American masterpiece about life on the Mississippi 9. James ___, this jazz and blues artist was the first electric guitarist to record and tour extensively with Ornette Coleman 11. Hawaiian honey-eater 13. Oscar ___, Canadian jazz pianist known as the “Maharaja of the keyboard” 15. Louis Armstrong home, for short 17. Diamond amount, for short 18. Fiscal time period 21. Characteristic of the country 23. Lucio Amanti 25. “___ in the Hole,” in the 1950’s this song was a staple of dixieland revival bands 29. Bride’s path 30. LP’s alternative 31. Roswell ___, jazz trombonist who is primarily known for his work in free and avant-garde jazz 32. Type of ranch 33. Quick rest 35. Helps 36. Helen ___, she is an internationally known jazz vocalist 38. College exam, perhaps 39. “Doors __ Confessional” Ethel Dougan 42. Military group 43. US car club 45. Nautical direction 47. Formal address 48. International peace org. 51. Saga 52. Paid, briefly 53. Types of singers 54. Billy ___, American free jazz violinist and composer 55. Border 57. Has obligation towards 58. Goals 60. “All the Things You ___,” Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II’s 1939 standard 61. Band vehicle, in the beginning 62. Lion’s room? 66. 1984 Olympics state
For the solution to this issue's crossword, visit:
www.jazzedmagazine.com JAZZed July 2009 39
Gearcheck The Zoom H1 Handy Recorder
Sabian 21 Vault 3-Point Ride
Weighing in at about two ounces, Zoom’s H1 recorder delivers clear 24-bit/96 kHz stereo recordings suitable for music, interviews, lectures, recitals, band practice, and more. The H1’s two onboard microphones are configured in an X/Y pattern. The H1 also features a newly designed user interface that places all its functions at the touch of a button. Zoom included access to the track marker, auto record, low cut filter, level, and volume controls with onboard buttons and no menus. The H1 can accommodate up to 32GB microSDHC memory cards, providing over 50 hours of recording time. The recorder is powered by a single AA size battery, which provides up to 10 hours of continuous operation. H1 users can purchase an H1 accessory kit that includes a windscreen, AC adapter (USB type), USB cable, adjustable tripod stand, soft carrying pouch, and mic clip adapter. The Zoom H1 retails for $99. www.samsontech.com
Based on an idea from jazz giant Jack DeJohnette, the Sabian 21 Vault 3-Point Ride is said to offer dark, smoky tone with varying sound nuances across three distinct playing surfaces. The medium-thin cymbal features an unlathed control ring around the center, is hand hammered, enhanced by jumbo-peen hammering on its underside, and topped by a mini bell. www.sabian.com
E. K. Blessing’s Intermediate Trumpet
LA Sax Bad Aax Black Alto saxophone features ribbed constructed and double pad cup arms. This saxophone is built from a cupronickel brass alloy and is keyed all the way up to high F# and has a front harmonic F key. The La Sax Bad Aax Black Tenor saxophone is ribbed constructed and has double pad cup arms on the low C, B and Bb. The saxophone features detailed engraving on the body tube, bow, bell, and bell flare and is keyed all the way up to high F# and has a front harmonic F key. LA Sax Soprano saxophone features a rose brush satin finish with gold engraved keys. This one-piece straight soprano saxophone has Italian pads and metal tone boosters for resonance. This saxophone also features a high F# key and a front F key, along with semi-precious stones on all the finger buttons. www.musicfactorydirect.com
The 1460 Blessing intermediate trumpet features the new #24 bell flare and heavier valve system, designed to help advancing students and players move into a more professional style instrument. The 1460 features Monel pistons as well as hand-lapped first and third valve slides. Retail prices range from $900 to $1,068. www.powellflutes.com
LA Sax Bad Aax Saxophone Models
Peter Ponzol & Antigua Winds Develop New Pro One Model Peter Ponzol and Antigua Winds have joined forces to develop a new series of professional saxophones. As an international recording artist, Peter Ponzol is known for his saxophone mouthpieces and custom necks. These skills were honed during a nearly 15 year career as a saxophone designer for Buffet Crampon and Keilwerth. While with Keilwerth, Peter
40 JAZZed July 2010
developed several new models which include a model that bears his name. Prototypes of the new Pro One Antigua saxophones designed by Peter Ponzol will be circulating through select studios later this year. www.antiguawinds.com
Gearcheck RB Continental Triple Trumpet Case
Everything We Needed to Know About Business, We Learned Playing Music
Tycoon’s Tables, Racks, and Drumset Hardware
Tycoon Percussion now offers a complete line of hardware that allows drummers and percussionists to position instruments within easy reach of their sticks and hands. Tycoon’s 2010
Reunion Blues is expanding their RB Continental line with the introduction of a new triple trumpet case that combines contemporary design with instrument protection. On the outside, a one inch thick shock-absorbing Flexoskeleton exterior is lined with reinforced impact panels, and a knurled abrasion grid covers the bottom to help resist scuffing. A large zippered accessory pocket is also provided, along with an adjustable shoulder strap. A padded, wide-mouth lid opens to a hidden accessory pocket and reveals a very roomy interior that features adjustable dividers providing custom space allocation for securing trumpets, mutes, and accessories. A Ballistic Quadraweave exterior features high-strength corded edges and all seams are double-stitched with high tensile thread and reinforced at tested stress points. This new case also includes a Zero-G palm-contoured handle with weight distributing foam core to help reduce hand fatigue when the case is carried over long distances. Like all Reunion Blues products, the RB Continental triple trumpet case comes with a Limited Lifetime Warranty. The retail price is $199.95. www.aceproducts.com
Everything We Needed to Know About Business, We Learned Playing Music, by Craig M. Cortello of La Dolce Vita Enterprises, is a compilation of interviews with 32 CEO’s and business leaders who played music as a child or adolescent and view that experience as a definitive one in preparing them for success. The nine common lessons learned, attributes developed, and insights gained are identified, discussed, and illustrated through the experiences and personal accounts of the research participants. www.ldv-enterprises.com
Akoostik Koozees for Amps & Speakers
Koozee Armor Products line of Akoostik Koozees are adjustable padded wraps that will secure tightly around most OEM’s sound reinforcement gear. The Akoostik Koozee’s wrapping and cinching design allows a single speaker or amp wrap to secure tightly around multiple models of speakers and amps. Retail prices start at $59. www.koozeearmor.com
catalog features a variety of clamps and arms for mounting percussion effects on existing stands, a bracket that connects percussion instruments to any standard bass drum pedal and accessory percussion racks, including a mountable model with a universal clamp that accommodates four accessories and a free-standing version that can hold a combination of up to a dozen mountable percussion instruments. Tycoon’s new percussion tables are available in large (TPT-L) and small (TPT-S) sizes and are recommended for all types of drummers and drumming situations. The trays are attached to height-adjustable, heavy-duty, doublebraced stands, and feature padded surfaces that can accommodate multiple accessory percussion instruments, sticks, and mallets as well as electronic multi-pads and laptop computers. www.tycoonpercussion.com
JAZZed July 2010 41
HotWax June 22
Bob Baldwin – Never Can Say Goodbye [Trippin & Rhythm] Norman Brown – Sending My Love
[Peak]
New & Notable Music Releases All dates are subject to change
Kenny G – Heart and Soul [Concord] Eileen Hunter – Eileen Hunter
Bebo Valdes – Bebo Rides Again [Universal Music Latino]
Rafi Malkiel – Water [Tzadik] Lee Ritenour – 6 String Theory
Moons [Jazzheads]
Benita Washington – Word Re-
Ahmed Abdullah – Tara’s Song
[Phantom]
[Concord]
Chris Washburne – Fields Of
July 20
mains [Shanachie]
[Tum]
July 6
[Groove Attack]
Anime That Jazz – Evening [P-Vine Japan/Zoom]
Joe Barbieri – Maison Maravilha Dan Gailey – What Did You Dream
[OA2]
Bill Charlap – I’m Old Fashioned
Paul Hardcastle – Jazzmasters VI [Trippin & Rhythm]
Bruce Gertz Quintet - Thank You
Freddie Hubbard – Body And The Soul [Analogue Productions]
[Venus]
Charlie (Open Mind Jazz)
Jonathan Fritzen – Diamonds
Lloyd Miller and the Heliocentrics – Lloyd Miller and The Helio-
Curtis Fuller – I Will Tell Her [Capri]
Adam Schroeder – Handful of Stars
centrics [Strut]
[Nordic Night]
[Capri]
Jessica Williams – Touch [Origin]
July 28
Big Town Playboys – Roll The Dice [Cherry Red]
Benny Golson – Groovin With Gol-
Adrian Iaies Trio – Child’s Smile
Mark Lomax Trio – The State of
Marcus Johnson – This Is How I
son [Polydor Japan/Zoom] Black America [Inarhyme]
Herbie Hancock – The Imagine
Project [Herbie Hancock Records]
The Wynton Marsalis Quintet & Richard Galliano – From Billie
Holiday to Edith Piaf: Live in Marciac [Rampart Street]
Jason Moran – Ten [Blue Note] Terie Rypdal – Crime Scene [Ecm]
June 29 Anouar Brahem – Vague [Phantom] Kenny Burrell – Be Yourself [High Note]
Evan Chambers – The Old Burying
Andrea Pozza Trio – New Quiet [Pony Japan/Zoom]
Andre Previn – King Size [Universal Japan/Zoom]
Ann Savoy – Black Coffee [Memphis
Mop Mop – Ritual of the Savage [Infracom!]
Norfolk & Western – Dinero Severo
[Umgd/Ecm]
James Newton Howard – The Last
International]
July 13
[Voiceprint]
Anthony Braxton & Gerry Hemingway – Old Dogs [Mode] Buselli-Wallarab Jazz Orchestra
Mike Westbrook – Fine ‘N’ Yellow
– Mezzanine [Owl]
If you have information on an
Edward Decker – Dear Mr. Pizza-
upcoming album or music DVD
relli [Challenge]
release which you’d like to have
Forevers Edge – Chaotic Silence
included in the next issue of
[Nightmare]
Billy Cobham – Palindrome [Varese
Al Haig – Cerendy Pitty [Amj Jap/
Fontana]
Zoom]
Eric Darius – On a Mission
Barry Harris – Listen To Solo Piano
42 JAZZed July 2010
Rock [Three Keys Music]
Airbender [Lakeshore]
Ground [Dorian]
[Shanachie]
[Sunny Side]
[Universal Japan/Zoom]
JAZZed, please e-mail editor Christian Wissmuller at: cwissmuller@symphonypublishing.com
CDShowcase Compact Disc
Great new music from Open Mind Jazz
Artist
Bruce Gertz Quintet
A Morning Glory
Brand new CD, Thank You Charlie, dedicated to the memory of Charlie Banacos, famous Jazz Educator. And featuring the baritone voice of veteran musician, Paul Broadnax along with George Garzone, tenor sax, Phil Grenadier, trumpet, Rick DiMuzio, tenor sax, Bob Gullotti, drums and Tim Miller, guitar.
Dotti Anita Taylor Flutist, Pianist, Composer, Arranger, Transcriber
"I like it. I like it"
...Frank Wess
"one of the best flute recordings to debut in years" ...Peter Sanchez, All About Jazz Available at www.cdbaby.com/dottianitataylor Cover:original oil painting by Dana Gray Visit www.dottianitataylor.com Bookings:718-468-7376
Available at CDbaby.com
Dennis Tini Trio and Quintet Dennis Tini Duo
The Eyes of Youth
Featuring Chris Collins
(Les Yeux de la Jeunesse)
The Dennis Tini Quartet•Trio•Quintet Dennis Tini, Jeff Halsey, Ray Tini, Dave Taylor Chris Collins, George “Sax” Benson April Arabian-Tini, Larry Nozro
Time Will Tell . . .
time will tell . . .
the eyes of youth global peace & understanding
CD’s available at: cdbaby.com/cd/tinitrio
Dennis Tini tours internationally as jazz pianist/composer and choral conductor/clinician throughout Europe, South Africa, Canada, the US and South America. Concert booking: d_tini@wayne.edu • (313) 577-2545
dennis tini
JAZZed July 2010 43
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Yamaha performing Artist/Clinician. Available for Concerts/Clinics. Check out and contact Mr. Fischer at:
Sidney Davis x13 Richard E. Kessel x14 Maureen Johan x34 Iris Fox 954-973-3555
www.ďŹ schmusic.com
CDCliniciansCornner
Grace Testani
matt niess www.mattniess.com
Special Discount at Grace Notes Music
VOCALIST - CLINICIAN Arranger, Composer, Keyboardist
Faculty: NYU SCPS Director: The Singers Center Co-writer with Chick Corea & Kenny Barron Â?Â?Â?Â? All Music Guide "...If
you like your singers bold and sassy, Grace Testani delivers on both counts!â&#x20AC;? ~ Jazz Times
Www.gracetestani.com www.GraceNotesMusic.com
44 JAZZed July 2010
Leader, The Capitol Bones Director, The National Jazz Workshop Jazz Studies, Shenandoah Conservatory Lead Trombone, US Army Blues Jazz Ensemble Courtois Trombone Artist
artist clinician
Classifieds Accessories
iHearit
Fundraising Books
JAZZ SAXOPHONE ETUDES & DUETS BOOK & CD PLAY-ALONG SETS BY GREG FISHMAN
Slow Down, Loop, and Transcribe Music on your iPhone for
Endorsed by Michael Brecker, Dave Liebman, Jerry Coker, James Moody, Mark Colby, Bob Sheppard, & Jamey Aebersold.
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Visit: WWW.GREGFISHMANJAZZSTUDIOS.COM for free sample etudes and duets.
Available on the App Store, or go to http://ihearit.net for more info.
www.JAZZedmagazine.com
DVDs
Instruction Need some expert Advise? Guitar & Bass EncycloMedia 13 years of Fretboard Excellence. www.12tonemusic.com 1-937-256-9344
Instruments Fundraising
joesaxwoodwinds@gmail.com
JAZZed July 2010 45
Classifieds Instruments
Merchandise
Merchandise
Merchandise
MUSICAL INSTRUMENT-N-MORE Grand Opening!!! Quality new and Used instruments for the student or professional. www.minmore.com Highland Park, NJ 732 227-0776
www.JAZZedmagazine.com 46 JAZZed July 2010
Classifieds Print Media
Print Music
New Jazz Band Charts! for 17 piece big bands Check out my website www.OllieCreations.com
Repair
WE REPAIR, RESTORE, SELL & TRADE
Saxophones, Clarinets, Flutes, Oboes, Bassoons, etc. Serving the Music Community for 37 years.
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AdIndex Company
Email/Web
J.J. Babbitt Co. Inc. Bari Woodwinds Bruce Gertz Cultural Tour Consultants Daniel Smith Dotti Anita Taylor Fisch Music Production Frost School of Music Grace Notes Enterprises Hal Leonard Corp. Jamey Aebersold Jazz Aids Jody Jazz Mel Martin MusicFactory.com National Jazz Workshop Pearl Corp. PJLA Music Products Rick Stone Sher Music SopranoPlantet Superscope Technologies Vic Firth, Inc. Wayne State University
www.jjbabbitt.com www.bariwoodwinds.com www.CDbaby.com www.culturaltourconsultants.com www.danielsmithbassoon.com www.dottianitataylor.com www.fischmusic.com www.music.miami.edu www.GraceNotesMusic.com www.halleonard.com www.jazz.books.com www.JodyJazz.com www.melmartin.com www.musicfactorydirect.com http://nationaljazzworkshop.org/ www.pearldrum.com www.pjlamusc.com www.rickstone.com www.shermusic.com www.sopranoplanet.com www.superscopetechnologies.com www.VicFirth.com www.music.wayne.edu
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JAZZed July 2010 47
Backbeat
Larry Warrilow 1945 - 2010
Lawrence “Larry” Warrilow, a prominent member of the South Florida music scene, passed away on May 18. Warrilow’s music career began in the 1960s while at Florida State University. Over the years, Larry became an accomplished arranger and composer, working with numerous pop stars, including the Bee Gees, Barbra Streisand, and Ziggy Marley. Warrilow began his career and gained notoriety with the Peter Graves Orchestra at Joe Namath’s night club, Bachelors III, in Fort Lauderdale. Larry joined Graves’ Orchestra as a guitarist and arranger during a five-year run with the group that also included such musicians as Pat Metheny, Mark Colby, Danny Gottlieb, Mark Egan, Dan and Neal Bonsanti, Whit Sidener, Jerry Coker, and Ron Tooley. It was the addition of bassist Jaco Pastorius, pianist Alex Darqui, and drummer Bobby Economou that made a lasting impact. Larry collaborated with Pastorius on countless musical projects and has often been referred to as “Jaco’s right hand man.” Jaco died in 1987, and in 2004, Warrilow and Peter Graves began collaborating on the Jaco Pastorius Big Band tribute albums, Big Band Word of Mouth Revisited and The Word Is Out albums. Larry Warrilow passed away at his home in Miami of an apparent heart attack. He was 64 years old.
48 JAZZed July 2010
IT’S TIME TO GET
REAL
Isn’t it time for electronic drums to look like real drums instead of a collection of practice pads? Isn’t it time for electronic drums to feel like real drums instead of like playing a tennis racquet? Isn’t it time for electronic drums to sound like real drums and offer USB connectivity to add exciting lush kits from the world’s most renowned virtual sound libraries? It’s time for EPro Live.
EPro Live features real drums, real drum hardware, 100 great sounding kits, plus 100 user defined storage locations, or load specially designed kits from one of our sound partners.