What Jazz are you listening to now?

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

Perhaps not in the "pecking" context above, but my first recollection of it was in connection with Bill Hardman's initial trumpet style where he seemed to peck at notes. Later on he became a lot more fluid but I found this early period endearing...

Art Blakey JMs - "Sam you made the bridge too long". Jackie & Bill, young and ferocious...

http://youtu.be/UdegVsrO6Ac?feature=shared

[elmo]

John Lewis 'The wonderful world of jazz' album haven't played this for years and had forgotten how good it is. "Afternoon in Paris" a lovely composition, I love the contrast between John Lewis opening beautiful gentle solo followed by Dolphy's storming through his solo. Great solo's by Jim Hall and Benny Golson as well.

https://youtu.be/XfHnJtM3g5k?feature=shared

elmo

[Serial_Apologist]

John Lewis 'The wonderful world of jazz' album haven't played this for years and had forgotten how good it is. "Afternoon in Paris" a lovely composition, I love the contrast between John Lewis opening beautiful gentle solo followed by Dolphy's storming through his solo. Great solo's by Jim Hall and Benny Golson as well.

https://youtu.be/XfHnJtM3g5k?feature=shared

elmo

(I wonder where Dolphy stands in my "pecking order"....)

[Jazzrook]

Frank Zappa’s favourite guitarist, Johnny “Guitar” Watson, playing ‘Space Guitar’ with Bill Gaither(tenor sax); Devonia Williams(piano); Mario Delagarde(bass) & Charles Pendergraft(drums), recorded in 1954 when Watson was around 19!

https://www.YouTube.com/watch?v=5gJg7_FgVTI

JR

[Jazzrook]

Chet Baker Trio with Michel Grallier & Massimo Moriconi playing Bruno Martino’s ‘Estate’ live from the Moonlight club, Macerata, Italy in 1985:

https://www.YouTube.com/watch?v=cnqvHZdNlFk

JR

[Mario]

Forgive me if this is the wrong thread, but, a plea for some help please?

I’m a lousy Grade 2 pianist and maybe can just about scrape an odd Grade 3 piece here and there. My sight reading remains atrocious, but apart from the appallingly monotonous Microcosmos and the universal Diabelli in the classical world, I’d like to try some simple (the operative word there is SIMPLE) jazz tunes for the piano.

I’ve tried surfing, but I see that, e.g., “Blue Monk” by Thelonius Monk (erm, who he?) gives keys Bb, Eb7, etc for the bass. Huh?

Any suggestions please?

Thanks in anticipation.

[Serial_Apologist]

Forgive me if this is the wrong thread, but, a plea for some help please?

I’m a lousy Grade 2 pianist and maybe can just about scrape an odd Grade 3 piece here and there. My sight reading remains atrocious, but apart from the appallingly monotonous Microcosmos and the universal Diabelli in the classical world, I’d like to try some simple (the operative word there is SIMPLE) jazz tunes for the piano.

I’ve tried surfing, but I see that, e.g., “Blue Monk” by Thelonius Monk (erm, who he?) gives keys Bb, Eb7, etc for the bass. Huh?

Any suggestions please?

Thanks in anticipation.

A jazz pianist friend always suggested " mastering" the 12-bar blues in all the diatonic keys, major and minor, as the best possible starting point.

[Jazzrook]

J.R. Monterose with Hod O’Brien, Teddy Kotick & Eddie Robinson playing ‘Giant Steps’, live in Albany, 1979:

https://www.YouTube.com/watch?v=NjS__WvsZc0

JR

[Mario]

A jazz pianist friend always suggested " mastering" the 12-bar blues in all the diatonic keys, major and minor, as the best possible starting point.

Great SA, just studied it. Many thanks!

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

New York Times.


Roy Ayers, Vibraphonist Who Injected Soul Into Jazz, Dies at 84 (March 4)


"He helped introduce a funkier strain of the music in the 1970s. He also had an impact on hip-hop: His “Everybody Loves the Sunshine” has been sampled nearly 200 times..."

Before all that, "West Coast Vibes" with Curtis Amy etc...

http://youtu.be/G_hHDhfnOfw?feature=shared

[Tenor Freak]

Forgive me if this is the wrong thread, but, a plea for some help please?

I’m a lousy Grade 2 pianist and maybe can just about scrape an odd Grade 3 piece here and there. My sight reading remains atrocious, but apart from the appallingly monotonous Microcosmos and the universal Diabelli in the classical world, I’d like to try some simple (the operative word there is SIMPLE) jazz tunes for the piano.

I’ve tried surfing, but I see that, e.g., “Blue Monk” by Thelonius Monk (erm, who he?) gives keys Bb, Eb7, etc for the bass. Huh?

Any suggestions please?

Thanks in anticipation.

Try learning melodies by ear and not just from written music. Jazz is African music at its heart, and like African cultures it's passed on by the oral tradition and not just in books. The blues is a great place to start. No blues, no jazz.

There are some very simple well-known jazz standards to try: Freddie Freeloader (Miles Davis), Blue Monk (Thelonious Monk), Blue Train (John Coltrane), Footprints (Wayne Shorter), Now's The Time (Charlie Parker). These are all based on the blues. Just play the melodies as you hear them from the recordings.

[Serial_Apologist]

Review of Ravi Coltrane's remembrance concert for Alice Coltrane on Feb 26th at the Moon Theater in Seattle, with a closing 7 minute clip, but well worth a listen. :

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/ravi-coltrane-tranlinear-light-the-music-of-alice-coltrane

[Ian Thumwood]

Forgive me if this is the wrong thread, but, a plea for some help please?

I’m a lousy Grade 2 pianist and maybe can just about scrape an odd Grade 3 piece here and there. My sight reading remains atrocious, but apart from the appallingly monotonous Microcosmos and the universal Diabelli in the classical world, I’d like to try some simple (the operative word there is SIMPLE) jazz tunes for the piano.

I’ve tried surfing, but I see that, e.g., “Blue Monk” by Thelonius Monk (erm, who he?) gives keys Bb, Eb7, etc for the bass. Huh?

Any suggestions please?

Thanks in anticipation.

Mario

I agree that Real Books lead to bad habits although they are a safety net. Less enthused with the old Real Book these days as the availability of jazz in manuscript has grown exponentially since 1983 when I got interested in jazz piano. Back then the 4 volumes of books by John Mehegan were the most obvious route in but less convinced they stand up in 2025.

The music of Monk tunes published by Hal Leonard is great but the repertoire is very very Broad these days from Jelly Roll Morton to David Binney. I have loads of jazz books drim Jamie Aebesold which vary in difficulty. Got to say I am not a fan of standards.