Category Archives: Jazz
Clifford Brown plays “Joy Spring”
There was a point, while I was at New England, where I became aware that I was playing the same clichés that all sax players play, all the time. This became really obvious as tempos increased. Think about the last … Continue reading
Michael Brecker plays “Midnight Voyage”
Michael Brecker and I have a long, rich history…not the person himself (God rest his soul) unfortunately, but his recordings for sure. Michael’s records brought me into Jazz, and I had the pleasure of meeting him a few times, which … Continue reading
Mumbles
Ever seen Clark Terry do “Mumbles”? I have the old recording of him with the Oscar Peterson Trio, but live he always takes it a lot further. Here he is with Aretha Franklin, Herbie Hancock, Roy Haynes, Russell Malone, Ron … Continue reading
Joshua Redman’s take on “Turnaround”
About a week ago, I posted a transcription of Ornette Coleman playing a blues of his called “Turnaround” from 1959′s Tomorrow is the Question. For the sake of comparison, I picked a solo of Joshua Redman playing the tune in … Continue reading
A little Ornette Coleman to get things started
Transcription, in my view, is the best thing an improvisor can do to improve their abilities as a player. In doing so, you study phrasing, time and groove, tunes, licks and cliches…pretty much every component of the Jazz vernacular (or whatever … Continue reading
