Bill Evans’ Tricky Diminished Lines on “Israel” (LOTW #119)
Check out this explosive chorus from Bill Evans on his minor blues tune, “Israel.” He busts out of the gate with a decisive gesture and follows up with some of his signature minor vocabulary. Watch out for his use of chromaticism and the tricky diminished lines sprinkled throughout.
Slippery Herbie Hancock Lines from Four and More by Miles Davis Second Great Quintet (LOTW #118)
Herbie Hancock executes slippery chromatic lines over the tune “There is No Greater Love.” His accented offbeats lie deep in the pocket of Tony Williams and Ron Carter. If you’re feeling adventurous, check out the slaying triplet passage in the second half of this solo.
Cool Oscar Peterson Riff from “D. & E. Blues” Pt. 2 (LOTW #117)
This chorus of blues from the album “We Get Requests” finishes out with a triplety riff which would swing the doors off of any club! Oscar’s rhythm section grooves hard behind him here.
The Sound of Jazz: The Importance of Articulation and Feel
The sound of jazz. Where does it come from? Some might say “the blues.” They would be right, but when people talk about playing the blues, there is often an important ingredient missing from the conversation: FEEL. What does it mean when we’re talking about feel? We’re talking about time feel. The feeling of the […]
Cool Oscar Peterson Lick from D. & E. Blues Pt. 1 from We Get Requests (LOTW #116)
This excerpt is from a chorus of blues by Oscar Peterson on his album We Get Requests, where the trio covers popular standards. Be on the lookout for some swinging hours playing. With Oscar, it’s hard to miss!!
The Creativity of Jelly Roll Morton – “The Father of Jazz”
When people talk about the origins of jazz, the name on everyone’s mind is the creator of ragtime piano, Scott Joplin. With such standbys as “The Entertainer,” “Sugar Cane Rag,” and “Maple Leaf Rag,” he came up with the makings of blues and swing which would eventually become jazz as we know it today. But […]
Finding Your Voice with Voicings
Some people ask us jazz pianists: “How do you know what notes to play?” Other times, I am reading a lead sheet and they ask, “If there’s only one line on the page, where do the other notes come from?” This is where our secrets lay. With all […]
Comping – What is it? Why is it important?
People talk of the great jazz pianists: Bill Evans, Chick Corea, Brad Mehldau, and what do they remember? Most often it is their lines and soloing ability. What most people don’t think about when it comes to these great musicians is their ability to accompany or play within a group. What is […]
Developing Your Own Style: Listening Through Generations
What do Brad Mehldau, Mark Turner, and Eric Harland all have in common? They’re some of the foremost jazz musicians of our time. And yes, they’d sound amazing in a band together, of course. But what are we really talking about here? STYLE. Each one of these musicians has their own unique style and voice […]
TUNES, TUNES, TUNES!!
We’ve all been there. You get to the session, the cats are all on stage playing, and you just want to get up there and hang with the best of them. It’s finally your turn, and the call is… “Lover, Come Back to Me.” You’re thinking, Is that even a real tune?! I’ve never heard […]
