3 Jazz Piano Lessons From Golf
As Brenden likes to say, there are a lot of similarities between golf and jazz improv. In fact, golf was Bill Evans’ favorite pastime. Just like jazz, there are no shortcuts to success in golf. The way to get better is to play as much as possible. However, there are specific exercises that, along with […]
JPS Ep:159 – How To Self Assess Your Skills & Use Jazz Piano Tools To Make Consistent Progress
Give a person a fish and they eat for a day…teach a person to fish and they eat for a lifetime. This is exactly my approach with all student within Jazz Piano School. Learning jazz piano for a lifetime and NOT a day is about learning jazz piano tools and improving those tools within all the different categories. From there we can start to combine them to create amazing sounding atmospheres and textures. Check out this podcast for an overall plan and approach to learning jazz piano for a lifetime!
Aaron Parks’ Twisting Lines on “Old Milestones” (LOTW #153)
This cut from Aaron Parks’ trio comes from a recording he made in Japan where he decided to turn on his Iphone to record the set. What ensued was a complete album of eclectic trio playing full of twists and turns! The trio plays the jazz standard “Old Milestones,” and after a chorus of drums, […]
JPS Ep:158 – Check out the “Joe Henderson Chord!”
In this podcast lesson we take a closer look at the chord which characterized Joe Henderson during the most impactful time of his career. This chord appears again and again in Joe’s well known compositions from the 1960’s, such as “Inner Urge,” “Punjab,” “Gazelle,” and more! Follow along as we explore the chord within the context of the infamous jazz standard “Inner Urge” and investigate how to use it to our advantage when improvising.
Insanely Beautiful Intro by Shai Maestro (LOTW #152)
If you haven’t already listened to Shai Maestro, this track will blow your mind! Shai came up in Avishai Cohen’s trio and is known for his complex rhythms and beautiful classical stylings. The intro to “Sleeping Giant” from his first record, Shai Maestro Trio (2012), is a rhapsodic, Brahms-like passage which leads into a fearsome […]
5 Tips to Learn Tunes Like a Pro
Expanding one’s repertoire is an essential part of becoming a better musician. By learning new tunes of varying styles and difficulty, you can expand your palette of musical skills and deepen your musicianship. Here is a list of 5 tips to keep in mind while learning new tunes Check out the Records Save the sheet […]
JPS Ep:157 – 3 Ways To Overcome Your Improvisation Fears
Let’s face it…it’s SCARY to improvise. It’s a very vulnerable thing because you’re opening up yourself to the world. You’re expressing your true self and true emotions. Now besides all that inner stuff…there is also the fear of simply making mistakes. BUT…enough about the negative…let’s get in the positive and I’ll show you 3 amazing ways to get stomp on your fears today!
Bud Powell’s Scorching Intro to “All God’s Chillun Got Rhythm” (LOTW #151)
Bud Powell lays down a scorching intro to his burning original tune, “All God’s Chillun Got Rhythm.” He ends the intro with an altered line made from a tritone substitution. This is some classic Bud playing through some two-five-one’s at a breakneck pace. See if you can keep up! https://youtu.be/HcNrywHyplI CLICK HERE TO GET A […]
JPS Ep:156 – Find Out the Secrets to Playing a One-Chord Vamp!
As jazz pianists, we often get caught up in complex chord progressions and substitutions. The question is: What happens when the chips are down, and you have to improvise over only ONE chord? Here are some secret strategies to work on what to play over one-chord vamps.
Eric Reed’s Nasty Triplet Solo on Monk’s “Evidence” (LOTW #150)
Eric Reed comes out swinging on his album “The Baddest Monk.” Listen how he interprets Thelonious Monk’s classic tune “Evidence” with a relentless triplet feel. This excerpt comes from the last A section of the melody, then all bets are off as he heads into the solo. Watch out! https://youtu.be/DsFSWC20tqM CLICK HERE TO GET A […]
