3 Jazz Books to Break Through Plateaus
Do you ever feel stuck in your musical development? These 3 books offer some amazing insights that will help you break through these walls. The Music Lesson by Victor Wooten This book will challenge you to think about music in a different way. It walks through 9 elements of music, as taught by Victor’s possibly […]
JPS Ep:155 – The Most Supportive & Effective Comping Voicing & Setup You Need To Know
Comping can be difficult. It’s hard to know what to play to create a solid, lush, supportive sound for your accompaniment comping. If you only learn one comping setup this is IT! Hands down this will deliver the MOST supportive and effective jazz comping sound you need while playing in any group. Duo, Trio, Quartet…anything! Have fun!
Bill Evans’ Opening Line from “Peri’s Scope” (LOTW #149)
Hear how Bill Evans opens up his solo from this classic track off of “Portrait in Jazz” (1960). Once he drops into the solo, he instantly starts creating melodies which stem from the line at the beginning. See for yourself why this solo is one of the greats! https://youtu.be/7GaIillNoLM CLICK HERE TO GET A TRANSCRIPTION […]
JPS Ep:154 – How to Reharmonize Like a Pro
Have you been looking for some new ways to harmonize with jazz chords? This one trick will help you reharmonize melodies like a pro! In this lesson, we will explore some new ways to move chromatically through the keyboard just like some of the greatest piano stylists!
Classic Sonny Clark Lick (LOTW #148)
Sonny Clark opens up the track “Softly as in a Morning Sunrise” from his album Sonny Clark Trio (1957) with this short but sweet lick. Sonny is known for his swinging time feel and classic content. The rest of this album is a gold mine of jazz language! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vx6pi9fNzgo CLICK HERE TO GET A TRANSCRIPTION […]
JPS Ep:153 – What Are Shell Voicings, Why You Need Them, How To Use Them!
Everyone tells us to learn shell voicings but back when I was younger I never knew why…I also never knew how to USE them! This was very frustrating to me since everyone was saying how important they are. In this episode, I’ll break shell voicings down for you so you know exactly why they’re important AND how to use them. Here we go!
The Must-Know Freddie Freeloader Piano Solo (LOTW #147)
This is one of those solos that all jazz pianists NEED TO KNOW. It comes off of Miles Davis’ iconic album, “Kind of Blue” (1959). Wynton Kelly’s solo sets the tone for this blues. His melodic development and sense of swing are unparalleled, and have been imitated by future generations ever since. Check out this […]
JPS Ep:152 – How To Spice Up Your Improv With Ornaments
Most of the time improv will sound bland not because of the notes…but because of the RHYTHMS! I had this little epiphany back in my earlier days, and it completely transformed my soloing. In this episode, you will learn how you can add ornaments to your improv lines so they sound 100x times better. Here we go!
Keith Jarrett Shreds on “The Meaning of the Blues” (LOTW #146)
Keith Jarrett takes it to another level in the second chorus of his solo on “The Meaning of the Blues” from his iconic trio record “Standards Vol. 2.” He adds some chromaticism to harmonic minor to disguise the scale, and uses it to burn his way through the chords. His melodies are not to be […]
How to Practice Simplicity
Sometimes the best melodies are the simplest ones. The less you say, the more each individual note stands out. Miles Davis lived out this musical philosophy every night on the bandstand, and we can all learn a lot from how he makes the most out of the fewest notes. Check out this track “Jean Pierre” […]
