Funk: The Infectious and Pungent Cousin of Jazz
The great jazz educator and drummer Justin DiCioccio has one simple motto: “make everything in life feel like a groove.” This is actually a deceptively simple token of advice, commenting on finding peace and stability in the hardest of times. But, taken on a surface level, this philosophy also happens to be a pretty spot-on […]
Jazz Piano School Ep. 121 – 7 Ways To Achieve An Out Or Modern Improv Sound
Oh boy…sometimes I just get going on some of these podcasts and this happens to be one of them. Seriously though…this one is AWESOME! I think you all are going to love the content in this. Would love to hear how your playing changes after working in some of the tips from this lesson. Happy practicing! Enjoy!
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 […]
Modal Improvisation – Coltrane’s “Pursuance”: Achieving A Modern Sound
Recently, I had the privilege of performing Jim McNeely’s arrangements of John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme with Joe Lovano in a series of concerts at Jazz at Lincoln Center and Aaron Davis Hall CCNY. A Love Supreme notably includes 2 major piano solos, in the 2nd movement (“Resolution”) as well as the 3rd movement (“Pursuance”). […]
8 Ways Bebop Revolutionized Jazz Forever
In many ways, Bebop can seem like a footnote in the timeline of jazz history. After all, it lasted only a mere five years or so in the late 40’s, half a century removed from its historic roots in New Orleans. And it would be less than a decade before Miles Davis released his landmark record […]
Jazz Piano School Ep. 120 – 7 Way To Practice Bebop To See Quick Improvement
I’ve never known any jazz piano giant to not have the ability to play through changes in a bebop style. At the heart of all improvisation lies bop. If you think you’re going to skip this step and achieve improv freedom…well, unfortunately you’re lying to yourself. Needless to say this is a must! So here are 7 great tips to help you practice and excel quickly with proven and systematic steps. Enjoy!
Understanding Jazz Theory (Part 2): Functioning Dominants & 3 Functioning V7 Alterations
In Part 1 in this “Making Sense of Jazz Theory” series we looked at 3 foundational concepts: the 4 Chord Families, Diatonic Harmony, and the Church Modes. If you haven’t checked that out yet, Click Here to read that first. Today we are going to be looking at the importance of understanding Functioning Dominants and […]
Jazz Piano School Ep. 119 – How Theory & Structure Lead To Freedom
I heard an amazing saying the military uses as a motto that goes like this…”Fast is slow and slow is fast.” If I had to sum up jazz piano in a similar way I would say, “Theory & Structure is Freedom, and Freedom Is Theory & Structure.” In this episode I show you why it’s so important to learn theory concepts in a sequential manner and how it will translate into true freedom of self expression in your playing. Enjoy!
Jazz Piano School Ep. 118 – How To Play Any Style And Groove Over Any Tune
People will ask me, “Brenden, how do you play funk…how do you play latin?” Well when you learn the necessary foundational tools with Theory Sequences…you can play any style, any groove you want! At anytime! That is why our tagline is “Learning Freedom”. In this episode I take a simple standard and play about a ten different grooves and styles through out the tune. Switching between each and every one as I explain. Enjoy!
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 […]
