How to Prepare for Auditions

With performance examinations coming up in many music schools across the country, I thought I’d address a question I’ve often heard, which is: How do I prepare for my performance jury? Whether you have an audition or a jury coming up for school, we’ll be discussing some best kept secrets for how to prepare! Know […]

Developing Modern Repertoire

As Sterling mentioned in his last post, jazz music was built on the popular songs of the day, using them as vehicles for improvisation. There is no reason it should be any different today.  There is music being created all around us just begging to be improvised on, but sometimes we get stuck in the […]

Beyond the Real Book: Checking out the “Folio”

Being able to show up to a jam and read tunes out of a real book can be very handy, but.. Have you ever wondered where some of those songs come from? As jazz musicians, we are fortunate to be able to draw from an endless fountain of repertoire from the 20th century. Today, this […]

3 Step Process to Assimilate Improv Concepts

Have you ever wanted to incorporate a musical idea into your playing but struggled to get past the “Copy and Paste” phase? This process will help you internalize musical ideas and make them a part of who you are, not just a lick that you can play. First, decide on a musical subject. Identify a […]

Jazz Fusion: The Electric, Rock-Infused Cousin of Jazz

Of course we’re talking about… As an American art form, jazz has continually evolved to absorb elements of the culture and technology around it. Jazz had progressed from its Dixieland roots in New Orleans into the swing tradition of the 30’s, bebop in the 40’s to hard bop, modal, and cool jazz styles of the […]

Gospel Meets Jazz: The Hammond B3 Organ

Jazz, Blues, and Gospel have been evolving alongside each other for decades. The presence of blues and gospel influences brought jazz to another level and helped it become what it is today. The History of the Organ Organs had been used in gospel churches for years when some jazz musicians such as Fats Waller and […]

Rhythm: It’s All About Feel!

In jazz, what separates the good players from the very best? At the end of the day, in my experience playing with musicians from all over, the thing that sets someone apart is their time feel. When I sit down to play with someone, I can instantly tell the caliber of their musicianship by their […]

How to Reharmonize Like a Pro

What is Reharmonization? Let’s do a quick review… Reharmonization is the process of replacing the chords underneath a melody with other chords that still work musically but have a different function. Chords share a variety of common tones that allow us to interchange them without wreaking havoc on the music. Take, for example, one of […]

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