Monk’s Mellifluous Melody on “Straight, No Chaser” (LOTW #202)
Happy 103rd Birthday, Monk! To celebrate Thelonious Monk this October, here is a lick from his quintessential 12 bar blues, “Straight, No Chaser.” The opening chorus of his solo features a rhythmic melodic idea which he transforms through the chorus with style. Thanks for the music, Monk! https://youtu.be/Oh-C_jWaHcI CLICK HERE TO GET A TRANSCRIPTION OF […]
How To Break Out of Your Improv Norm (Ep: 212)
It’s hard to break out of habits. A lot of times we play on autopilot but guess what, in order to make progress we need to STOP. We need to pay close attention to what we’re playing and analyze it. Then after we’re AWARE of what we’re doing, we need to play the opposite texture. This episode will show you an easy process you can use to instantly break out of your improv norms.
Cory Henry – “Lingus” Solo Analysis
In honor of our 200th Lick of the Week, we are bringing you Cory Henry’s famous Lingus solo! The solo from Snarky Puppy’s “Lingus” off of the album We Like it Here (2014) has gone down in history as one of the best. Want to know what makes this solo so great? Check out this solo analysis in this week’s podcast to find out!
How To Fill Space: 3 Easy Ways You Can Use Right Now (Ep: 210)
Jazz Piano School 3.0 including upgraded features, content, design annd more is being released on Monday, September 28th at 6am EST during our Open Enrollment period for new students. We’ve been closed for 11 months now and this release party is sure to be a doozy! Until then, dig into this week’s podcast on filling space with these 3 easy strategies. I dive deep here in to specifics. The when, the how, the why. This should be a great podcast lesson for you that is a must listen for every student. Enjoy!
Bebop Secrets: How to Develop Your Own Repertoire List (Ep: 209)
This week we are bringing you a sneak peek into our exclusive member content! This podcast lesson is an excerpt from our “JPS Pratice Workouts,” and discusses how to develop your own repertoire list. Developing your own repertoire list is essential to becoming a complete jazz pianist. Follow along for the inside scoop on how to get started!
A Marvelous Melody by Michel Petrucianni (LOTW #198)
Michel Petrucianni is an unsung hero of jazz piano. He achieved a degree of fame in the mid 1980’s after coming to the U.S. from Paris, France, at which time he started performing with jazz greats such as Charles Lloyd and Joe Lovano. He later went on to record and tour with his own trio. […]
3 Note Voicings In 3 Easy Steps Take 2! (Ep: 208)
Jazz Piano School 3.0 Launch and OPEN Enrollment Date is here!!! Mark you calendars folks! Monday, September 28th at 6am eastern! Check your inbox for more details.
Lots of people dive into all sorts of voicings. Myself included. What are 3 note voicings? What do they do? Why are they important? When should you learn them? How do you integrate them and use them? I’ll answer all these questions in this podcast to give you all the necessary information you need.
A Colorful Solo Break by Hampton Hawes on “Just One of Those Things” (LOTW #197)
For this week’s lick of the week, we’re taking things over to the West coast! Players such as Hampton Hawes, Gerry Mulligan, Shelly Manne, and Bob Brookmeyer were known for their “Cool Jazz” sound. That did not mean, however, that they couldn’t burn when it came down to it! Check out this great solo break […]
Bebop Secrets: How to Use Enclosures (Ep: 207)
Have you been looking for a way to take your Bebop jazz playing to the next level? In this edition of Bebop Secrets, we will discuss how to use Enclosures in your jazz improvisation. Great pianists from Bud Powell to Oscar Peterson utilize Enclosures in their playing, and you can too with the help of these exercises!
Jaki Byard’s Major Attitude on “Lullabye of Birdland” (LOTW #196)
Jaki Byard is known for his longtime tenure in Charles Mingus’s band. His spontaneous nature and animated solos brought an X-factor to that group, but also shines through on his own solo records. On his record “Hi-Fly,” (1962) check out the attitude he throws in over the classic standard “Lullabye of Birland.” CLICK HERE TO […]
