I moved to Atlanta in 2001 and began attending local Atlanta jazz concerts a couple of years later, when I became serious about playing the trumpet again. During the years that I’ve followed the Atlanta jazz scene, I can think of no better time to be a jazz fan in Atlanta than right now! The musicians, the concerts, and even the sense of community, have reached a level beyond anything I’ve seen yet. To help spread the word, I thought I’d take a moment to share some of the reasons that I’m so excited about today’s Atlanta jazz scene.

JAZZ ORCHESTRA ATLANTA & JOE GRANSDEN AT CAFE 290

Beginning in May 2009, trumpeter Joe Gransden and the Jazz Orchestra Atlanta big band have been performing on the first Monday of every month at Cafe 290. The first two concerts were so heavily attended that they now perform on the first AND third Monday of each month. You might be wondering why so many people would go to see jazz on a Monday night, and in Sandy Springs no less?! I think the explanation is simple. The big band represents the largest concentration of the best jazz musicians that you’ll see anywhere in Atlanta. Although, the Twain’s jam session comes close! I recently attended my first big band concert at Cafe 290 and was delighted to see so many of my favorite Atlanta jazz musicians, including Kevin Bales, Mace Hibbard, Brian Hogans, John Sandfort, Anton Harris, Justin Varnes, Melvin Jones, Lester Walker, Wes Funderburk, just to name a few. And of course, the real star of the night is Joe Gransden. His ability to charm the audience and keep everyone entertained is second to none. Don’t miss these concerts!

Here’s a tip… call ahead and reserve a table. These concerts are crowded and you probably don’t want to stand in the back of the room all night.

TWAIN’S JAM SESSION

The Tuesday night jazz jam session at Twain’s Billiards and Tap began a little over a year ago and continues to be one of the best jazz events in the Atlanta area. Joe Gransden leads the session, with Tyrone Jackson on piano, Craig Shaw on bass, and Chris Burroughs on drums. With those guys in the house band, you know you’re in for some great jazz even if nobody else shows up to play! But they certainly don’t have any problem getting other musicians to show up. On any given night you’ll see dozens of jazz musicians on the stage. In one set you might see college students playing in public for the first time, then right after that you’ll see a trumpet battle featuring some of the best players in the world (as captured in the video clip to the right). Adding to the success of these jam sessions is a strong sense of community among the audience and musicians. Each week you’ll see many familiar faces, some coming to perform, and some coming just to hang out and catch up with friends. I know some people think there’s too much talking at Twain’s and not enough listening, but I think the talking is important. It’s the bond that keeps people coming back each week.

Additional notes: The music starts around 9pm. Usually the house band will play one or two tunes by themselves and then the jam session begins. Things really pick up around 10 or 10:30pm, so if you’re there to play and you want to guarantee that you’ll make it onto the stage, get there early.

DAVID ELLINGTON ORGAN TRIO AT TWAIN’S

The David Ellington Organ Trio performs at Twain’s Billiards & Tap on the first Wednesday of every month. The band includes Mace Hibbard on saxophone and Chris Burroughs on drums. Often, John Bagnato will join the band on guitar and they’ll occasionally feature special guests as they did recently with vocalists Laura Coyle and Tommy Dean. The band performs mostly original material written by David Ellington and Mace Hibbard, drawing heavily from the soulful sounds of Jimmy McGriff, Jack McDuff, and Eddie Harris. I’ve seen David Ellington’s band perform several times and I’m always amazed at how good they sound together. Mace Hibbard really shines in this group, as he plays some of the funkiest sax solos ever heard in Decatur, GA.

YOUNG GUNS AND NEW MUSICIANS

We’ve seen several new jazz musicians come to Atlanta in the past year, many of them falling into the "Young Guns" category. They’re fresh out of college, filled with talent, and eager to make a name for themselves. Aside from their musical talents, I think the best thing about these new musicians is the enthusiasm they bring to the Atlanta jazz scene. They’re not afraid to experiment with new material, new lineups, and new venues. Their audiences might be small on occasion, but they know it’s all part of their journey as jazz musicians. Guess what? You can be a part of that journey by attending some of their concerts!

New/Interesting Venues:

The Highland Ballroom has seen several jazz concerts lately, by some of the younger players in town. Guitarist Jacob Deaton is a regular performer at Highland Ballroom and I know other musicians like Dan Dilormo and Justin Chesarek have played there as well. I’d encourage every college music student to go and support these guys. With enough support, you could have your own underground jazz scene - literally, since the Ballroom is in the basement! I would have loved to have something like this back when I was a college music student.

Studio 281 has been around for a while, but it’s seen some new interest lately thanks to some of the new players in town. Over the past couple of months at Studio 281, I’ve seen excellent concerts by saxophonist John Sandfort and two of my favorite "Young Guns," bassist Will Goble and drummer David Potter. Will Goble and David Potter just moved here after attending FSU and have brought a variety of guest musicians to their gigs at Studio 281. For example, last week they performed at Studio 281 with Marcus Printup and they’ll bring Jason Marsalis to Studio 281 for two nights in September (they recorded an album with Jason which received 4.5 out of 5 stars from Downbeat!). I’d also like to note that Nick Rosen, a gifted jazz pianist who also moved here from FSU in recent months, will be performing at Studio 281 in July. As you can see, good things are happening at Studio 281.

New Musicians

In addition to the musicians I just mentioned, I also want everyone to know about the ongoing Wednesday night performances by the Justin Chesarek Quintet at Churchill Grounds. Justin Chesarek is a talented young drummer and composer from Pittsburgh, and one of the nicest guys you’ll meet in the Atlanta jazz scene. His band includes another newcomer, accomplished tenor saxophonist, Kurtis Adams. Rounding out the band you’ll also hear Akeem Marable on alto saxophone, Dan Gilormo on guitar, and the one and only Craig Shaw on bass. This is a great band that you shouldn’t miss.

Now you know what’s going on… get out there and support live jazz in Atlanta!

For the past few years I’ve been writing reviews of each Atlanta Jazz Festival. Normally, these are some of the easiest articles for me to write because there’s so much to share. Back in 2007, for example, the three-day 2007 Atlanta Jazz Festival had two stages with more than 30 bands, including performances by Herbie Hancock, Bobby Hutchershon, Charles Tolliver, Vijay Iyer, and The Bad Plus. There were also some interesting panel discussions for me to write about, including one with Bobby Hutcherson and Charles Tolliver. It was also relatively easy for me to write about the 2008 Atlanta Jazz Festival. The smaller venue, the local-only focus, and the concert itself provided plenty of material. Unfortunately, writing about this year's Atlanta Jazz Festival isn't so easy.

2009 ATLANTA JAZZ FESTIVAL REVIEW

If you follow the Atlanta jazz scene, or if you’re a regular reader of this jazz blog, you know that as of 6 months ago the 2009 Atlanta Jazz Festival was canceled due to budgetary shortfalls. As I wrote back then, the Atlanta Jazz Festival wasn’t the only jazz festival facing hard times. It also wasn’t the last. Recently, the New York, Chicago, and Miami jazz festivals have all been canceled.

Remarkably, and to the surprise of most people I know in the Atlanta jazz community, festival organizers managed to secure some last-minute corporate sponsors and the 2009 Atlanta Jazz Festival was resurrected as of a few months ago. I mention the surprise factor among the jazz community because it doesn’t seem like festival organizers involved the local jazz community during the planning of the festival, nor does it appear that the organizers gave the local community any consideration when choosing the lineup. I base this primarily on the many instances where local musicians asked me if I had any information on the festival. They didn’t know anything, it seems, because they weren’t asked to perform. Making matters worse, it appears that they weren't even allowed to request/audition for a slot at the festival since the official festival website strictly forbade direct submission by artists.

And this is where it gets hard for me to write about this year’s Atlanta Jazz Festival...

The 2009 Atlanta Jazz Festival was shortened to two days, leaving eight slots for performers (not including two middle school bands that opened each day). Of the eight slots, only one featured straight ahead jazz (Freddy Cole). The other seven slots were a mix of fusion, rock, soul, funk, instrumental pop, R&B and other forms of music. To be clear, I’m not criticizing the talents of the (mostly) non-jazz bands. Some contained extremely talented musicians. I’m also not suggesting that none of them should have been at the festival. You can certainly add a fusion/funk/R&B band or two to the lineup for variety, but they shouldn't be the primary focus of a "jazz" festival. And that's the problem. This year, the overwhelming majority of performances were NOT representative of jazz music.

The puzzling lineup is doubly frustrating to me when you consider the absence of jazz performances by the local Atlanta jazz community. Joe Gransden’s big band, David Ellingon’s band with Mace Hibbard, Audrey Shakir, and Tyrone Jackson with Melvin Jones and Clarence Johnson are just a few local options that would have made excellent choices. Why weren't they considered for the festival?

I could go on and on about this year's Atlanta Jazz Festival, but I really don't want to be critical of an event like this. After all, the Atlanta Jazz Festival is free, it celebrates jazz (by name at least), and I know a lot of work goes into the production. It’s a great festival and I'm happy to have it here in Atlanta. I just know it could have been better this year.

As you can see below, they did at least have a good turnout in Grant Park, especially considering the unpredictable weather.

UPDATE: MAY 26, 2009

I recently received a comment on this article from another blogger named David J. Boutté. David sent an open letter to the festival organizers that discusses several of the issues I mentioned above. Hopefully, one way or another, festival organizers will get the message and we'll return to a more jazz-oriented festival in the future...

ATLANTA JAZZ FESTIVAL SCHEDULE

For reference purposes, here's the schedule for the 32nd (2009) Atlanta Jazz Festival:

SATURDAY, MAY 23, 2009

• 3pm - Rialto All Stars (middle school big band)
• 4pm - Madoca
• 5:30pm - Dionne Farris
• 7pm - Russell Gunn & Elektrik Butterfly
• 8:30pm - Freddy Cole

SUNDAY, MAY 24, 2009

• 3pm - J.C. Young Middle School Jazz Ensemble
• 4pm - VINX
• 5:30pm - Mausiki Scales and the Common Ground Collective
• 7pm - The Cindy Blackman Quartet (former Lenny Kravitz drummer)
• 8:30pm - Hiroshima

MARCUS PRINTUP & MULGREW MILLER

Incidentally, there was some truly outstanding jazz this weekend that occurred outside of the Atlanta Jazz Festival. A local Atlanta organization called the Southeastern Organization for Jazz Arts (SOJA) hosted a concert with legendary jazz pianist, Mulgrew Miller, and jazz trumpeter, Marcus Printup. In the photo below you’ll also see Craig Shaw on bass and Kinah Boto on drums. This was some of the best jazz I've heard all year!

This was a great weekend for fans of jazz trumpet here in Atlanta. Friday night, Jon Faddis performed with the Georgia State University big band and Saturday night, Terence Blanchard was here to play with the Morehouse College Jazz Ensemble. I attended both concerts as well as a masterclass hosted by Jon Faddis. Following are some notes from the masterclass and concerts.

JON FADDIS MASTERCLASS

Jon Faddis is unquestionably one of the greatest high-note jazz trumpet players of all time. Until the master class, I had never seen him play in person nor was I at all prepared for what I’d hear.

A word of advice: if you ever attend a Jon Faddis masterclass, put some distance between you and the end of his trumpet bell. Trust me, your ears will thank you. I made the mistake of sitting directly in front of him, less than ten feet away. Each time he started playing, I braced myself for the loudest ear-splitting high notes imaginable. It was almost comical, actually. Half the time, he’d pick up his horn and rather than play something high and loud, he’d play something at a nice pleasant volume. Inevitably, just as soon as I’d let my guard down, thinking my ears were safe from punishment, he’d launch into the Faddisphere with his trademark thunderous jet engine of pain torture. Ouch.

A large part of Jon Faddis’ discussion revolved around listening to jazz. Specifically, Jon Faddis believes that aspiring jazz musicians shouldn't restrict their listening to modern-day musicians just because that's the music you enjoy the most. Instead, you should listen to the entire lineage of notable jazz musicians. For example, if you’re a trumpet player and you want to play like Nicholas Payton or Wynton Marsalis, Jon Faddis would insist that you also study Louis Armstrong, Roy Eldridge, Fats Navarro, Dizzy Gillespie, and all of the great trumpet players leading up to Marsalis and Payton. As you study the older jazz musicians, you’ll want to gain a level of familiarity that will enable you to identify their music by sound. And here’s the real kicker: you need to do this for all instruments, not just whatever you happen to play.

You might be asking yourself, “Is it really necessary to study all of the old music?” The short answer: no. Technically speaking, if you want to sound like Wynton Marsalis, Kenny Garrett, or Kurt Rosenwinkel, you could accomplish that goal simply by listening to their recordings. You could even make the argument that since Wynton Marsalis studied musicians like Louis Armstrong and Rex Stuart, you don’t have to. In other words, if Wynton Marsalis studied the older musicians, and you study Wynton Marsalis, they by way of Wynton Marsalis, you’ve also studied the older musicians. It sure was nice of Wynton to save you all that time and effort!

All joking aside, here are several compelling reasons for you to listen to the old masters:

• Music affects everyone differently - There is some truth to the notion that you’re automatically influenced by all of the musicians that your favorite musicians listened to. But, what if those same influences would have affected you differently? For example, when Kenny Garrett studied Johnny Hodges, his takeaway might have been the way Hodges bends and slurs from one note into another. When you listen to Hodges, however, it might be Hodges’ use of vibrato that makes the greatest impact on your playing. If you leave all the Hodges listening up to Kenny Garrett, you’ll miss having your own unique reaction to Johnny Hodges’ music.
• More inputs = more outputs - If you’re only listening to a handful of musicians, you’re limiting the number of influences you can draw from in your own playing. You’re also increasing the likelihood that you’ll sound like a mere copycat. On the other hand, if you study many different musicians, you'll have that much more material to draw form in your jazz improvisation solos. This will add more variety to your playing and may improve your ability to develop an original sound.
• Deeper appreciation for the music - When you’ve studied older musicians, you’ll likely begin to hear connections and references in the playing of modern-day musicians. For example, you might notice a nod to Cootie Williams during one of Wynton Marsalis’ plunger mute solos. These connections are important in that they help tie together the legacy of jazz music. They also show that even the most talented musicians learned from their predecessors, just like you can learn from yours.
• Respect and preservation - While you may not have the time or interest to study every notable jazz musician to the degree suggested by Faddis, I think you owe it to yourself and to your musical predecessors to at least have some familiarity with their music. It’s thanks to their contributions that jazz exists today, and by celebrating and learning their music, we can help ensure that the legacy of jazz lives on for future generations.

For more information on listening to jazz music, you might want to read my Listening to Jazz article.

TERENCE BLANCHARD AT MOREHOUSE COLLEGE

Melvin Jones, the director of bands at Morehouse College, consistently brings us some of the most entertaining jazz big band concerts in Atlanta. So, when he told me Terence Blanchard was this year’s featured guest, I knew we were in for a special treat. And it didn’t disappoint one bit. Not only did Terence Blanchard and the Morehouse Jazz Ensemble deliver an incredible performance, but the concert also featured some of my favorite Atlanta jazz musicians, including Clarence Johnson, Louis Heriveaux, Craig Shaw, and Che Marshall.

As I wrote a couple of years ago, I really think they key to Melvin Jones’ success with the Morehouse College Jazz Ensemble is that he picks tunes that are both entertaining to the band and audience. This elevates the performance, making it more enjoyable for everyone. This might seem like a no-brainer, but I continue to see college big band performances where the music selections are overly complex and/or so boring that neither the students nor the audience are engaged. I don’t understand it one bit, but thankfully Melvin Jones doesn’t make that same mistake. Melvin Jones knows how to put on a good show.

In the following clip you’ll hear Terence Blanchard solo over Earth Wind & Fire’s hit, “Can’t Hide Love.” It’s hard to believe only a third of the students in the Morehouse Jazz Ensemble are music majors. Just listen to the trumpet section at the end of the tune...

As I’ve mentioned in my anniversary articles, I’ve struggled over the years to increase my range and endurance on the trumpet. My range has pretty much topped off at a C above the staff, and I can’t play that high unless my chops are fresh. Some days, I can only reach a Bb above the staff. Endurance is also a constant enemy, as my chops start to give out after just 15-20 minutes of jazz improvisation.

Hoping to strengthen my embouchure, I recently took a lesson with one of Atlanta’s best jazz trumpet players, Joe Gransden. Among other things, Joe advised me to spend some time buzzing on my mouthpiece every day and he also suggested that I play long tones at very soft volumes. The goal with both of these is to improve my airflow and focus my aperture. It’s only been a week since that lesson, so it’s too early to see any noticeable improvement, but I am optimistic.

TRYING A MONETTE TRUMPET

While improving my embouchure was my primary interest for this lesson, I have to admit that a close second was the opportunity to play Joe’s new Monette Prana 3 trumpet (you can watch Joe trying his new horn at the Monette shop in this video - Joe's parts starts about a minute in). As you may know, Monette trumpets are handmade, very expensive, and are generally considered to be the finest trumpets you can buy. You’ll find Monette trumpets in the hands of many top trumpet players, including Wynton Marsalis, Irvin Mayfield, and Terence Blanchard. Never having played a Monette before, I think you can understand my desire to see if they really live up to all the hype.

At the end of my lesson, Joe Gransden graciously handed me his Monette trumpet and one of his Monette mouthpieces (you have to use a Monette mouthpiece on a Monette trumpet). Unfortunately, the Monette mouthpiece was quite a bit larger than my normal 7C mouthpiece. Generally speaking, larger mouthpieces offer a bigger sound, but they also make it harder to play high. Having just played for an hour and using this larger mouthpiece, I wasn’t expecting much when I brought the horn to my lips. Oh, I should also mention that just moments before I was barely able to play an A above the staff on my normal trumpet and mouthpiece.

My first note on the Monette was a C in the staff. I began at a normal volume, but the horn was begging for more air. So, I took a deep breath and really pushed the air through the horn. The horn instantly opened up, producing a large warm tone. Starting at the same C in the staff, I then went up a third, to an E and then up to a G just above the staff. The G was strong, filling the room with sound. Almost without thinking I went from the G, up to a C above the staff. This was without a doubt, the loudest, fattest, high C I’ve ever played. I couldn’t believe it was me playing, nor could Joe Gransden, judging by the look of total surprise on his face! I was so shocked by the high C, that it didn’t even occur to me to try playing higher. I’m fairly positive, though, that I could have kept going at least up to a D. After the high C, I tried a little jazz improvisation on the Monette, but that didn’t go nearly as well. I felt like I was huffing and puffing to support the notes, but I just couldn’t get enough air into the horn.

I gave the Monette trumpet back to Joe, and picked up my Bach to compare my range. Had my chops miraculously strengthened, allowing me to play a strong high C on any horn? Nope. I couldn’t play a high C on the Bach, nor could I even play a solid G above the staff with my tired chops.

While it’s tempting to think that a Monette trumpet and/or mouthpiece is the answer to my problems with range and endurance, I think the take-away here is that I need to work more on air support. The Monette forced me to use more air. When I gave it the air it needed, the notes came out almost effortlessly, and when my air stream wasn’t strong enough, it was hard to play in any range. Hopefully the buzzing and soft long tone exercises will help to get me on the right track with air.

UPDATE: APRIL 4, 2009

After receiving several comments suggesting that my 7C could be restricting my airflow, I asked Joe for the size of the Monette mouthpiece that I tried. It was a B2S3, which according to this chart is similar to a Bach 1 1/4 C. Interestingly, prior to my chop blowout, I always played a Bach 1 1/2 C. It wasn't until my second year of college that my trumpet teacher told me to start playing a smaller mouthpiece, a Schilke 15. During my comeback to the trumpet, I tried a few mouthpieces, and settled on my Yamaha 11C4-7C which I've played exclusively for a few years now.

I think I'll take your advice and experiment with larger mouthpieces. I can't find my old Bach 1 1/2 C anymore, though, and the next closest mouthpiece that I have is a Bach 3C which isn't very comfortable for me. Since I like the feel of my Yamaha so much, I think I might buy a new one of those that's comparable to a Bach 3C and/or 1 1/2 C. I'll definitely let you know how it goes.

UPDATE: MAY 13, 2009

I recently purchased a couple of used Yamaha mouthpieces on eBay. One of the mouthpieces, a Yamaha 14A4a is apparently similar to a Bach 3, but the "A" cup feels really shallow to me and thins out my sound. I don't care for the mouthpiece at all. I should have waited for a 14B4 to become available since that's Yamaha's equivalent to a Bach 3C (you can refer to this page for comparisons).

The other new mouthpiece I purchased is a Yamaha 17B4, which is similar to a Bach 1 1/4 C. The 17B4 is a real contrast from my normal mouthpiece (Yamaha 11C4-7C... too many numbers!). On the 17B4 I can get a nice big sound with a full lower register, and it feels good to get more air through the mouthpiece. Unfortunately it also requires a lot more work. Notes feel farther apart than on my normal mouthpiece and I find myself using more pressure against my lips for the upper register. That's no good. It may be a situation where I just need to give myself more time to adapt to the larger mouthpiece, but perhaps I'd be better off with something a little smaller. It is interesting, though, that after playing on the 17B4, my normal mouthpiece feels very restrictive, like I can barely get air through it.

I have also been experimenting with an old Bach 5C mouthpiece. On the 5C I feel like I can get a decent amount of air into the horn, but the mouthpiece itself isn't comfortable on my embouchure. Specifically, it feels like the inside rim isn't rounded off as much as the Yamaha rims, so the Bach creates more of a pressure point on my chops. Consequently, I can only play on the 5C for a few minutes before I start to feel pain and fatigue.

The search continues...

UPDATE: MAY 22, 2009

A few days ago I got a 14B4. Of the various new mouthpieces I've tried, this is definitely my favorite. I'm going to gradually spend more and more time on this mouthpiece over the coming weeks before coming to any conclusions.

I recently watched the TEDTalks presentation, “Classical music with shining eyes” by Benjamin Zander. It was recorded in 2008 and I’d guess some of you have already seen it. For those who haven’t, I encourage you to set aside 20 minutes to give it a viewing (Click here to watch it). Even though the presentation talks mostly about classical music, there are many similarities to jazz. And moreover, the fundamental concepts apply to everything we do in our lives. If you do watch it, be sure to stick with it through the end. It just might change your life.

IS CLASSICAL MUSIC DEAD? WHAT ABOUT JAZZ?

Zander states that there are two main views in the world of classical music. One view is that classical music is dead and the other view is that classical music has a bright and untapped potential. Many people hold similar views about jazz music. But, while classical music truly is dead, jazz is doing just fine. Just kidding. In reality, both genres struggle to stay afloat in a world that seems singularly focused on popular music and passing fads. The good news is that there are plenty of devotees who are keeping both classical music and jazz alive. We attend the concerts, we buy the albums, and we practice and play the music. For us, the music will remain vital as long as we make it so. It isn’t even close to being dead.

Depending upon how you look at things, the limited popularity of jazz and classical music actually represents tremendous potential. After all, there are literally billions of people who have never really listened to classical or jazz music. Zander believes that all of these people can grow to love classical music, and I believe the same could happen with jazz. In many cases, people just need to know what to listen for. Zander demonstrates this by explaining, in simple terms, the melodic and harmonic devices used in Chopin’s “Prelude in E Minor, Op. 28, No. 4.” When he finally performs the entire piece, the audience is thoroughly engaged and moved by the performance.

NOBODY IS TONE DEAF

According to Zander, some of the people who don’t listen to classical music operate under the misconception that they’re tone deaf. This belief leads them to think that they lack the capacity to listen to and appreciate classical music. Of course, as Zander points out, none of these people are actually tone deaf (well, aside from truly deaf people I suppose). If they were tone deaf, they wouldn’t be able to recognize voices on the phone, they wouldn’t be able to tell where people are from by their accents, and they’d never know when people are asking a question. Since most, if not all, of the so-called tone deaf people can in fact do these things, then they certainly have the ability to hear nuances in classical music, and for that matter, jazz.

PLAYING WITH PASSION

As musicians, our ability to connect with an audience is directly related to the passion we convey in our performance. Zander refers to this passion as “one-buttock playing.” As he demonstrates, a great pianist isn’t sitting still on the piano bench (both cheeks firmly planted), but rather they’re putting their entire body into their performance, leaning from side to side as they become one with the music. This elevates the music, engaging the audience both audibly and visually. This part of the discussion reminded me of the various jazz concerts I attend. There are nights when the musicians just sit or stand there, with blank expressions. Sometimes they'll even look visibly upset (perhaps if there's a small audience). Their performance almost always mirrors their appearance on these nights, as the musicians fail to entertain and engage their audience. On the other hand, when you can see the joy in their faces and bodies, the music practically jumps off the stage.

Of course, the notion of “one-buttock playing” isn’t limited to piano players or to music. It extends throughout every aspect of our lives. In music, work, and in our relationships, we always have the potential to share our passion and to inspire others. All we need to do is try.

This page contains my jazz improvisation recordings from 2009. As you'll hear below, these jazz recordings feature such highlights as cracked notes, poor note choice, unsteady rhythm, and meandering phrases! And that's why recording myself is so important. It's the best way to evaluate my playing and to chart my progress over time. I don't expect that I'll ever become a great jazz trumpet player, but I am anxious to hear how much better I can get with practice. As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions.

All of my jazz improvisation recordings: 2004 - 2005 - 2006 - 2007 - 2008 - 2009

MARCH 21, 2009

Aebersold #11, Watermelon Man - Take 1

Like most of my jazz improvisation recording sessions, I improvised over a few choruses of this track and selected what I thought was my best chorus to share on this site. I liked this recording well enough, but after listening to it a couple of times I felt inspired to try some new ideas. So, about 15 minutes after the above clip was recorded, I picked up my horn and recorded the following:

Aebersold #11, Watermelon Man - Take 2

The "Take 2" clip actually features two choruses of improvisation, since I couldn't decide which was better. As I think you'll agree, there's more energy in the "Take 2" choruses, both in rhythm and phrasing. This is a direct reaction to my playing in "Take 1" which I thought could have used a little more "oomph"...

You might prefer "Take 1" over "Take 2". Regardless, I think this is a good example of how listening to jazz, even to recordings of our own playing, can help spark new ideas and directions that we can use in future solos.

It’s been almost two months since my last article on this jazz blog. Some of you have already asked what I’ve been up to, so I figured I’d let all of you know what I’ve been doing. I’ve been working… a lot!

The past seven weeks have been a blur as I raced to complete an entirely new project for work. I realize this project might only interest my geeky readers, but since a lot of you are trumpet players, I know there’s a pretty high geek to non-geek ratio! So, here are some details…. The project is called Tropo, and it allows you to create interactive voice applications with common programming languages like JavaScript, PHP, Ruby, Python, and Groovy. For example, here’s a very simple JavaScript application. Can you guess what it does? Call it at 206-607-8934.

answer();
say("Hey man. I was doing all right. Shoo be doo be doo.");
hangup();

On the Tropo project, I was responsible for designing and building the website, which includes account registration, file creation and editing, and application management. I created the initial site by myself, but I did get help from a couple of coworkers during the final few weeks. It’s with their help (especially StevenB -- Thanks!) that I was able to get everything polished and ready for the launch. You can visit the site yourself at www.tropo.com. If you build a cool application, let me know!

In many ways it’s exciting to work on a new project like this. I got to use some new technologies for the first time, including Google Web Toolkit, and I had a mostly blank slate to create whatever I wanted. That type of freedom comes rarely in day-to-day work, and it’s something I really enjoy. The downside, however, is that I only had seven weeks to design and build all of it, since we were planning to unveil it at this year’s eComm conference.

Seven weeks of 12+ hour days, including weekends, takes its toll. This is especially true if you’ve got other things you like to do in your life, like, say, playing the trumpet. And as my trumpet-playing readers know, the trumpet isn’t especially forgiving if you don’t practice regularly. I, for one, need about 20 minutes of practice, five days a week, just to maintain my current level of playing. And that’s just basic trumpet stuff. On top of that, I also need to account for jazz improvisation and ear training practice. Unfortunately, with time in such short supply during the Tropo project, I didn’t get to spend nearly as much time on the horn as usual. I didn’t lose too much ground, but I can safely say that I haven’t improved at all during the past couple of months. Oh well, now you know why I haven’t posted any new jazz improvisation clips this year.

Last Tuesday was the big day for the Tropo product launch. It was an event that I was looking forward to, not only because I was finally going to put this crazy workload behind me, but also because I was genuinely proud of what I had accomplished in relatively little time. Unfortunately, the launch day wouldn’t turn out to be much of a celebration for me.

At 6am, on the morning of the Tropo product launch, I began to see intermittent connectivity errors with the server that hosts iwasdoingallright.com. The next thing I knew, the site was down. Making matters worse, I still had several things to do for the Tropo launch, so I couldn’t spend any quality time troubleshooting my server. In total, this website, the ear training tools, my personal email, and the other sites that I host were down for almost 48 hours (sorry!). I eventually discovered that the firewall appliance had died. Once a new firewall was installed, everything started working again, but the outage definitely caused a lot of unneeded stress.

Well, now you know what I’ve been up to, and why I haven’t had any time to update this jazz blog until today. Hopefully things will calm down now, and I can get back to cursing my trumpet instead of my job!