IWasDoingAllRight - Jazz Blog, Jazz Trumpet, Ear Training, Atlanta Jazz

Atlanta jazz highlights - Summer 2009

Sun, 21 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

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!

Atlanta Jazz Festival #32, 2009

Mon, 25 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

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. Boutt�. 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!

GSU, Morehouse - Faddis, Blanchard

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

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...

Joe Gransden lesson, trying a Monette

Sun, 19 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

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.

Benjamin Zander - music and passion

Wed, 08 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

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.

Jazz improvisation recordings, 2009

Sun, 22 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

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.

The February that wasn't

Sat, 07 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

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!

Saying Goodbye to Freddie Hubbard

Sun, 11 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

As I'm sure all of you know by now, Freddie Hubbard passed away on December 29, 2008. Since that time, several articles have surfaced to pay respect to Freddie Hubbard and to celebrate his contribution to jazz music. You can find links to many of these articles over at the Secret Society blog. One of my jazz trumpet blogging pals, Eric at JazzBrew.com, also wrote a nice send off. For the past two weeks, I've wanted to write an article about Freddie Hubbard's passing, but each time I sat down to write, paralysis would set in. I'd just stare at the empty page, overwhelmed by the impossible task of saying goodbye to a dear friend. I never met Freddie Hubbard, nor have I even seen him play live, but through his music he's been a constant companion and a source of inspiration throughout my musical journey. His "Red Clay" album was one of the first records that I got from my local library when I started listening to jazz. "Red Clay" introduced me to Freddie Hubbard's impeccable virtuosity, his ferocious yet beautifully melodic style, and of course, that big fat Freddie Hubbard sound. I was just a high school student at the time, but I was hooked on jazz forever thanks in large part to Freddie Hubbard's playing on "Red Clay." A couple of years after first hearing "Red Clay," I enrolled at the University of Michigan as a jazz studies major. Early in my freshman year, I was practicing with a jazz combo when the bass player called "Speak No Evil." I had never heard the tune before. Come to think of it, I hadn't even heard a single Blue Note recording at that point. Crazy, huh?! Anyway, I tried to sight-read the tune from my freshly purchased Real Book, but it was a disaster. Especially when I tried to play the demanding bridge. Hoping to avoid another embarrassing performance, the next day I went to the local record store to see if they had a copy of "Speak No Evil." They did have it, but I remember looking at the price tag and wondering if it was really worth the money (like most college students, I was broke). I almost walked away from the album, but then I noticed that Freddie Hubbard was the trumpet player. I thought to myself, "If Freddie is playing on it, it must be good." And boy was it. Not only would "Speak No Evil" become one of my favorite jazz recordings of all time, but it also introduced me to the 60's Blue Note sound that I've come to love. After my freshman year of college at University of Michigan, I transferred to the music school at DePaul University in Chicago. I was glad to be living in Chicago, but I was kind of lonely during the first month or two since I didn't live on campus and I didn't know anyone in town. Eventually, I met some other students in the jazz program and they invited me over to their apartment to hang out. When I arrived, they were playing a jazz recording that I hadn't heard before, but it sounded vaguely familiar. Sure enough, Freddie Hubbard was the trumpet player. The recording was "I Was Doing Alright," from Dexter Gordon's "Doin' Alright" album. There I was, happy to be chatting with my first friends in Chicago and Freddie Hubbard was providing the soundtrack! That's such a great memory for me that I immediately thought of it when naming this website. During that first year in Chicago it became painfully obvious that I wasn't going to be good enough to become a professional jazz trumpet player. So, I quit music school and stopped playing the trumpet for a period of seven years. When I finally returned to the trumpet in 2002, I had major doubts about my ability to rebuild my chops. Mostly, I wondered if the damage I caused to my chops from my freshman year of college had caused irreparable damage (I practiced too much and developed a blister on my top lip). I spent a lot of time searching the Web for advice that might help me improve my embouchure when I came across an article about Freddie Hubbard. The article discussed a lip injury that Freddie suffered in the early 1990's. That injury became infected and doctors performed a biopsy which destroyed his embouchure. I couldn't believe it. Freddie Hubbard was no longer Freddie Hubbard. It might sound strange, but Freddie Hubbard's embouchure problems actually became a source of inspiration for me during my return to the trumpet. When my chops wouldn't cooperate, I'd think about what happened to Freddie Hubbard's chops. I might have an imperfect embouchure, but at least I didn't suffer through a debilitating operation. When I'd get discouraged about my progress, I'd think about how Freddie Hubbard must feel every time he picks up his horn. He knew with certainty that he'd never play as well as he used to play. I, however, have plenty of room for improvement, especially since I wasn't that good to begin with! But seriously, I did and still do feel a tremendous responsibility to give it my all every time I pick up the trumpet to practice. I never know how long the gift of music will last and I want to make the most I can of every minute. At the end of each day, when I practice jazz improvisation, more often than not I'm playing along with a Freddie Hubbard recording. Every so often a few seconds will pass where I'm totally in sync with him and we're both at the top of our game. And when I close my eyes, I imagine him with that big grin, smiling back at me. It's the happiest part of my day. Goodbye, Freddie.

RECOMMENDED RECORDINGS - FREDDIE HUBBARD AS A LEADER

Freddie Hubbard - Ready For Freddie
Freddie Hubbard - Open Sesame
Freddie Hubbard - Goin' Up
Freddie Hubbard - Red Clay (this album has a 70's funk/fusion influence)

RECOMMENDED RECORDINGS - FREDDIE HUBBARD AS A SIDEMAN

Dexter Gordon - Doin' Alright
Wayne Shorter - Speak No Evil
Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers - Free For All
Herbie Hancock - Empryean Isles
Herbie Hancock - Maiden Voyage
Oliver Nelson - Blues & The Abstract Truth
Hank Mobley - Roll Call
Eric Dolphy - Outward Bound (this album is a bit more adventurous than those mentioned above)

... you might as well just get all of the 1960's-era Blue Note albums featuring Freddie Hubbard.

Ethan Iverson on Wynton Marsalis

Sun, 28 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

One of my favorite jazz blogs, Do The Math, recently featured several interesting articles about Wynton Marsalis. If you aren't familiar with Do The Math, it's a blog by members of the experimental jazz band The Bad Plus. Most, if not all, of the articles are written by the band's excellent piano player, Ethan Iverson. As Ethan would readily admit, the articles tend to be a tad on the long side (some of these Wynton articles are real doozies!), but don't let that scare you away. I think you'll agree that Ethan's intelligent and insightful writing is well worth your time. I'd expect that these Wynton Marsalis interviews and articles are of more interest to my trumpet playing readers, but I'd encourage any jazz enthusiast to give them a read. If nothing else, I'm sure you'll come away with several new albums to add to your listening lists.

ARTICLE LINKS

Interview with Wynton Marsalis (Part one) - detailed discussion with audio clips of Wynton's latest major opus, Congo Square.
Interview with Wynton Marsalis (Part two) - blindfold test of classic trumpet solos including a dissection of "Knozz-Moe-King" from Live at Blues Alley. If you only have the time or interest to read one of the interview parts, read this one.
The "J" Word - If you aren't familiar with Wynton's polarizing effect on the jazz community, you should definitely give this a read before reading the articles that follow
Young Lion jazz of the 1980's - Wynton Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, Marcus Roberts, Jeff "Tain" Watts, Mulgrew Miller, Kenny Kirkland, Kenny Garrett, etc
Four Early Wynton Marsalis/Jeff Watts Records - Ethan Iverson's picks for the best Young Lion records of the 1980's.
Current Perceptions - a discussion about the Young Lion legacy and the sometimes dismissive view of critics and musicians.
An Old Feud - the rift between the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) and the 80's Young Lions, Wynton Marsalis, and Jazz at Lincoln Center.
Reading the Black Jazz Writers - an examination of the role that race and culture play in jazz writing

Following are some of my thoughts about the articles:

THE WYNTON CONTROVERSY - BACKGROUND AND COMMENTS

As you may already know, Wynton Marsalis' definition of what is and isn't jazz is a source of controversy in the jazz community. As Ethan Iverson points out, Wynton's definition of jazz seemingly excludes free or avant-garde jazz, the even-eighth-note jazz associated with ECM artists, and musicians who straddle the worlds of free and straight-ahead music, such as Paul Motian, Charlie Haden, and Dewey Redman. For Wynton, it isn't jazz unless it's blues-based and swinging. It also helps if the music sounds like it was composed before 1955. During the latter part of Ethan Iverson's interview with Wynton Marsalis, Wynton attempts to justify his narrow definition of jazz by comparing jazz to basketball. Wynton argues that if we were to call everything "basketball" then you couldn't teach people how to play basketball anymore, since the word itself would no longer have a distinct meaning. This argument suggests that jazz actually benefits from a narrow definition, because it's easier to identify, teach, and learn. While I agree with Wynton's argument in theory, I think his definition of jazz is so limiting that the basketball equivalent would state that it's only basketball if you've got a full court, 15-minute quarters, referees, regulation equipment, and five people per team. A half-court, one-on-one game would have to be called something else entirely (Hiphopketball?). Personally, I prefer a more inclusive definition of jazz in conjunction with qualifying words like "free," "straight-ahead," "atmospheric," or "smooth" -- if you must. You might say, "Why does it matter what Wynton thinks about jazz? After all, he's entitled to his own opinion and he can believe whatever he wants." True enough. The issue, though, is that Wynton Marsalis also happens to be the most visible and influential person in the jazz community. When he defines jazz, people listen. His voice has an impact on audiences, club owners, and ultimately the livelihood of those he excludes. His influence came to a head with the Ken Burns "Jazz" series, in which the Wynton Marsalis and Stanley Crouch school of "jazz" casually omitted all jazz from the 1960's and beyond. Members of the jazz community were not in the least bit happy to see themselves and/or their favorite musicians erased from the history of jazz, and I can't say I blame them. It isn't my intention to start a new debate about Wynton Marsalis or the definition of jazz. I'm simply mentioning the above issues to provide some background for the Ethan Iverson articles. As a trumpet-playing author of a jazz blog, I expect that several of my readers will be big fans of Wynton Marsalis. Some of you will be learning about this Wynton controversy for the first time and it might come as a shock to discover that not everybody digs Wynton Marsalis as much as you do. If all of this is new to you, please try to keep an open mind when reading the Ethan Iverson articles. Also, keep in mind that while you might be on the Wynton side of the argument, most of Ethan Iverson's readers probably are not. Regardless of your views about the Wynton controversy, I think you'll agree that it's pretty cool for Wynton Marsalis and Ethan Iverson to come together and talk so openly with each other about jazz music. I also appreciate how despite their differences, Ethan Iverson writes about Wynton with respect both for his music and for his role in the jazz continuum.

KNOZZ-MOE-KING - IT AIN'T NO GOOD?!

One of my favorite parts of the interview occurred during the blindfold test when Ethan Iverson put on Wynton's recording of "Knozz-Moe-King" from the "Live at Blues Alley" album. I first listened to that recording almost 20 years ago, when I found the record at my local library. "Knozz-Moe-King" is the first track and I still remember exactly how I felt when I first heard it. I felt terrible. It was the first time I had heard Wynton really open it up on a solo, and it made me miserable to know how bad of a trumpet player I was by comparison. Of course, I still can't play any of that, but at least I now know there are very few trumpet players who can even come close to what Wynton played on "Live at Blues Alley." Anyway, what fascinated me about the interview was when Ethan Iverson played the "Knozz-Moe-King" clip for Wynton, and Wynton immediately started to pick it apart. Wynton criticized the interaction between himself and the other musicians and even said, "it ain't no good". Obviously, Wynton's aesthetic has changed over the years and I'm sure that has a lot to do with his current assessment of the music, but damn. It's an incredible track by any standard. Ethan Iverson seemed equally incredulous as he expressed his admiration of the recording. I guess it goes to show that regardless of how things might seem to you or me, an artist will always find something to critique about their work.

YOUNG LIONS AND EXPERIMENTAL MUSIC

In both the Young Lions article and in "An Old Feud," Ethan Iverson laments the fact that the Young Lions of the 80's didn't embrace the avant-garde jazz scene that existed contemporaneously. He goes on to say that he "can't stop feeling that ignoring free and experimental jazz was the greatest weakness of the Young Lions." I tend to disagree, and wonder if today's experimental scene is actually more interesting thanks to the Young Lions' singular style of music. I say this because I think the Young Lion style of virtuosic, rhythmically and harmonically complex jazz (HardBop++!) raised the bar for future generations of jazz musicians. Seeking to approach the same level of mastery, young players probably spent more time in the practice room and consequently became better overall musicians. If they then decided to use their heightened skills to play experimental jazz, then the experimental jazz community would benefit from having better-quality players. Perhaps Ethan Iverson and the other guys in The Bad Plus are themselves examples of fantastic musicians who were motivated to achieve excellence thanks in part to the virtuosity of the Young Lions. You might say, "Hey, the experimental jazz scene had virtuosos. Weren't they raising the musical bar too?" Absolutely. I think the problem here is that to many outsiders, free jazz can sound like a bunch of random noise. If it sounds like noise to you, then it probably also sounds like anyone can just pick up an instrument and squawk away. I know this isn't the case, especially when speaking of the truly gifted free jazz musicians and their music, but I do think it can be an uphill battle to convince some people that a) free jazz is music and b) that it takes skill to play. As such, I don't think free jazz on its own is capable of inspiring the same levels of musicianship that you'd get from the music of the Young Lions. This might not be the cool thing to say, and I could certainly be wrong, but I think it's a point worth considering.

2009 Atlanta Jazz Festival - canceled

Sat, 13 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

This "canceled" article was originally written on December 13, 2008, when the 2009 Atlanta Jazz Festival was originally called off. In February of 2009, news began to surface which suggested that the festival might occur after all. Immediately below you'll find my recent status updates about the 2009 Atlanta Jazz Festival and farther down you'll see my original article. Just to be clear, the 2009 Atlanta Jazz Festival is NOT canceled anymore and it will occur at Grant Park during Memorial Day weekend. UPDATE - 2/7/09: The Jazzlanta blog recently reported that the 2009 Atlanta Jazz Festival might not be canceled after all. There aren't any solid details yet, but as the author states, it is a sign of good things to come. Of special interest is the Save the 32nd Annual Atlanta Jazz Festival press release. You'll notice that in addition to naming Grant Park as the primary venue, the press release also states that "The Atlanta Jazz Festival will feature local and national jazz greats, a Neighborhood Jazz Series, Youth Jazz Band Competition, a Kids Zone, 31 Days of Jazz and many other family friendly events and activities." That sounds a lot like the Atlanta Jazz Festival we've come to know and love! I'll definitely keep an eye out for more info. UPDATE - 2/21/09: Atlanta's Office of Cultural Affairs website confirms that the 2009 Atlanta Jazz Festival will take place at Grant Park this year. UPDATE - 3/12/09: Not only is the 2009 Atlanta Jazz Festival definitely going to happen, but today I saw that they took out a full page add in the April 2009 edition of "Jazz Times" magazine. Still no mention of performers yet. UPDATE - 4/5/09: Today I noticed that the official site for the 2009 Atlanta Jazz Festival has changed the dates to show just "two days of live jazz" at Grant Park (May 23-24) instead of the normal three days for the festival. UPDATE - 4/22/09: The schedule of performers has now been added to the atlantafestivals.com website. Here's the rundown: 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
8:30pm - Hiroshima

MY ARTICLE FROM DECEMBER 2008

Following is the original article that I wrote on December 13, 2008... Due to a budget shortfall, the Atlanta mayor's office recently announced the cancellation of the 2009 Atlanta Jazz Festival. The announcement came in the form of a bullet point that reads: "Eliminate various arts programming, including Jazz Fest" The cancellation of the Atlanta Jazz Festival is definitely a disappointment to those of us who care about the Atlanta jazz scene, but I doubt many of us are all that surprised. After all, this year's scaled-back 2008 Atlanta Jazz Festival, which occurred at a much smaller venue than normal and without big-name touring musicians, had already raised concerns about the festival's future. And in this dismal economy, it seems like everything is getting worse before it gets better. The Atlanta Jazz Festival isn't the only jazz festival facing hard times in 2009. A few months ago, the Portland Jazz Festival faced extinction when its largest sponsor backed out. Luckily for them, another sponsor stepped in and the festival will continue as planned. Unlike the free Atlanta Jazz Festival, the Portland Jazz Festival does charge an admission fee for the various concerts. I'm sure it's a lot easier to resurrect a festival when it has its own revenue stream. As tempting as it might be to complain about the loss of the Atlanta Jazz Festival, and as compelled as I feel to argue for the importance of jazz music and the arts in general, I know people have more pressing issues on their minds right now. With unemployment rates higher than they've been in 15 years, and our mightiest enterprises struggling to survive, I'm sure most people see this cancellation as a tiny drop in a sea of bad news. I just hope that as the economy recovers, Atlanta will renew its support of the arts and revive the Atlanta Jazz Festival. I think the most troublesome part of the Atlanta Jazz Festival's cancellation is the fact that we don't know what's in store for the future. Will there be an Atlanta Jazz Festival in 2010, or is it canceled indefinitely? And if the festival does return, will it return to its former glory at Piedmont Park or will it be another scaled-back festival like we had in 2008? At this point, all we can do is speculate and hope for the best.

HOW WILL THIS AFFECT THE LOCAL ATLANTA JAZZ SCENE?

Ideally, events like the Atlanta Jazz Festival would raise awareness about the local Atlanta jazz scene, and the tens of thousands of people who attend the jazz festival would begin to attend more local jazz concerts. Unfortunately, that doesn't happen. The jazz festival and other big-name concerts are primarily patronized by "special occasion" jazz fans. You can count on these people to attend two or three big-name jazz events each year, but they aren't interested enough in jazz and/or the local Atlanta jazz scene to attend the concerts featuring local musicians. I guess this is both good and bad. While it's a shame that there isn't more of a correlation between the attendance at big-name concerts and local Atlanta concerts, it's good to know that the local Atlanta jazz scene will continue to chug along with or without the jazz festival. If you happen to be one of those big-name audience patrons and you stumbled upon this article while looking for information about the 2009 Atlanta Jazz Festival, I encourage you to check out some of the local Atlanta jazz musicians. Local musicians such as Mace Hibbard, Joe Gransden, Tyrone Jackson, Kevin Bales, Gary Motley Clarence Johnson, David Ellington, and Melvin Jones (to name a few) are every bit as good as most of those big-name touring acts and you can see them perform throughout the year at venues like Churchill Grounds and Twain's. Wherever you live, support live jazz!

ADDITIONAL READING

Atlanta journalist, Jon Ross, interviewed some of the participants from the 2008 Atlanta Jazz Festival for their reaction to the cancellation. You can read about it here, at his Jazzlanta blog.