Jazz Festivals » Jazz Musician http://festivaljazz1027.com All about jazz festivals Wed, 22 Feb 2012 14:43:18 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 Jazz Piano http://festivaljazz1027.com/jazz-festivals/jazz-piano http://festivaljazz1027.com/jazz-festivals/jazz-piano#comments Thu, 26 Aug 2010 16:00:45 +0000 admin2 http://festivaljazz1027.com/jazz-festivals/jazz-piano

Jazz piano is one of the most vibrant, energetic, specialized types of music. Famous jazz artists you may want to listen to are Herbie Hancock, Keith Jarret, Bill Evans, to name but a few. To learn jazz piano you need to take some time to listen to jazz CD’s and maybe watch DVD’s as well. To learn jazz piano, one needs to be very patient and dedicated to practicing the genre.

Jazz piano is characterized by a lot of improvisation. A jazz musician can be given a fake music sheet or chord chart and he can improvise on the spot over those chord progressions. It is recommended that a jazz musician know or have standard songs in their repertoire. Standard songs include songs like “Willow Weep for Me,” “Summertime,” and “Georgia on My Mind” to name but a few. Standard songs are songs that have been covered by many recording artists in the past, usually every year. For example one may consider the gospel song “Amazing Grace” a standard gospel song because a lot of artists have covered the song throughout the years.

Knowledge of scales and chords are essential tools needed to be a good jazz musician, let alone the technique needed to play this genre. As a jazz musician you will need to practice different types of scales, chords, arpeggios, staccato playing, legato playing, playing chords on the left hand while playing scales in the right hand at the same time.

To learn jazz you need to start with the basics: minor and major scales and minor and major chords. Once you master these then you can go forth to learning advanced chords(jazz chords) and scales. These chords include diminished, dominant, major nine, tritone chords, etc. Advanced scales will entail learning lydian, diminished, chromatic, melodic minor scales, for example.

You must remember that when it comes to playing the piano, it is not how you play but how you play is very essential as well. This is the reason why you need technique: how hard or soft do you play the notes, how you sit at the piano, breathing, how you position your hands and fingers on the piano, playing chords and scales, etc.

You will definitely need resources to play the piano, someone to hold you by the hand. The key to mastering jazz piano is to learn (get as much information as possible), patience and practice!practice!practice!

By: Jay Mtimkulu

]]> http://festivaljazz1027.com/jazz-festivals/jazz-piano/feed 0 Joe Henderson – Virtuoso Jazz Saxophone http://festivaljazz1027.com/jazz-festivals/joe-henderson-virtuoso-jazz-saxophone http://festivaljazz1027.com/jazz-festivals/joe-henderson-virtuoso-jazz-saxophone#comments Thu, 26 Aug 2010 12:06:43 +0000 admin2 http://festivaljazz1027.com/jazz-festivals/joe-henderson-virtuoso-jazz-saxophone

Joe Henderson has been called a supreme melodist by one music writer, a musical astronaut by another jazz musician, and by a lucky few he has been called teacher. Two of my saxophone teachers took lessons from him in San Francisco and I hear some cool stories about him.

Joe Henderson truly personified musical greatness; he played the saxophone, drums, piano, flute, and bass as well as excelling at composition. It was by listening to jazz sax greats like Lester Young, Flip Phillips, Stan Getz, Lee Konitz, and Charlie Parker on his brothers record player that Henderson found his greatest inspiration.

In the mid-fifties, before he was even old enough to start college, Henderson was active in the Detroit jazz scene and played with many visiting stars from New York. By the time he did get to college, he had transcribed and memorized an impressive number of Lester Young solos. Such an impressive amount, in fact, that his professors believed him to have that elusive skill known as perfect pitch.

Joe entered the U.S. Army in 1960 and entered an Army talent show with a four piece combo. The group took first place, and the victory gave Henderson a chance to tour around the world entertaining troops. He stayed in the army for two years, getting out in 1962. That same year he would record the biggest hit of his career, with the help of trumpeter Kenny Dorham. The song was called Snap Your Fingers and would hit #8 on the pop charts and #5 on the easy listening charts.

A few years later, this time as a sideman in Horace Silver’s band, Henderson would contribute his saxophone stylings to another hit record, Song for My Father. Joe plays his solo after the piano. After leaving Silver’s band in 1966, Henderson was the co-leader of a big band with Dorham. His arrangements for this band would not get recorded until 1996 with the release of the album Joe Henderson Big Band.

Joe also performed as a freelancer during this time and played on several great albums, including Herbie Hancock’s The Prisoner and Andrew Hills albums Black Fire and Point of Departure. In 1967, he played briefly with Miles Davis, however, none of those shows were recorded. Also in 1967, he signed with Milestone records and began experimenting more with avant-garde techniques, electronic effects, and studio overdubbing. During this new phase in his career his song and album titles showed an increasing social awareness.

Joe Henderson had a brief stint with Blood Sweat and Tears in 1971 before moving to San Francisco and focusing on teaching. He continued to perform into the 1980s, mostly as a leader, but occasionally as a sidemen for Chick Corea and the Griffith Park Band. In the eighties, he focused more of re-interpreting existing jazz standards and his older work than writing new music. In 1986, when jazz was facing a resurgence, Henderson released a two volume album, State of the Tenor. It featured Ron Carter on bass and Al Foster on drums.

Verve Records took notice of him in the early 1990s and produced his 1992 comeback album Lush Life: The Music of Billy Strayhorn. The album, along with an extensive marketing campaign on behalf of Verve, positioned Henderson firmly at the forefront of the jazz scene. The album was followed up by a tribute album to Miles Davis and Henderson’s version of the George Gershwin opera Porgy and Bess.

Henderson played a Selmer Mark VI saxophone through a Selmer Soloist D-facing mouthpiece with La Voz reeds.

By: Neal Battaglia

]]> http://festivaljazz1027.com/jazz-festivals/joe-henderson-virtuoso-jazz-saxophone/feed 0 Learn to Play Jazz Piano http://festivaljazz1027.com/jazz-festivals/learn-to-play-jazz-piano http://festivaljazz1027.com/jazz-festivals/learn-to-play-jazz-piano#comments Wed, 11 Aug 2010 09:37:46 +0000 admin2 http://festivaljazz1027.com/jazz-festivals/learn-to-play-jazz-piano

Imagine sitting down at a piano, fingers calmly hovering over the keys. You begin to play, not just any old tune: a jazz tune, a swing full of rhythm, full of improvisation, full of life. It would not be possible without your dedication, your devotion, your training.

Learning jazz piano is not an easy task. To become a jazz musician you must be able to improvise. You must be able to play by ear, take off in a solo, and play with the group. It is a demanding art form to say the least.

Jazz piano is taught to all ages. It is taught at all levels of difficulty. You should have no trouble finding lessons for your level of skill. If you cannot find lessons locally, look online.

There is a ton of Jazz piano music lessons online. There are systematic tutorials, DVDs, CDs, eBooks, videos and more. Some free, the rest ranging from a couple of dollars to hundreds or more.

If you are brand new to Jazz piano there are many beginner lessons available online for free. These free online tutorials are a way for you to break the ice, get down the basics, and begin on your journey to becoming a jazz pianist. You can build confidence, practice the basics, and start the important core work of improvisation all from the comfort of home.

When you begin your training, you should focus on the technical side of jazz first. Apply this to common jazz songs. As you get better, stronger, and more confident with the technical side, move forward with your own improv. Bring out your creativity and explore your senses.

The most important piece of advice is to embrace your jazz piano lessons, never give up. Keep focused. Have fun with it. If you find yourself getting frustrated, if you find yourself not enjoying your lessons, step back. Figure out what is bothering you. Find a way to make it fun, create excitement, and take the work out of it.

By: Aaron McLain

]]> http://festivaljazz1027.com/jazz-festivals/learn-to-play-jazz-piano/feed 0 Jazz Musicians and the Art of Transcribing Jazz Solos http://festivaljazz1027.com/jazz-festivals/jazz-musicians-and-the-art-of-transcribing-jazz-solos-2 http://festivaljazz1027.com/jazz-festivals/jazz-musicians-and-the-art-of-transcribing-jazz-solos-2#comments Mon, 09 Aug 2010 08:51:05 +0000 admin2 http://festivaljazz1027.com/jazz-festivals/jazz-musicians-and-the-art-of-transcribing-jazz-solos-2

Every great jazz musician has, at one time or another, transcribed jazz solos from recordings.

]]> http://festivaljazz1027.com/jazz-festivals/jazz-musicians-and-the-art-of-transcribing-jazz-solos-2/feed 0 Learn to Play Jazz Guitar http://festivaljazz1027.com/jazz-festivals/learn-to-play-jazz-guitar-2 http://festivaljazz1027.com/jazz-festivals/learn-to-play-jazz-guitar-2#comments Wed, 14 Apr 2010 05:35:09 +0000 admin http://festivaljazz1027.com/jazz-festivals/learn-to-play-jazz-guitar-2

One of the reasons that people devote their time to learning the guitar is that they love the idea of making up their own songs and music. Simply by sitting down at an inspired moment, a guitarist might come up with a great song in only one session. Some guitar styles differ greatly from another, but it is by learning the jazz guitar that many musicians have experienced the liberty it brings. The deviations in styles that somehow hold to one rhythm and work together in the name of improvisation are why jazz musicians are said to be filled with “soul”.

When training your ear or your mind to learn how the jazz guitar fits into an entire ensemble of musicians, it is important to first know how jazz music works, at the root level. Much like an athlete prepares for a race, a jazz musician also prepares for a performance. The jazz musician needs to warm up, have an introduction, and be allowed to have some time to get used to the atmosphere of a place and an audience. Some musicians, however, especially those who have played a long time together will jump right into a tune without warming up, giving listeners an awakening into what’s about to take place.

A jazz guitarist in a band may or may not lead the group through a melody. Many jazz performances may not have a singer, but instead a trumpet, or some other horn instrument will take this lead. If a horn isn’t present in the ensemble, then the guitar or piano might work to lead a session. Since jazz music is made up of a band, each person in the band has a certain role to fill before they begin their improvisational role. The jazz guitar tends to hold the players together within a certain chord so that other band members can stick to what’s being played. A jazz guitarist in this role, will not necessarily strum a rhythm such as in other forms of music, but will instead move rhythmically with the rest of the players involved.

In the game of jazz music, improvisation is key. If you know how to play another instrument, learning the jazz guitar might be a little easier. And, if you love improvising on the piano, for example, then you might love it on the guitar. “Improv” as it is sometimes referred to, is one way music can be highly addictive and liberating. When that liberation happens with a group who is playing together, the soul and reaction from the audience involved can be magical. Overall, learning to play the jazz guitar will be rewarding on many levels. Learning to play the necessary chords and knowing when and how to strum to the rhythm of others in the group takes time and practice. Give yourself plenty of time and dedicate yourself to listening to and learning how jazz music works and you’ll be on your way to playing along with a jazz group in no time.

By: Rich Matthews

]]> http://festivaljazz1027.com/jazz-festivals/learn-to-play-jazz-guitar-2/feed 0 Secrets To Becoming A Jazz Musician http://festivaljazz1027.com/jazz-festivals/secrets-to-becoming-a-jazz-musician http://festivaljazz1027.com/jazz-festivals/secrets-to-becoming-a-jazz-musician#comments Wed, 30 Dec 2009 17:29:55 +0000 admin http://festivaljazz1027.com/jazz-festivals/secrets-to-becoming-a-jazz-musician Jazz is a specialized form of African-American music having numerous followers around the world. This musical form was originated in the starting of the 20th century. What makes it different from other musical forms is the effective use of blue notes, syncopation, polyrhythms, swung note and improvisation. Jazz has today reached from the local coast of America to worldwide level connecting musical lovers and encouraging them to create new versions every day. Jazz is difficult to define and explain. The best way to learn about jazz is to have firm dedication towards it. Unfortunately, jazz music is tough to sell and it simple indicates that musicians don’t get what they actually deserve. But, the love of this special kind of music keeps their spirits high and keeps them going on and on.

Want to Learn Jazz music – Internet shows the way

To start with, it is important to learn the history of the music. Knowing the history of Jazz is important because it is considered as a classical form of music and many other musical forms such as rock and country are associated with its history. Having a clear understanding of the history will help in understanding its rhythms, techniques and sub-genres and a becoming musician can become a better jazz player. Secondly, it is better to find a band comprising of people who love jazz. Practice your knowledge with them and record and redo your work to gain expertise. Thirdly, you need to contact an experienced musicians having knowledge about the appropriate tools for teaching jazz music. Take some time out from your tight schedule and practice your lesions properly to perfect your timing and playing techniques. When you think you are ready for show, play your techniques at local bars, pubs or any other occasion such as weddings, birthdays and others. Try making contacts with people, musicians, music bands, music companies, other professionals and impress them with your talent.

Internet can be an excellent platform for intermediate jazz tools – helping young as well as established musicians to update on Jazz anytime and from anywhere. A website helps in rendering a professional image – easy to be permeated to others of similar interest.

Share your interest, experience and musical philosophy as well as gain from others to benefit maximum from a proper music community.



By: Akhila Choudhary

]]> http://festivaljazz1027.com/jazz-festivals/secrets-to-becoming-a-jazz-musician/feed 0 Learn to Play Jazz Guitar http://festivaljazz1027.com/jazz-festivals/learn-to-play-jazz-guitar http://festivaljazz1027.com/jazz-festivals/learn-to-play-jazz-guitar#comments Tue, 08 Dec 2009 12:35:39 +0000 admin http://festivaljazz1027.com/jazz-festivals/learn-to-play-jazz-guitar One of the reasons that people devote their time to learning the guitar is that they love the idea of making up their own songs and music. Simply by sitting down at an inspired moment, a guitarist might come up with a great song in only one session. Some guitar styles differ greatly from another, but it is by learning the jazz guitar that many musicians have experienced the liberty it brings. The deviations in styles that somehow hold to one rhythm and work together in the name of improvisation are why jazz musicians are said to be filled with “soul”.

When training your ear or your mind to learn how the jazz guitar fits into an entire ensemble of musicians, it is important to first know how jazz music works, at the root level. Much like an athlete prepares for a race, a jazz musician also prepares for a performance. The jazz musician needs to warm up, have an introduction, and be allowed to have some time to get used to the atmosphere of a place and an audience. Some musicians, however, especially those who have played a long time together will jump right into a tune without warming up, giving listeners an awakening into what’s about to take place.

A jazz guitarist in a band may or may not lead the group through a melody. Many jazz performances may not have a singer, but instead a trumpet, or some other horn instrument will take this lead. If a horn isn’t present in the ensemble, then the guitar or piano might work to lead a session. Since jazz music is made up of a band, each person in the band has a certain role to fill before they begin their improvisational role. The jazz guitar tends to hold the players together within a certain chord so that other band members can stick to what’s being played. A jazz guitarist in this role, will not necessarily strum a rhythm such as in other forms of music, but will instead move rhythmically with the rest of the players involved.

In the game of jazz music, improvisation is key. If you know how to play another instrument, learning the jazz guitar might be a little easier. And, if you love improvising on the piano, for example, then you might love it on the guitar. “Improv” as it is sometimes referred to, is one way music can be highly addictive and liberating. When that liberation happens with a group who is playing together, the soul and reaction from the audience involved can be magical. Overall, learning to play the jazz guitar will be rewarding on many levels. Learning to play the necessary chords and knowing when and how to strum to the rhythm of others in the group takes time and practice. Give yourself plenty of time and dedicate yourself to listening to and learning how jazz music works and you’ll be on your way to playing along with a jazz group in no time.



By: Sam Bateman

]]> http://festivaljazz1027.com/jazz-festivals/learn-to-play-jazz-guitar/feed 0 Jazz Musicians And The Art Of Transcribing Jazz Solos http://festivaljazz1027.com/jazz-festivals/jazz-musicians-and-the-art-of-transcribing-jazz-solos http://festivaljazz1027.com/jazz-festivals/jazz-musicians-and-the-art-of-transcribing-jazz-solos#comments Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:54:45 +0000 admin http://festivaljazz1027.com/jazz-festivals/jazz-musicians-and-the-art-of-transcribing-jazz-solos Every great jazz musician has, at one time or another, transcribed jazz solos from recordings. Since jazz is an art from that is aural in nature, it makes complete sense that listening and copying the improvisations of earlier jazz masters helps one become a more consistent and skilled jazz improviser.

Transcribing a jazz solo involves the repetitive listening and notation of a recorded jazz solo. To get maximum benefit from the process, the person studying the solo through transcription should memorize and internalize every note and every inflection played by the improviser. “Transcribing” refers to the activity of notating on paper the exact notes and rhythms played by the improviser.

Evolving Technologies of Transcribing Jazz Solos

Charlie Parker could arguably be called the most influential jazz artist of the 20th century. His inventive jazz improvisations changed the face of jazz and ushered in one of the most exciting eras of jazz: the bebop era.

Charlie Parker was born with a huge amount of natural talent, but that does not mean Charlie never worked hard at his honing his craft. History reveals that Charlie spent almost a year early on in his music career memorizing – note by note – the jazz solos of Lester Young from 78 RPM recordings.

Before jazz became widely available on 78 RPM recordings, musicians relied on listening and learning in “real time”. The only way to learn jazz improvisation in the early days of jazz was to listen to live musicians and pick up what you could from what they played. Once played however, the music was gone forever.

During the 1920s, artists such Jelly Roll Morton, Louis Armstrong and many others began recording their music and jazz improvisations onto 78 RPM acetone discs. This leap in technology opened the door for future musicians to “study” the improvisations of their jazz predecessors.

The 1950s saw the introduction of reel to reel tape machines and ultimately cassette tape recordings. Magnetic tape made it possible for jazz musicians to forward and rewind the tape to exact locations of solos and specific passages of a solo. No longer did musicians have to “drop the needle” on worn out discs to learn a solo or tune. Some cassette tape players were made specifically for musicians, allowing them to slow down parts or all of a recording at half or quarter speed. This proved to be helpful, but slowing down analog tape created problems with pitch and fidelity that was annoying to say the least.

In recent years, computers have assisted jazz musicians transcribe recordings in ways that were once considered impossible. Inexpensive or free computer programs have made it possible to slow down fast passages without changing fidelity or pitch. Other advantages of computer assisted transcription include the ability to change key, precise looping of passages for ease in learning, and even help with notating pitches that are played.

Transcribing and studying great jazz solos can be one of the smartest and beneficial activities any jazz musician can undertake to help hone his or her craft. Even with the marvels of modern technology, the process still takes time and effort however. Don’t forget to use the knowledge and skills you acquire from transcribing jazz solos to performing with live musicians. Nothing will replace the experience of playing jazz with others!



By: James P Martin

]]> http://festivaljazz1027.com/jazz-festivals/jazz-musicians-and-the-art-of-transcribing-jazz-solos/feed 0 Indie Marketing on Jazz Websites http://festivaljazz1027.com/jazz-festivals/indie-marketing-on-jazz-websites http://festivaljazz1027.com/jazz-festivals/indie-marketing-on-jazz-websites#comments Tue, 17 Nov 2009 06:28:53 +0000 admin http://festivaljazz1027.com/jazz-festivals/indie-marketing-on-jazz-websites Jazz websites have become a hot asset to new Jazz artist as well as established Jazz artist.  As the manager for a new independent Jazz guitarist, Dave Percell, it has become essential to hang out and become familiar with some of the best Jazz websites on the internet.  Two of my favorite Jazz sites are The Jazz Network and AllaboutJazz.com.  These two sites have been incredible resources for me.

It’s true that “Who You Know” can make or break an artist, and that is why I love The Jazz Network.  We have connected with not only other Jazz artist/musicians, but the variety of producers, Radio stations, podcasters, and publicist  that are literally at our finger tips has been a huge blessing.  We have connected with Radio stations broadcasting both in the US, Australia, and the UK in which some of them fish for fresh Indie artist from this website to assemble their playlist and broadcast on air and online.  The Indie Showcase is just one radio station that has aired Dave Percell recently and of course is a contact that we met through The Jazz Network. As with other profile sites you can take advantage of meeting new friends, sending invites to upcoming events to your friends, play your tracks and music on your profile site through the use of their online MP3 player, post bulletins, join groups, and so much more.  The connections on this site is amazing.

Allaboutjazz.com is one the most Jazz artist/musician friendly sites around. Where do I start with this site? Their is just so much you can do. They aren’t their just to make money, they are their to help artist promote their Jazz music, and it’s evident with the amount of free resources and exposure they give to Jazz musicians.  Every day this site features a daily MP3 download that gives an awesome amount of exposure to the artist.  It is featured on their home page, and picked up by other article sites, bloggers, and online news websites. It was honor to be able to have Dave Percell’s song “Eternal Traveler” featured on this site as it drove an enormous amount of traffic to our CD Baby Site as well as Dave Percell’s Myspace and official website.

Article writing is a great key to internet marketing, which is yet another reason to fall in love with this website. All About Jazz allows you to submit articles on Jazz artist, upcoming events, festival, general news etc. and feature it; which is again picked up by multiple websites thus sending traffic to your other websites.  In case your wondering this is all 100% FREE EXPOSURE! Yes people FREE EXPOSURE! The industry resources include music bloggers, publicist, Production companies, and many more …. and yes again its free……AND it includes the contact information to who you need to contact within these companies.

There are many more reasons to love these two Jazz websites, but hopefully what I wrote so far will cause you to go there and start exploring these sites for yourself because they will be a great asset to your musical career.



By: Joi H.

]]> http://festivaljazz1027.com/jazz-festivals/indie-marketing-on-jazz-websites/feed 0 Jazz Music Midi Files- The Best Way To Listen Music http://festivaljazz1027.com/jazz-festivals/jazz-music-midi-files-the-best-way-to-listen-music http://festivaljazz1027.com/jazz-festivals/jazz-music-midi-files-the-best-way-to-listen-music#comments Sun, 15 Nov 2009 02:52:08 +0000 admin http://festivaljazz1027.com/jazz-festivals/jazz-music-midi-files-the-best-way-to-listen-music If you happen to be a jazz musician then it is important for you to be able to present your music in a very vivid manner whereby you can have the control of the tracks with ease and with effective flexibility. But if you are hard core fan of jazz music then you must always be wondering how to listen to this great music anytime and with perfect ease and enjoyment.

Jazz Midi files are a perfect solution for this as it allows you to hold the reins of jazz music and jazz play alongs in a very effectual manner. These jazz midi files are the standardized form of music detail representation in a digital format. This helps you to gain immense knowledge of the jazz music and gain an expertise in it as you can easily learn and imitate your favorite jazz personalities in the way you desire.

As the jazz midi files happen to be just data, sound modules and professional midi-keyboards can also be used for the purpose of recreating sounds. Being unrecorded, it enables you to make the desired changes as well so that you can have the best experience of listing to jazz music with complete satisfaction. You can easily buy the jazz midi files online from the various web sites that offer them. You may either download the jazz midi files for free from the reputed and selected web sites or purchase them from these web sites at affordable costs. Another way to obtain these midi files is to become a member of these web sites that is either absolutely free of cost or comes at discounted prices.

In fact, as the very essence of the jazz music makes you feel like grooving you can get various jazz play alongs to add that extra effect on the entire experience of jazz music enjoyment. These days amazing jazz play alongs such as books, piano sheet-music, guitar sheet-music, guitar scales, tablature, CDs with great live bands, songs by famous artist and the karaoke CDs are easily available in the market and online. These jazz play alongs are incredible in enhancing the very experience and the appeal of the jazz music you are listening to. So, get going and have the best of your time listening to your favorite grooving music genre.



By: Akhila Choudhary

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