Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Tim Price Bloggin' For D'Addario- Meaning and purpose.Passion and purpose.

....Living a life of purpose reflects who you are deep inside, your beliefs, values and passion for living. It is about following your heart and doing what you love to do with passion and purpose. This may initially feel overwhelming and go too "deep" but that's exactly where you need to go - deep into your heart, beyond the busy, superficial day-to-day chores and demands of life. Beyond the fast paced day of the modern mom who typically deals with her career, various children's activities, computer viruses, proverbial household cleaning, - overall role of superwoman who never had or has had a chance to do some real soul searching for real meaning in her life. Do you feel like you're spinning of the hamster wheel and getting nowhere? Just talking...and talking.Do you wonder if your life counts for anything? Despite the many resources of self-help tools available today via magazines, books, tapes, videos, and seminars, many still feel unfulfilled and lacking purpose in themselves, family and career. What ever happened to just getting together- making some coffee and playing some standards ad blues.Life is about choices - good, bad, happy, unhappy, purpose filled or void. It is important to intentionally and passionately seek to pursue joy, fulfillment and purpose despite the situations or people who may seem to be trying to take it away from you. Your choices should be reflective of who you are and what you believe in vs. the standards and beliefs of someone else.Are you really hearing the music- or going for just who's popular? The following are wide sweeping key components that require considerable processing in their own right in order to most fully develop your own true purpose and are full length topic discussions within themselves - please be sure to process them in your own time and according to your specific needs.Each person holds unique and very individualized gifts. Allow yourself to really explore your current and past skills - even some you may not even be aware of yet. But also....Recognize them, write them down and then think of how you could integrate your most compelling skills into an area of your life now. MEANING AND PURPOSE...ok. When you are clear about your purpose, then it becomes much easier to say no. No matter how "good" it sounds, how much validity it holds - if it doesn't further your purpose then the answer is No. Don't let those ceaseless requests pull you away from your goal and lose focus on where you find meaning.Thoughts and plans are all well and good, but if they don't get into action, they aren't much good after all. So put those thoughts, plans, and skills into action! Identify the best place to start - typically with one small task that leads to another small task = success=more energy and motivation= more done. The snowball effect of getting the ball in motion will require less energy to move. Enjoy the ride! Weekly encouragement, support and accountability have proven to be the best way to keep you energized and moving. Focus on what your purpose in and the meaning behind it will serve as a motivator itself and you can look at the past week to see just what you have accomplished.The possibilities are endless. Till next week....work hard and study, practice to be the best YOU......Tim Price

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Tim Price Bloggin' for D' Addario Woodwinds- Coltrane / Prestige 7105

THIS...Recording....Coltrane / Prestige 7105...Is my favorite Coltrane recording ever. ( I love all the other Trane records, but this onejust speaks to me. It has for decades too.) Coltrane's career didn't begin when he signed to Impulse! (contrary to what the label sometimes tries to imply), nor did it begin when he signed to Atlantic....John Coltrane recorded so frequently for the Prestige label during '56-'58 that it's tough to figure out where to start. This May 1957 recording, coming just after his departure from the Miles Davis Quintet, is a pretty good initiation; a great session of hard bop with plenty of Coltrane's powerful, intense playing. The album's peaks are two ballads "Violets for Your Furs", "While My Lady Sleeps" -- Coltrane was already an incredible ballad player by this time. The other tracks are all crystallized hard bop of the highest level ever. the rhythm section (Mal Waldron and Red Garland on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, Al Heath on drums) is excellent, Johnny Splawn (trumpet) and one of my very favorite baritone saxophonists ever Sahib Shihab. Before both of these labels, he was on Prestige recording a bunch of albums which tend to get overlooked nowadays. "Bakai" opens the set and is very close to "Dakar", theme wise,with Shihab laying down an afro-centric beat; Trane and Splawn harmonizing over it. Red Garland slides off a cool,swinging,mood-changing opening solo. Trane solos next,sounding very serious;driving moderately. Shihab's solo comes off LIKE A GEM, containing slight elements of r&b, before the close. "Violets For Your Furs" is a ballad. A premier balladeer, Trane handles the theme. Red gives off a beautiful solo, followed by Trane's warm,sincere expressions. The other horns are not heard. "Time Was" is typical John Coltrane, coming out swinging. An up-tempo track, Trane blows that 'good stuff' so very well. He doesn't do a lot running,here; just cookin'. Paul Chambers and Al Heath keep Red's solo swinging. Paul lays down a pretty sharp solo of his own, before Trane closes. Good track. "Straight Street" < one the the Trane tunes that NEEDS to be played more is a medium-tempo that brings back the rest of the horns. Trane solos first,at ease and steadily flowing. Splawn is next. Johnnie is like too many good trumpeters....underrated. His solo,here,swings with know-how and experience.SO GOOD! Paul and Trane lay down the mood for the hauntingly,bewitching "While My Lady Sleeps", a super-laid-back MONSTER that Trane keeps under rein with the help of Mal Waldron. Excellent song choice. "Chronic Blues" is just that...the blues.Knocks me out of the park with the way they just play. There's some great Coltrane stuff on Prestige, "Settin' The Pace" with a ridiculous Trane solo on "Little Melonae", and some great work by Red Garland, "Lush Life", with a lovely Milesish statement of "Like Someone in Love" and some brilliant drum performances from Art Taylor, particularly on "I Love You". BUT THIS RECORD- Coltrane / Prestige 7105 Has inspired me for over 5 decades...and still does. Right off the bat it's clear that musically Coltrane and his new sextet are on a musical mission of a very different sort than he had been playing with Miles Davis, musically positioning himself somewhere between the internationally expansive hard bop sound and the sound and stepping towards what many call " Post Bop". This is a stellar example of how an artist who has roots and knowledge brings the culture of jazz to an absolute zenith. ~ TIM PRICE

Monday, September 1, 2014

D'Addario Woodwinds artist Tim Price booking clinics- workshops and mini-residency's for 2014-2015

Feel free to share the info. via TIM PRICE CLINICS-WORKSHOPS with like minded college professors/ University teachers who will be interested. Contact Tim Price via timpricejazz@aol.com I'm currently booking clinics- workshops and mini-residency's for 2014-2015 and thought I'd pass the info on here. I've got some_new_ideas and music for the performances as well as some very cool ideas to share that have a contemporary focus for the student.I continue to enliven a passion for jazz in students, and teach the vital musical building blocks using a unique methodology from over 40 years experience as a performing jazz musician and woodwind artist.Students leave my classes with a stronger understanding of the jazz language and therefore with more confidence as they participate in the music. Thank you Tim Price Also enjoy the HEADHUNTERS & Herbie Hancock sax-woodwind player Bennie Maupins quote about me; it made my decade!:) "Tim Price continues to explore and develop his deeply personal approach to music. Through the years his persistence, determination and passion has enabled him to create a stellar reputation as a multiple woodwind master, composer, producer, author and last but not least educator. Tim is one of the best musicians active today and I'm happy to say he's my friend...." -Bennie Maupin OR - JEFF COFFIN'S WORDS...About what I do ; "Tim Price has captured my imagination on many occasions with his forward thinking arrangements and wonderfully captivating playing. He is a unique musician made more unique because he has searched and found his own voice. Truly a rare find in music." ~ Jeff Coffin