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Is there a place for just plain beautiful instrumental jazz today? I appreciate (post)modernists as much as the next guy. But I also think there's room for lovingly rendered standards. And that is the core of jazz- Swinging music, beautiful ballads and a saxophonist whom has their own sound.
Houston Person has been doing it quite successfully, as have Ron Carter and Charles McPhearson. Enter Charlie Mariano, erstwhile jazz pioneer, experimenter, and sojourner to such far off places as South East Asia and India.
In a way, it's almost like coming home for Charlie on this CD of standards on Enja who has a long history--it almost seems like in a former life--of playing standards. Linked up with an exceptional rhythm section and some (generally) under-recorded standards, the results are entire enjoyable, if not revolutionary is you know what your listening to.
Mariano is walking a fine line between getting genuine sentiment out of these romantic ballads and keeping from slipping into sentimentality. His tone, bright, soulfully round. has a remarkable range of expression. His band mates, Bob Degen on piano, Isla Eckinger on bass, and Jarrod Cagwin on drums, a marvelously fluid unit, provide the exact right backing for Mariano. Cagwin--a name new to me--especially proves invaluable with perfect timing, coloration, and just a hint of the exotic.
All in all, a very creditable set, certainly worth checking out.This I suggest because last week over 6 people wrote and asked me to suggest a CD of Charlie playing standards- here you go!
I better explain.....my mind set,in a way.This ain't easy out here.
I've been REAL lucky to have the friends I do.BUT , MUSIC.......is our
sanctuary.
Our inner spot to focus and grow and Playing/loving music is a special
thing.I do not watch a lot of TV. I kinda never did...lived 4 years in
Boston
and never had a TV.I think , to be positive is my sanity factor.But
that IS just me.
You know ...like the tune Prez played.." Just you ,
Just Me". Ever think how boring life could be WITHOUT music.- How many
people off the street can you talk to
about jazz? MUSIC.....is a special thing.Hope those of you who know ,
got my points
You know the actor John Garfield? In one movie he walked up to this
train station, the ticket booth, and the guy says, 'Yes, where are you
going?' And he says, 'I want a ticket to nowhere.' I thought: that's it.
The freedom to do that. I want a ticket to nowhere --- Wayne Shorter
....My Definition of Success is the Freedom to be Yourself.
Remember- Knowledge is a weapon. But intend to be formidably armed. If you go back and listen to Coltrane Plays The Blues, then his work in the 50's you'll learn a lot about hard work, being prepared and knowledge too.
Sometimes you hear great players say “I just play what I feel.” My
answer to young players is, “yeh, play what you feel, but not before you
learn how to play.Other wise your wasting energy- ya know. Jazz is a
language, just like any language. It’s just that we speak our language,
called jazz, on our instruments.
Imagine...How would you sound speaking German, if you never learned how
to speak it? If you never learned the words, phrases, or sentences of
German, not many people would understand much of what you were trying to
say.I think of jazz improvisation in those terms and you can sort of
see where I’m coming from.
You hip to David S. Ware? THIS MAN....Was unified by spontaneous invention
that are staggering in their complexity and intuitive concordance,
skill, hard work,transcendental spirituality and conviction,he was an
inspirational and improvisational tour de force of improvisation and
mastery in the art form.One of the biggest tenor saxophone sounds in
jazz- and a artist that also played stritch, saxello, flute and bass
clarinet.David was a strong presence for jazz,humanity and
enlightenment. They are assets to this music, life and the legacy of all
things in saxophone and music.~ ~ TIM PRICE
OH YES- Check out the Coltrane picture above- with the 2 young guys- they are the Grubbs brothers I rave about so much. Carl is a long time Philly friend-
The picture right above this, was from a early morning radio show within the Cape May Jazz
Festival 2008. One of the many aspects of those Cape May Jazz festival
were the jam sessions ; the hangs & camaraderie. This picture is a
result...of that era. The man I'm with is Philadelphia jazz icon
saxophonist Carl Grubbs. Playing the jams with Carl & guys like that were just beautiful.Carl is not only a great friend, who inspires, and has a spirit that speaks to you. Some of you will recall alto saxophonist Carl Grubbs from early '70s ensemble he shared with his late tenor playing brother Earl: "The Visitors" out of Philly.We shared many a bandstand and he is someone I'm proud to call friend. Listen for him please!
Go within.
Hear the story of sunrise from the Sun itself.
if there were no sunrise within
I would have set long ago.
~ Rumi
Tim Price Bloggin' For D'Addario Woodwinds- Ideas, thoughts and music to study & practice.
Check it out and enjoy.... also- for some more ideas....check through
these ; IF...you want some ideas on ii-v's...look here;
http://www.timpricejazz.com/lessons/iiV.pdf '
If your looking for a nice warm up / sax sound study-look here;
http://www.timpricejazz.com/lessons/sax_warmup.pdf
for info on tune study; look here;
http://www.timpricejazz.com/lessons/learningatune.html
reed info, look here; http://www.timpricejazz.com/lessons/dealingwreeds.html sax players food
for thought:look here; http://www.timpricejazz.com/lessons/creativepurity.html
. This will
develop a focus on what you are trying to accomplish. No matter what level your
at as a musician.
Monday: Just play, all day. Letting go, feeling your way up and down the sax,
checking out the sound. Have fun and listen to your strong points. This usually
starts out being abstract and works its way into more melodic playing. Doing
this all day gives us plenty of time to really get the idea of the exercise.
Write down notes to yourself on what you want to work on that week; then during
the week approach your ideas one by one.
Tuesday: Melodic playing. Today start to put two or more notes together that
sound 'pretty'. Take a look at your REAL BOOK/ or any book of songs, and notice
how some of the great tunes are made up of simple intervals. Some of them are
short scale passages. This gives us a clue that it does not take much to write
or play a good melody. Write at least one idea down a day, and it will help you
to think melodically and will add more substance to any style.No matter what
level your at.
Wednesday: Quality over quality. What do you feel you need to make stronger?
Take today and study it. Make friends with the area of your playing that needs
more focus. As your thirst to improve grows add this Wednesday topic to your
other days. Practice scales, licks, study other players styles on CD's.
Thursday: New melodies and new chords. This day we take some of the melodies
created on Tuesday and put them together.
Don't judge your new pieces but keep
trying until you find something you like. Remember you have all day to come up
with something that makes you feel good. If you write two bars you are a big
winner. Also, try to take the new chords and use them in some of the tunes you
know. Or make up your own progressions with them. You are being creative this
day. Be yourself, not someone you read about.
Friday: Listen to music all day long, new and old CD's. Get inspired and make
notes of the players' style, how they phrase, keep time, how they let space and
silence become part of their solos. Can you remember a few ideas that you can
play? Be eclectic! Listen to rock, jazz, classical, world music or spoken word.
Be inspired this day. It's your day!
Saturday: What caught your musical ear? Was there something this week that made
you think differently? This is the day to investigate further and go deeper
into that . Try to understand what moves you. If it caught your fancy, stick
with it until it reveals itself to you. This day may change your life! Document
this feeling you have. It is important for your future.
Sunday: Review in your mind,think about the week of practice. Review things
slowly- listen for improvements. Remember, intuition is your very best friend.
Listen to it and be ready to act on it. If it sounds good, remember how you
worked and focused on it to get it to that point.
Arrange your seven days your own way. Add subjects that you love. Add new
directions from time to time. Go slowly, enjoy the journey and grow within your
own ideas. It helps to have a plan for the week, keep it loose like this so it
can grow-for you. It will take a certain amount of pressure off and allows you
to relax as you practice. Focus today so tomorrow your closer to your goals.
The music I'm checking out is Birth of the bebop Bird on Tenor 1943, I
finally found a vinyl copy on Stash records- So far I have yet to see
one on CD. But to hear Bird on tenor....well...you just got to hear it.
It's a lesson.
Also- Bird in Time 1940-1947 [Box set] on ESP recordings.
Bird in 1940
through 1945 was something unique- so much there to enjoy and learn
from.The music on here is the pinnacle of of the absolute best.Find it
and listen to it. You'll love it!
Do not waste your precious life in plastic hopes, be conscious of
yourself, it is the most beautiful gift. Don’t be persuaded by people
who simply want to exploit your vulnerabilities. Be strong, and learn to
accept the way you are. You are already so beautiful. Only once you
start loving yourself, you will be loved by everybody.
MOST OF ALL...enjoy being YOU.
Thanks- Tim Price
I
continue to explore and learn all I can in the quest to develop my own
musical voice. This is an account of a day in my life, and what’s behind
the music via a profound the effect on my musical psyche.As I said,
being a complete musician goes well beyond the notes. I’m grateful for
that.
... Being a complete musician
goes well beyond the notes.It involves more than just getting a degree,
playing your instrument, and those aspects. More so, it includes, the
day to day life of travel, prep before you travel, making sure your
ducks are in a row on the daily agenda.Gas for the car, bus ticket,
clothes and schedule. Anything short of that in today's environment is a
loss on the player-performers game card. Yes, it's past the mouthpieces,
or a five digit Selmer and the demo CD that your uncle Ralph paid for.
It's called- day to day life.
Watch it sucker, if your thinking differently. ha!! With all due to everyone at - SANFORD AND SON.
Think about it, true improvising has a completely different dimension to it. That element is “spontaneity”.
This means that you are forced to create music right on the spot,
without having any time to prepare anything in advance. Obviously, this
kind of playing is challenging, both from the mental and physical
standpoint. It is more challenging from the mental standpoint because
you are forced to come up with cohesive musical ideas right as you are
playing, without having any time to analyze which phrases will flow well
together.
I am often asked about scales used to
solo over chord progressions in order to sound more creative and more
original. My response is usually to shift focus more on developing your
phrasing rather than simply learning new scales. Learning new scales
only will produce limited results because THE WAY you play has not
really changed. Improving your phrasing deals more with the actual
element of HOW to play the notes rather than "what" notes to play. When
it comes to phrasing, remember that it is all about the little nuances
that can make ALL the difference. You can take 10 great sax improvisers
and give them the same lick and chances are they will each make it sound
a bit different using the nuances of phrasing when they play it.
Learning new scales can make some difference of course, but when it
comes to making your style more original and creative, improving your
phrasing will make a much greater difference than simply learning 10 new
scales. There
are many approaches you can take to practicing phrasing. You can begin
by developing all the different nuances and using different combinations
of them when you play your phrases.
WANT SOMETHING TO REVIEW IN THE SHED?
Can you play these at 90 to 120 on your metronome?
GET IN THERE AND REVIEW- get off Ebay buying mouthpieces-
WATCH IT SUCKER- hahaha,
All major scales
All minor scales (natural, harmonic, ascending melodic)
All (2) whole-tone scales
Pentatonic scales
Blues scales
All diminished scales
Chromatic scales
Bebop
scales (ionian add #5; mixolydian add Maj.7; melodic minor add #5;
mixolydian b2 b6 add Maj.7; dorian add Maj.7; locrian add Maj.7)
All of the above scales in 15 keys (7 sharp keys, 7 flat keys and the key of C)
SO- That's it for now- keep the music going and thank you for reading this blog. If you see a book or CD I have pictured in these blogs- GO READ OR LISTEN TO THEM!
....Tim Price
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