Tim Price Bloggin' For Rico Reeds- Our Imaginations

OUR IMAGINATIONS TAKE US TO.....

~ Check the words on the wall drawing from PS 11 in New York City. That was a beautiful start to a Saturday in NYC of mine teaching and playing jazz. IMAGINATIONS! Your imagination allows you to not only see mental images in your mind – You can also imagine physical sensations, feelings and emotions. According to the Dictionary.com: > Imagination – “The faculty of imagining, or of forming mental images or concepts of what is not actually present to the senses.”

“Forming mental images” – now that’s something most of us can relate to. We form mental images in our heads all of the time – How to decorate our home; What our vacation will be like; What we plan on doing over the week-end etc.

OK- Now as musicians, students and educators...Everyone has an imagination.

So why doesn't everyone use it for their own benefit? Imagination in jazz improvising is vital to the personal sound you should be looking to develop. By developing a strong imagination you will be strengthening your creativity. It's what I term with my students and fellow musicians as- IMAGINE THE SOUND! It's that easy, and that fun. Those students in PS 11 know- and know the deal of using your imagination. Your imagination is the search engine of your thoughts - It is where creativity begins.

Saturday night in New York City- we had a great gig. The3ed tune of the first set I called "Yesterdays" by Jerome Kern. On my my favorite tunes. After my solo, I heard a familiar voice next to me. BOB MOVER!! He wanted to play "Yesterdays " with me.

Bob comes up- we immediately get into a counterpoint between the two of us. Inspiration and deep mutual respect. I know Bobby sense 1970!) take hold and it is on! Bob wanted to sit in on a few tunes, the vibe on the bandstand/music was right there for him.He asked " Tim is it ok if I blow some more?"...I said play as much as you want Bobby. HE HUNG ALL NIGHT AND PLAYED TILL 3:00 WITH US. Kim Garey, Ryan Anselmi and Kerong Chok all had a great inspiration time on Saturday. Check the photos below this blog please.

This is where it all begins. You have to play, you have to involve the music with your thougfhts and dreams. And- IMAGINATION! Bob and I used to play in Boston, at a pianists pad named Rick Aronson. Long days urned into nights that never ended- Bob hipped me to guys like Nicky Hill the great Chicago tenor sax legend as well as our conversations were always so memorable. A treasured soul and life long brother in jazz.

The instant energy/inspiration and simpatico...I tell Ryan Anselmi and my people a lot about. It can't be taught in a book- the bandstand is the only place for it to be done. We played 4sets and it was beautiful. Drummer and musician of highest standards Kim Garey is pictured behind Bob in 2ed picture.

FYI- Bob played with Chet Baker, Mingus, Walter Bishop Jr and recorded with Lee konitz among others. You get my drift I hope :)

TO ME- this is what is most important.
I've known Bob Mover from 1970 on....this is a great thing when you can play and share on the bandstand. It's what what I strive for...and sometghing that CAN NOT be taught in a classroom or book. It's a shared life long experience. THANKS BOB MOVER...he is a beautiful human being/life long friend.

Thanks to Bob Mover and " Soulful Tenor Madness" and those students of PS11. Keep your dreams alive my friends.

~ TIM PRICE

THE STUDENTS OF PS11...KNOW THE REAL DEAL!

BOB MOVER SITTING IN WITH " SOULFUL TENOR MADNESS" ON SATURDAY IN NYC ;

Tim Price Bloggin' For Rico- Selecting A Teacher

SELECTING A TEACHER

Initially you probably will need a teacher to steer you in the right direction; to give you some sense of the quality of your sound and performance; some feedback to help orient you in the right direction.

Let us not forget- Analysis of classical piano scores or playing with classical CD'S is another source of ideas. You might see the way Shostakovitch creates his harmonic fabrics.... Or whatever is interesting to you. By continuing to work with focus on the same things from day to day, by following the thread of your explorations, you will find that your level of proficiency has risen and expanded to include all the sources you have examined. At this point you have LONG TERM GAIN. Just as playing every night results in the development of style, practicing every day results in the acquisition of technique, musical knowledge and intelligence, improved tone, and stamina. A general panacea. Just the quest to continuously find something to practice will increase your creativity. It always amazes me when someone says "I don't have anything to practice" or "I don't know what to practice". There are so many variations of scales, melodies, and melodic patterns, not to mention 12 keys. So many sounds to make, articulations, songs to learn, music to listen to and analyze, technical problems to sort out. The only limitation is your focus, consistency and inventiveness. At this point it would be good to point out that there are certain proficiency which are generally expected of an accomplished musician.To one degree or another, a musician is understood to have the following skills: Good intonation and ability to blend with other instruments, 2-3 octave range(saxophone), technique in all keys, accurate articulation and rhythm, some reading ability (this varies greatly), knowledge of harmony and familiarity with the keyboard, the ability to improvise over different types of thematic material, a beautiful melodic tone, A teacher can instigate this and inspire you to go beyond your own visions.

The teacher will mirror your playing , pointing out and hopefully giving you the means to continue working on your own. A good teacher will also demonstrate when necessary to provide inspiration. Watch out, however, for instructors who keep a student in a state of dependency. Perpetual students who don't achieve the ability to work and progress on their own are the unfortunate result of poor teaching and possibly the desire for a long term source on income on the part of the instructor. Kind of like a psychiatrist keeping you feeling crazy so you have to keep coming. This why development of a DAILY PRACTICE is the first and most important goal of study. The ability to maintain this practice is the most important indicator of you development as a musician, so select a teacher who will help you work toward this goal. Your teacher should be strict but gentle, capable of great support and enthusiasm for your work.

Any suggestions, comments and input- please drop a few words on these thoughts.

Till next week- stay cool calm and collected- Tim Price

Tim Price Bloggin' For Rico...The Mysticism of Sound and Music / What A Wonderful World.

The Mysticism of Sound and Music/ What A Wonderful World....Tim Price Blog For Rico Reeds.

This book is a compilation of the teachings of Hazrat Inayat Khan. Born in India, Khan was a firm believer that life responds to sound as vibration. All else flows from this.

The book contains chapters on topics such as: the music of the spheres, color and sound, music in Indian culture, music of the dervishes, dance and music, music and psychology, the healing powers of music, memory, will, reason, intuition and dreams, the Ego, inspiration, and the value of repetition. FWIW- Khan did not write these selections as a book; instead, they were collected and organized from various lectures and articles that he prepared dating from about 1913 to 1926. The editors have managed to create a cohesive text from very disparate sources. Some ideas are presented repeatedly, but unlike so many similar compilations of articles by other authors, the presentation of Khan's ideas in this book are consistent each time they are mentioned.

I picked up this book because align with many other books musicians talked about be it Hindemith's theory of harmony or The Horn by John Clellon Holmes..this book by Khan seemed fascinating. When I first read it a few decades ago, I loved the content but some went by me.

There is a picture on the cover of Khan playing the vina. Reading this book has given me a much greater understanding of and appreciation for how music is central to Indian practices and beliefs. Which many esoteric musician authors draw from,the book is full of little surprises, it is an insightful study into the spiritual meaning of music.

It is wonderful book that should be read by any musician and/or student of music.

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY TO ALL YOU READING THIS BLOG- ENJOY THIS GREAT WEATHER.

Till next week-

I quote the great LOUIS ARMSTRONG –“What a Wonderful World”.

~ Tim Price

Tim Price Bloggin' For Rico- Staying positive..and standing on your own feet.

Do you ever find yourself avoiding being positive(optimistic) about something until you are positive(confident and fully assured) about it?

The other problem with this sort of approach is that it cuts us off from the vital “spice of life” called variety. Life very rarely unfolds in straight lines. I’m willing to bet that if you look back on your life, some of your best experiences happened by “accident”, or maybe you now look back and see them as “coincidences”.

There are many people who always need to be fully assured about the success of the outcome before they make a move. To them, it would be irresponsible or even foolish to make decisions and take actions based on a sense of raw optimism. After all, what sort of plan is that for success? Take these steps- and watch what happens!

• Challenge Yourself
• Stand On Your Own Feet
• Live The Moment
• Have Respect
• Do Some Good

BUT IN MUSIC...Fear and many times that fear holds a person back. It's to your advantage to get past this. Now!

Sometimes this fear manifests itself in unproductive ways, such as procrastination. You find that you’re not following your map or making any progress towards your goals. If you "can’t get motivated," fear is probably at the root of your procrastination.

In most cases where you find fear is causing inaction, the “cure” is taking action.

You see, usually you feel so overwhelmed that you don’t even know where to start. But if you can just get started somewhere – anywhere – you’ll find that your fears start to melt away. Soon you’ll be able to take more focused, productive action.

It sounds circular, doesn’t it? Fear is causing inaction, but the solution is to take action. How can that be?

That means that in order to use action to cure fear, you need to let go of one major fear: specifically, the fear of taking the wrong action.

Once you do that – once you give yourself permission to move forward even if things don't seem quite right – you’ll be able to progress faster on your goals and make those positive changes.

Another way to stay motivated is to surround yourself with supportive people and accountability partners.

Sometimes fear manifests itself as imagined productivity. For example, you may be taking a lot of actions but going absolutely nowhere.

However, keep in mind what we discussed earlier with regards to choosing toxic friends and partners. Ensure that they truly are supportive.

Note: Once in a while some of your own friends and family won’t believe in your dreams. If you talk about your goals, they’ll laugh and make it clear they think you’re foolish.

If this happens to you – and if it’s someone that you need to see on a regular basis – then don’t talk about your dreams any more with this person. If they try to “bait” you or ask you to talk about your goals, answer politely but don’t give them any “ammunition” to fire back at you. Think on your own feet as I said before!

Now is the time…AS CHARLIE PARKER ONCE SAID!

This is just the beginning for you. Chances are, you feel energized and ready to take on anything.

Your next step is to move now. If you wait, I promise you won't do "it."

Imagine yourself accomplishing it. How will you feel? Why is this goal so important to you?

Imagine people congratulating you. Think of the future, not the past.

Once you’ve done that, create your road map. How will you reach your goal? What tangible steps will you take to get there?

Next it’s time to observe and listen. How do you feel as you start working on your road map?

Finally, find supportive people and reward yourself.

And remember this: once you begin and continue, you deserve it!

YOUR ASSIGNMENT IS...Surround yourself with like minds. People who have goals and visions. Get started and remember to have fun!

Till next week- stay on your path and stay positive!

~ Tim Price

Tim Price- Listening to What the Music DOES

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-lDH9GuByI

Tim Price Bloggin' For Rico- The Joy That Clarence Clemons brought to the world through his music.

Clarence Clemons was born to be a sax player....that was what he was sent to this planet to do. His music was for everybody.What you hear is what you got. It was universal love, and his music radiated through the world.

But in hearing Clarence I realized, as I have since I heard him in the beginning that what he brought to everyone was also his joy of happiness in his life and music. Clarence was a great example of a man who did not need to acquire happiness because he already had it. His approach to everything he did was a direct expression of happiness-in his career and his life.

When put the horn is his mouth that vibe charged through into the music like a bolt of lightening. From his extensive work with " The Boss" to his recent solos on the Lady Gaga C.D.

If a saxophone player wants a real lesson,there it is! It's that simple.

Clarence found true happiness, because he followed his inner voice. You can hear it when he spoke to people and also in the music. He played from THE HEART and aligned everyone with it.

The loss of Clarence Clemons in this life and music is really upsetting because in hearing his solos with Lady Gaga, I remarked to a lot of musician friends that Clarence was doing something very important in those solos. That was playing melody's! In this "era" that element is really something that the music needs, in addition to the soul and grease Clarence laid on Gaga's tracks.

All thru his life, on the bandstand, that ability to bring the melodic to the front of the saxophone solo was his thumbprint! Go back and listen to his solo on "Paradise By The C" with Bruce Springsteen. Beautiful!

God bless Clarence Clemons, he was more that just a saxophone player,entertainer and vocalist. He took people by the hand and brought them into the music and shared his joy of happiness with them.World wide, just like they walked in off the strip in Asbury Park New Jersey. That power in his music was beyond anything words could describe- and something we'll all never forget. His giant sound will always live on and continue to be be an inspiration for the world. In that way he is truly immortal.. Being a complete musician goes well beyond the notes- you taught everyone that my friend- thank you.

Rest In Peace Clarence, you touched many lives-you will always be a messenger of peace, happiness and soulful saxophone playing . You will be missed.

Clarence Clemons was part of the Rico family, he was a proud Rico artist. He played Rico #3 Plasticover Reeds. His music will live forever. He really rocked the house.

Check him out here;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvgB8RqWQcU&NR=1

OR;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsfZpMugrNk&NR=1

All the very best to all of you out there- Tim Price

Tim Price Bloggin' For Rico- Making The Most Of Your Skills & Bob Rockwell ideas,

Being a well-rounded saxophonist and making the most of your ultimate musical skill, which is the melody:

Let's start with looking at the market place today from a professional standpoint. I feel your training and education must be at a very high professional level. There are few college-level teaching positions and sometimes even fewer gigs, so our key in the marketplace is being well-rounded.

One of the basic approaches to this, I found, is keeping an open mind. Don't shut

yourself off to saxophone quartets, rhythm and blues gigs, teaching beginning students, or playing in big bands. By doing these and embracing many styles musically, you will start to develop skills that are as diverse as they are vital to your survival.

If you can play the Omnibook of Charlie Parker solos, you should also work with

Guy Lacours (28 Etudes), which all are on altered dominant scales. I use it a lot in my teaching.

Those are some key things to consider before I start my main topic of melodic

improvisation below.

Learning to Use Basic Melody

Music is communication. In order to communicate your ideas to others, you must speak the same language. Whether you choose to speak with slang, proper English, or beatnik poetry, there are certain spelling and grammatical conventions required to talk musically.

When musical phrases are constructed of basic elements such as chords or scales,

they are organized into ideas and sentences much the same way that speech is just a combination of spelling and grammar. Phrases, like sentences, have beginnings and endings. This is one of the most important aspects. We separate our phrases with space and pauses. We punctuate our ideas with accents and rhythms. The tools and tech of music are there to help us express our ideas in much the same way language helps us speak. Melodic Possibilities Within Personal Musical Style

There are as many melodic possibilities as there are people to play and hear them.

The beauty of jazz and improvising is that you should be able to communicate your own ideas. That is the difference between reciting someone else's story and telling your own.

Learn to believe in yourself and let your own musical personality enhance the melody.

Whether it's the melody of a tune or your improvisation.

Tracking is the ability to listen to yourself. This is one of the most crucial things

in melodic playing. Tracking is the ability to identify your own ideas and build on them.

Music is not the combination of as many different ideas as possible in the shortest

amount of time, (e.g. playing a lot of notes fast and all over the place) but, the flow and

elaboration of a few ideas in a logical and coherent manner.

The secret of tracking is to listen to yourself. Again, each idea should have a

beginning and an end. Pause and listen to your last idea. Your next idea should be related to the last. Whether you repeat a rhythm, note, shape, or even stop and begin with

a new idea, this will help you to direct your lines and phrases into a specific area.

What you will hear coming out of yourself will be your own musical ideas. They

are shaped by your feelings and the interactions of the people you are playing with, as

well as your technical condition. All this will grow richer as you study more and practice

harder and learn the repertoire.

The secret is to create in the now, and not simply play all your memorized licks.

The more you practice, the more you will be able to hear, and your abilities as a jazz

improviser will grow and expand. Remember, what you hear is more important than

what you know.

The Three Aspects of Melody

#1- The Melodic Curve

#2- Harmony

#3- The Melodic Rhythm

The melodic curve is a melody's linear or graphic structure. A melody is basically a line

of notes that can move up or down by step or by skip. It can be primarily horizontal or

very vertical in shape. The melodic curve is the horizontal and vertical shape of the

melody.

The melody- harmony relationship refers to the relationship of the melody note to

a chord progression. This aspect of melody corresponds to the concept of modality. The

melody notes we use should have varying degrees of consonance or dissonance within

the harmony.

Melodic rhythm refers to the length and time feel of the melody and the phrasing.

Melodies tend to sound like sentences and tend to have pauses in between ideas. The

pauses and space between ideas can also be a form of rhythm as it defines the larger

pattern of the phrase relationships. Play in phrases. Try to use speak like rhythms.

Practicing These Concepts

Try to create melodic-type exercises by focusing on different aspects of the

melody. For instance move upward or downward. Create a climax. Work deliberately with scale-wise motion or skips. Learn to play into the beat with pick-up notes. A

terrific exercise is to play the first bar as a whole note, the second as four quarter notes,

the third as whole, the fourth as four quarters, etc. Hear the exercise as a series of pickups to the whole note target notes. This melodic movement can be called "playing into

the beat."

Final Thoughts

Melody making is the ultimate art of music. No matter how far out or far in, or

what kind of music you are playing, there must be melody. Everything you know and hear goes into your choice of notes or melodies. The creation of an expressive personal melodic style is the long-range goal and reward of studying improvisation and musicianship. Good luck, and remember...when you practice work and when you play.....PLAY !

NEXT- BOB ROCKWELL !

I'm a huge Bob Rockwell fan, and I consider Bob one of the greatest living players today.

For starters, look for this stuff in used shops:

Albums
(1996) Shades of Blue
(1995) Light Blue
(1994) Born to Be Blue
(1990) Reconstruction
(1990) Trio
(1989) The Bob Rockwell Trio
(1985) No Rush
(1985) On the Natch
(1974) Androids ( vinal)

And these are killing as well....more available.

Bob Rockwell Quartet | The Danish Radio Jazz Orchestra |
The Organisers | Repertory Quartet |

“Ambiance” Da Capo (DCCD 9417) 1993
Featuring Niels-Henning Orsted Pederson

“But Beautiful” Stunt Records (STUCD 19404) 1994

IN SHORT,,,,,

This guy is a MAJOR tenor voice...
Sad that he lives in Denmark where he makes a healthy living and has non of
the BS and jive that this country ,where he is from , hands out to artists.I'm
not being bitter here-its a cold fact. Otherwise things would be WAY different
for all.
Bob has played with Thad And Mel...
When both were living...plus Bob has had innovative exploratory bands sinse
the 70's. Eg-Check out " Androids" that was right up there with Wether Report
and Herbie.
I think he stands shoulder to shoulder with ANYONE in the public eye/media.
I knew his teacher Eddy Berger from Minneapolis and have spent time on the
bandstand with Berger and heard how intense Rockwell was a a serious student of
this art form.

ANYTHING that has his name has to be potent.This guy is very pure and original.
I hope someday he gets a week at the VANGUARD in NyC to show everyone what
he's about.The REAL people know, the players know....THIS GUY IS FANTASTIC.

Till next week- practice your long tones everyday-

Tim Price

(Tim teaches in New York City and Pennsylvania.As well as SKYPE!

He can be contacted for clinics, masterclasses, private teaching , gigs, and concerts by e-mailing him at : TEP251 SAX@AOL.COM . )

Tim Price Bloggin' For Rico-Ya got to love it.

Ya got to love it, that's the long and the short of it.

For one reason or another there has to exist enough desire to maintain a practice for the long
term. It's true in any field. Of course it's not all a bed or roses, but the returns have been satisfying for me -

-and continue to be. Actually, as I get older, there is more of a feeling of appreciation for the skills and talent
which I've developed.

Perhaps and expansion of your practice into some more enjoyable areas would
spice things up for you. Concentrate for a while on things you enjoy--also,
some type of physical exercise is sometimes necessary to balance and
complement your musical practice since music can tend to be like a desk job at
times. The saxophone is not really a solo instrument in the same way that a
piano is-so the rewards of playing the sax only really come in
performance......recording and things like that. Then of course, there is the
money issue. How to make a living playing music---always an interesting
subject.

So there is another interesting aspect of music--competition. It exists. Whether or not you get caught up in it

depends on many things. Let's first assume that everyone is independently wealthy--no money problems. It's difficult to separate out this "pure" love of music from the other.

But, what is really the alternative. A practice offers psychological benefits

which, in the long run, greatly enhance ones ' quality of life.

...Tim Price