Tim Price Bloggin' For Rico Reeds- Start thinking outside of the box.

Time to shift your thinking from limited, lacking, being trapped and career less to being in control so you can create from wherever you are with whatever you have now. If the box is your life, exactly as it is, start there. Instead of looking outside yourself to find what you need to create from, start by looking inside your life first and discover what’s available to you immediately.But this shift in thinking isn’t just for musicians, it’s for everyone. Decide what you want to create,begin creating from today whether it’s a new career, a song, education,or something completely intangible like change or peace or calm or gratitude. REMOVE the gatekeepers, restrictions, and limited thinking. Whatever ingredients you have to create with and whatever it is you want to create from those ingredients is up to you, open your mind up to your current resources, however meager or mega, be motivated by others and complete that creation. LEAVE the judgments, criticisms, comparisons and complaints at the door. It’s not about how good or great or perfect or big or small or serious the project is to anyone but the creator. There are plenty of other avenues to have a creation criticized and tons of people who will be happy to compare it and complain about it or give it their thumbs up or down once it has been created. Build it and they will come—and judge the hell out of you and your creation! SO WHAT!! GET MOTIVATED AND STAY MOTIVATED... to start creating. I keep my “in the trenches” mind set...in order to just cross barriers, inspiration, motivation and accountability are up to you. In a word- DO IT. What's stopping you? Instead of shutting down, giving up, calling it quits, create from everything that comes your way everyday! Lost your confidence? Create from it.Things didn’t go as planned? Create from it.Upset with someone who is a schmuck ? Create from it.Disappointed in your gigs? Create from it.No matter where you are or what you have or how you feel or when you think it will change—create from it all! Create from the dark, the light and everything in between. Sometimes it’s easy for your focus to get thin you’re only expanding in one area, in one musical direction. What if you take a moment to consider all aspects of your quest? Playing anywhere-anytime.To get paid too. Look it’s time to shift and find balance. Focus and reflect and take stock of what area needs some attention in order to grow and give it. Expand in all areas in all directions. Why not?!! Create from the expansion. DECLARE YOUR DREAM to motivate yourself and motivate others. Keep on it- and listen to some great music this week. ...As my man Charles Bukowski said- Some people never go crazy, What truly horrible lives they must live. Practice, study, ask questions and remember....all the answers are on records. See you soon- Tim Price ........................................................

Tim price Blogging For Rico- Getting a personal relationship with your music.

~~~ THIS WEEKS BLOG IS DEDICATED TO... ALL the people who have their own personal relationship with music. Keep on. Thank you. ~Improvising means creating music that is spontaneous, of the moment, and uniquely your own. So think of it as the instrument becomes a process of self-discovery, finding out what your music really sounds like. You develop a period of looking within, stripping away the excess and listening for the simple voice that really is our own. It’s there, listen for it. I wish I had arrived at these ideas earlier in life. It would have saved me a lot of unnecessary toil. But like it is sometimes said, you are ready when you are ready. These are very important topics- are YOU ready? Being able to improvise on I GOT RHYTHM changes appears much more as a puzzle or study that must be negotiated than as an opportunity look within and reach for new sounds you hear. Improvising means creating music that is spontaneous, of the now, and your own. It will not get played if you yourself don’t play it, and try. You have to focus your practicing for maximum progress towards creating a powerful forward motion as a player. Add personal guidance of a master teacher and artist, and you’re poised to grow as a musician and as a performer. This is the way I learned with master players-educators like Charlie Mariano, Charlie Banacos ( I was lucky to study with Banacos since 1994 till 2010 ) Sal Nistico, Joe Viola, Andy McGhee and John LaPorta.These men were a beautiful category of a jazz pro who both knows what he is doing, and is willing to share. IN A WORD- BASICS THAT WILL LAST YOUR ENTIRE CAREER! Also check out the new ... TIM PRICE JAZZ VIDEO. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4LFn...&feature=share Before anything, you must love what you do. As Charles Bukowski said," You gotta have the guts." Do what you do and do it to the absolute best of your ability. Bukowski also said, " It’s no good quitting, there is always the smallest bit of light in the darkest of hells." This life can be a roller coaster. Sometimes you will make money,maybe great money. Often very little money and will struggle to get by. A strong work ethic is needed, as well as a strength of will. You also will have to be prepared when opportunity appears. Again- HARD WORK.The ethos behind lateral action is creativity coupled with productivity as the route for success, which also means creatively looking at our productivity. Perhaps sitting and squeezing out every drop of inspiration by sheer force isn’t the best way to get results.Like any productive creative process it’s all about balance and finding a way. Nobody is entitled anything, remember that, it's HARD WORK to make a living as a musician. You must embrace the music with the pursuit of excellence.You earn it every cent you make. You'll get there by experience, and we ALL pay dues. These are things only time and a two thousand stupid gigs will teach you , or teaching a few days of fourth grade students for a few years. Don't complain-learn from every situation you find yourself in. We're only human- accept criticism without taking it personally. If you have an open mind, you'll learn and grow. You will never know all there is to know,always will be something new to learn. Know this is a beautiful thing music, but it's also a business.Hang in there-it's no good quitting and your not entitled, but you have a vision in mind. .It just takes inspiration, devotion to get to what you hear. It accelerates enlightenment,expands understanding. How much is enough? Music is infinite....keep on. Ear Training on Chord Tones - Phase 3" is up and running: http://www.saxontheweb.net/Price/EarTraining3.html 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 A basic study moved through six steps. Then I included one of my own based on a variation of some of the first six.I think it's always good for all of us to go back to a basic pattern study to clear our ears and refresh our chops. Look at all six shapes. Check it here; http://www.saxontheweb.net/Price/II-V-I-Patterns1.html A nice jazz line using II-V. http://www.saxontheweb.net/Price/Dec00.html And a I-VI-II-V...of course http://www.saxontheweb.net/Price/Jul01.html For those interested in some Bird & bop to shed...check out; http://www.saxontheweb.net/Price/Bird-ologyStudy.html http://www.saxontheweb.net/Price/Bird-ologyStudy.html http://www.saxontheweb.net/Price/Nov01.html http://www.saxontheweb.net/Price/Mar01.html http://www.saxontheweb.net/Price/Dom7ChordLine.html http://www.saxontheweb.net/Price/Jun01.html http://www.saxontheweb.net/Price/Nov00.html My philosophy about personal musical growth is that musicians should learn how to think, listen and talk about music. Likewise, I pass this on to my students of all ages. IT'S WORKING! If your in 5th grade or a Doctor studying jazz clarinet with me for fun. There's something we all have. It's this criteria: brain, ears, and voice. Naturally, these three are interrelated. If you think about music, then it follows that you can easily talk about it. Listening is the most important part. Without ears, music would not exist. If I had to pick the most valuable musical tool for shaping musical growth, it would be personal taste. Always visualize only favorable and beneficial situations.Music helps with this.Try to use positive words in your inner dialogues or when talking with others. Once a negative thought enters your mind, you have to be aware of it and endeavor to replace it with a constructive one.Persistence will eventually teach your mind to think positively and ignore negative thoughts.It does not matter what your circumstances are at the present moment. Think positively, expect only favorable results and situations, and circumstances will change accordingly. It may take some time for the changes to take place, but eventually they do. A student once asked me if a particular note "worked" in a particular setting; my response was, "only if you like it". Take it a step further Bob Dylan plays thesame C7 chord that Pat Martino does. Same 4 notes, likewise when Sonny Rollins hits a D minor 7th, it's the same chord that Jeff Beck might play or Keith Jarrett. It's how YOU deliver it. Lots of cooks use tomatoes and basil you dig? Same deal.Keeping a open mind can create a path for a student. There's a big difference between Bud Powell and Duke Ellington. But they both have a message. Think about it.Personal musical taste expands infinitely. This allows for musical evolution. Just live it. Go for it. Play it. Write it. Above all, use your own personal, ever growing, musical taste. Hence, music is the real teacher. Share the music and propigate it as much as you can. As always,strive for tone and help your school music programs, in every way you can. TILL NEXT WEEK -Work hard and play harder. HOPE TO SEE SOME OF YOU AT BERKS JAZZ FESTIVAL IN APRIL...I'M ONE OF THE MAJOR CONCERTS....and playing with my TIM PRICE JAZZ-A-DELIC band as well. I'm also looking for some summer jazz camps, University's and festivals to fill in dates this summer for 2013....I'm here for the asking. Hit me up at timpricejazz@aol.com. - - - Till next week...Music is the ultimate....Tim Price

Tim Price Blogging For Rico-Reflections,Living and learning.

When I listen to great music, not just jazz but great music I hear expression. Take for example Johnny Hodges. ANYTHING... Hodges played by the way! Expression, deep internalized emotional depth that brought the listener in.Stravinsky, Bach, John Lennon and thousands of others. No a bunch of flurries of fast notes.No matter what,technique must always serve an expressive idea. If you listen to Coltrane play " Russian Lullaby " there is a great example of what I just talked about. To use another example, Ernie Watts with Charlie Haden.( Charlie Haden Quartet West with string orchestra) as much horn as Ernie can play, you never hear how the chops are in the way of the artist.Great jazz players know that all they have is themselves. Doing what everyone else is doing is not an option.In the jazz community you don't get significant points for chest pounding every solo. Entry into the pantheon of great jazz is strictly reserved for those who play "who they are,". Internalization through performance is also suggested to get expression together- everything can NOT be gained in the practice room.You need to play and play more than just the cream gigs. Play the small out of the way spots to get your ideas to relax and meet new players. I would workshop my bands at the now defunt " Puppets" a great jazz bar in Brooklyn NY on off peak hours. Mid-day to get players together and to get things going. Often, I'd find a lot out. It was a beautiful place to, Jamie who ran it was a great guy and beautiful drummer. On peak hours I'd bring in bands like my " T.P.'s Kosmik Incubator" and we'd have a ball.Everything does not happen in the practice room!

An artist is a person who attempts to be in touch with the inner self in order to communicate in an abstract endeavor (i.e. music). An artist’s body of work is autobiographical and, at the same time, a means by which the artist communicates both individual and universal experiences that people will share. Of course there's your craft. Examples are numerous such as Getz’s bop period or Steve Lacy’s stream of consciousness. Both are major breakthroughs. In their given period. John McLaughlin, Cecil Taylor and Lester Young pushed the technique forward on their respective instruments and contributed to the evolution of the entire music as an art form. For a beginning artist, technique can lead to more knowledge and advances, but it has to be there. So in essence it's a matter of balance mixed with control and freedom. The challenge is to use both aspects at the right moments. As in life, it goes via art -constant search for balance between opposite tendencies; the ultimate yin-yang paradigm. I have great respect for the "tradition," the rules, and playing it within context and everything, I think it's great, but…what are YOU creating as an offering. Try to think the term "syntax" , which means a vernacular, a way of speaking. This music is speech and dialect. And there is a way of speaking.With all the grace and beauty of Cinderella's debut,creativity must exist.Far from the noise and lights of the city, when verbal communication seems unnecessary, knowingly inadequate.Acknowledge your deep need and desire to create. So in jazz, the art form itself says you're supposed to individualize it , that's the point . All that's understood, but your goal is not to repeat or to objectify this thing. It's to take it and have it be a living thing that you put your personality on. I feel that the music speaks absolutely louder than any dogma, any words can speak at all. And in the end, the music is connected.It's about how music ties into the "realms" and everything like that. It's just an understood, it's a given. In my thinking it is an artist's duty is to try to get in touch with that vibe through his work. It's the work and it's the art that will do. SO.. it's freedom, individual creativity. It is obviously possible, as many do, to improvise within certain stylistic or other constraints. While this is perfectly valid, and while it transcends such constraints, such as simplicity vs complexity, tonal vs atonal, intellectual vs intuitive, and so on. A step towards music-making where all possibilities can be genuinely embraced.There is a strong sense in which this really is playing music. This is a very liberating experience and is often found to be therapeutic as well. It feels good to start from zero, or just be you.

In my thinking it is an artist's duty is to try to get in touch with that vibe through his work. It's the work and it's the art that will do. SO.. it's freedom, individual creativity. It is obviously possible, as many do, to improvise within certain stylistic or other constraints. While this is perfectly valid, and while it transcends such constraints, such as simplicity vs complexity, tonal vs atonal, intellectual vs intuitive, and so on. A step towards music-making where all possibilities can be genuinely embraced.There is a strong sense in which this really is playing music. This is a very liberating experience and is often found to be therapeutic as well.It feels good to start from zero, or just be you.

THERE'S A BOOK OF INFO HERE ; FREE http://www.saxontheweb.net/Price/

~ Till next week- live to learn and learn to live and learn- Be well- Tim Price

Tim Price Blogging For Rico Reeds- Dick Hafer, Butch Morris. Remembering two masters who were about the music.

IMAGINATION...Commitment and a burning desire for the music. Butch Morris and Dick Hafer never met - but both in their own way possessed that trait. Dick Hafer, was a world class saxophonist who played for many of the name cutting edge big bands, died peacefully on December 15, 2012.He was born in Wyomissing, PA, on May 29, 1927.Dick's 60-plus years in the music business started with the Charlie Barnet Orchestra. He played with Woody Herman, Claude Thornhill, Benny Goodman, Lionel Hampton and many others. He recorded with Bobby Hackett, Charlie Mingus and Nat King Cole.

Dick also worked with such legendary vocalists as Peggy Lee, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Tony Bennett and Johnny Hartman. He played with the studio band on the Merv Griffin Show and on Broadway shows. Dick released two albums under his name titled "In a Sentimental Mood" and "Prez Impressions" (a tribute to Lester Young).

My favorites are ;With Johnny Hartman- The Voice That Is! (Impulse!, 1964); With Charles Mingus- Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus (Impulse!, 1963) - The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady (Impulse, 1963) In 1974 he moved to Los Angeles and worked as a studio musician for Merv Griffin, whom he came West with when the show changed coasts. He released two albums under his own name in the 1990s.To me, coming from Reading,Pa and knowing Dick's world class efforts- he was an inspiration to excellence. When I first moved to NYC in 1973- he used to run a jam session on Avenue A. I got friendly with him, and learned a lot just from talking to him. Years later, we started to exchange tapes and hang out when we could. He shared some amazing Anthony Ortega tapes with some beautiful jazz oboe solos on them. Dick was one of the " old school" guys along with players like Bill Perkins that I respected that inspired me to keep on doing my jazz bassoon playing. Dick was a fan of all things jazz- and to me anyone who played with both Mingus,Pee Wee Russell,Claude Thornhill,Mulligan, Benny Goodman and Bird was cutting edge. Quiet as it's kept. He also knew Lester Young, and told me stories about Prez. He remarked about Rico reeds to me as well- and mentioned all the major players used Rico reeds or LaVoz- it was just the way it was. Of course there were some exceptions, but you get my drift.

~ IN MY MIND...Dick Hafer would of been very fascinated by Butch Morris, and Butch would of been all about Dick's oboe and English horn playing.THERE IS A REALITY THERE.....As I played bassoon with Butch Morris- and can imagine the two of them becoming fast friends on the bandstand. Both of these men embraced excellence and forward motion in a beautiful way. Guys like this are born, and I'm glad to remember both of them, know them as friends and experience music with them in various ways. It's beyond a classroom or book. It's a beautiful reality I reflect on and am proud of.

The globetrotting projects of the American composer Lawrence "Butch" Morris, who has died of cancer aged 65, drew on the talents of players from many backgrounds, including US and European jazz, Turkish sufi music, Japanese kabuki theater, and classical music, dance and poetry. Morris described his approach as "an improvised duet for ensemble and conductor". Although he steered these encounters with a baton, his sign language was a homegrown technique he dubbed "conduction" – the definition of which has variously been given as a fusion of conducting and improvisation, and of combustion, ignition and propulsion.

Morris staged more than 150 conductions (most of them simply entitled by their number in the sequence) in more than 20 countries in as many years.His methods were a hybrid of conducting gestures borrowed from Horace Tapscott, Charles Moffett, Sun Ra, Lukas Foss and the electronics and computer composer Larry Austin. Innovator and a legend in the world of music- Butch will be someone who is never forgotten. I played bassoon with Butch in various periods- he was a very unique and gifted man.

~ There was nothing like Butch Morris in music till Butch emerged. A visionary. Dick Hafer is one of the real ones from Reading, Pa and is on records with Bird, Mingus and others. These masters paid their dues, and earned their stripes the hard way. I respect them for that- and let them both be a benchmark to every player, student and fan that reads this Rico Blog. Butch, Dick...I bow deeply in your shadow.RIP gentlemen- thank you for the inspiration. ~ TIM PRICE WWW.TIMPRICEJAZZ.COM