Tim Price Bloggin' For Rico Reeds- PIANO...for saxophonists. ( and instrumentalists that play jazz.)

- - - HEY NOW...Tim Price Bloggin' for Rico Reeds,,,,with a holiday bonus blog!PIANO...for saxophonists. ( and instrumentalists that play jazz.)This is a blog about piano voicing in jazz, and pop, for the non-pianist to better understand the function and harmony of the music.If you're a non-pianist musician looking to understand the basics of Jazz piano - this is for you.Here are two simple voicings,though II-V-Is in all keys.I developed this as the text for a basic one-semester course for music majors, and if you work at this every day, within four months you'll be able to comp off a lead sheet with confidence, and comp II-V chords with your students for instruction. This is not all inclusive- it is the tip of the iceberg.Try these, and part 2 is on it's way next week. AND SOME ALTERATIONS TO THE V7 Chord ; ; ; ; Listening assignment ; Go to you tube, study these pianists. Now. Art Tatum , Mary Lou Williams , Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Thelonious Monk , Bud Powell , Red Garland, Bill Evans , Ahmad Jamal ,Wynton Kelly, Sonny Clarke,Dave McKenna, Phineas Newborn , Lennie Tristano, McCoy Tyner, Herbie Hancock , Chick Corea ,Marian McPartland , Joanne Brackeen , Stanley Cowell , Hal Galper,Mike LeDonne, This is the mini-list I could go on for days- But go to you tube, LISTEN TO THESE MASTERS. Listen to the comping behind soloists. The way they use that! Study, listen and absorb. MORE COMING, PART 2 IS ON IT'S WAY....this will help you in the most basic way. Thanks- Tim Price

Tim Price Bloggin' For Rico Reeds- HAPPY 80th BIRTHDAY WAYNE SHORTER.

- HAPPY 80th BIRTHDAY WAYNE SHORTER- Thank you for a retreat from reality. - Wayne Shorter is one of the few musicians who can create a larger-than-life experience through the combined forces of exceptional music, a beautiful instrument, and uncommonly facile communicative skills. Charles Lloyd, Benny Golson and Lew Tabackin immediately come to mind as well. All RICO artists by the way. If I was a producer- I would have had Wayne Shorter and Monk record together, that would have been an adventure. In his performances Wayne Shorter creates transcendent masterpieces in time, space and sound and finds a perfect balance between a romantic, rhapsodic interpretations. To immediately appreciate the very resonant sound that emphasizes what is Wayne Shorter, be it his soprano playing or tenor is one of life’s pleasures. Wayne Shorter is one of the real major sax players. But it's the combination of playing and composing that makes him one of the greatest of all times. I’m going to talk about something you might know of- but also I urge all to immediately check out. Listen and study. A few recordings that are classic. Here they are- 'Speak no evil' together with 'Adams apple' and 'Schizophrenia' you will get a perfect idea of Shorter’s early work and his huge talent. In my opinion these albums are a must in understanding the evolution of jazz. 'Speak no evil' is about composition. The five artists play in service of the compositions. It is about the carpet of sound and not the individual qualities. There's room for space and melodic poetry. This new approach is to be followed up for decades. It is the first solo album of Shorter without the Coltrane band The second album is Schizophrenia. The liner notes explains the title as 'a retreat from reality'. Shorter finds new paths and that would make him a split-personality in a time where people are used to stay on the same course. All the six players follow this new course and all find themselves more than capable. The music is soulful and more important it is funky. Shorter playing is often compared with Coltrane. His qualities put him next to Coltrane, Rollins and Parker. But in doing so, there is another category, Wayne Shorter. 'Adam's apple' is the third great album of Wayne Shorter. With a lot of Miles Davis Quintet experience Shorter makes his best album. The compositions are (again) all beautiful, but it is the power in the playing that makes the album. It is full, sentimental, drama, spacious and often surprising. And, mind you, this is only a quartet playing! Juju is one of the most important recordings for me, and I would think everyone who takes the time to listen. This album is Wayne's first in a long series of classic recordings for the Blue Note label. In trying to put this session in perspective with his other mid-sixties recordings as a leader, I find that Wayne has not yet fully developed and presented his compositional skills. While "Night Dreamer" exhibits some fine performances by all, his second Blue Note, "JuJu", combines equally fine performances as well as some of Wayne's most notable compositions. His third Blue Note offering, "Speak No Evil" is very strong compositionalllty, in a category of it’s own.Recorded in April, 1964, this session features Lee Morgan (trumpet), McCoy Tyner (piano), Reggie Workman (bass) and the incomparable Elvin Jones on drums. The rhythm section of McCoy, Reggie and Elvin had worked extensively together in John Coltrane's quartet, and Wayne and Lee as front men for Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. Besides the long-standing relationships, these five jazz giants recorded many sessions in various combinations throughout the early sixties. That is not to say that the communication skills they must have developed are too obvious in this recording. They don't always seem to weave the same color and texture of fabric as we might expect. - Night Dreamer - A simple, relaxing piece in 3/4 time. Wayne is typically expressive, and Lee is clean and sharp. McCoy's solo searches for but never finds a groove. Wayne takes us out with another equally revealing, gritty improvisation. Elvin provides his typical vigorous and strong presence. Oriental Folk Song - Nothing Oriental about this tune, a relaxed 4/4 swing number with a simple head. Wayne is short and sweet, but not one of best solos. Virgo - A gorgeous Wayne ballad. Wayne's sound throughout is rich, eloquent and his notes soulful, yet optimistic. Reggie and McCoy's accompaniment is mature and sensitive, as is Elvin's brush work. Virgo (alternate take) - Even more passionate than the primary take. I preferred this one. Absolutely wonderful. Black Nile - Finally, has earned him the renown as one of great jazz composers of his time. The head features Wayne and Lee harmonizing in a spirited, energetic tempo. Wayne takes honors and digs real deep. Lee follows, and cooks behind some of Elvin's most explosive and inspirational drumming of the session. McCoy follows with one his best solos of the date. Elvin cleans up with a nice solo, then out.Charcoal Blues - A simple, yet interesting blues head followed by a rich, bluesy Wayne solo that creeps outside at the end, yet it really works, despite the blues changes lurking behind him. McCoy follows suit and pounds out a blues solo in his typical chromatic style, which works equally well. Armageddon - Wayne’s finest composition of the album - haunting and provocative. There is no question that every student of music, not just jazz or saxophone, should listen to these works. Study them deeply and let the unique frame of mind, and creative zenith wash over your soul. What Mr. Shorter has created in this music is as is as important as Strayhorn and Bach as well as via mind set and brilliance Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Galileo Galilei as well. Think about it- you’ll get my point of view. One enhances the other. Vastly empowered and limitless in his capacities for development, and embracing all knowledge and capacities as fully as possible. A modern day polymath and universal genius, listen and observe. Wayne is best appreciated by hearing the varied approaches of the many great recordings he made as well from his early years with Art Blakey to Miles and Weather Report. It’s a life long remarkable demonstration of artistry- nothing like it in this life. To me, there is endless beauty, ideas and always brilliantly played and deeply expressive, the man is a treasure, a stunning and inspiring human being blazing a path every time he writes, plays or talks. Happy 80th Wayne Shorter, and thank you sir for a retreat from reality. - Go to you tube- listen to WAYNE SHORTER, Chief Crazy Horse - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PC4qhVvSPMk // Wayne Shorter - Adam's Apple -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esPaveeO9ME // Wayne Shorter, "Ruby and the Pearl"- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhY5V7Z9oco // Wayne Shorter Quartet - Zero Gravity/ Lotus 2010 -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTQMj4180CM......DON'T STOP THERE- HEAR HIM LIVE AS MUCH AS YOU CAN.....Thank you Mr Shorter- TIM PRICE

Tim Price Bloggin' For Rico Reeds- The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena.

~ So many times people musically are concerned about harsh reviews that serve no purpose and just thrash the artist. The common sense of communication, respect and review are lost forever in this kind of situation. The great teacher Charlie Banacos once shared the below quote with me of Theodore Roosevelt which sums it all up nicely. “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.” Theodore Roosevelt And...to take it a step even further...some words from Rico artist Jerry Bergonzi ; "It's none of your business what other people think of your playing" - Jerry Bergonzi Here's a helpful hint to gain new dimension ; Replace the same old videos you watch on youtube with classic jazz recordings.Start listening more to masters and study the real history of what your playing! Youtube can be a great starting point- but keep on searching. Listen to more String Quartets, more Woodwind Quintets, read more about composers. Open a book, listen to Bill Evans, Bartok, read Boulez.Study scores, and get past the same stuff. The world is out there go find it.Live music needs your support! I continue to explore and learn all I can about all music in the quest to develop a voice.The more I know about what’s behind the music the more profound the effect is on my musical psyche. Being a complete musician goes well beyond the notes- much more than that. I’m grateful for the era that I came up in, and the teachers, musicians that made me aware of these values. Balance! I hope my words on this issue, in the process inspire people to do the right thing.Go hear some live music, support the people playing NOW, be part of it. Till next week be in the moment and make every moment the best it can be. Tim price

Tim Price Bloggin' for Rico Reeds- Steven Van Zandt, THE RASCALS & music for the sake of music.

~ Music has a larger game plan, if you realize it.A master plan, and something that you can return to. There's a quality to something great- THE RASCALS were great. When I was in high school the B3 Hammond sound was in my mind, Jimmy Smith, Groove Holmes and Don Patterson in jazz.But....when I heard Felix, in THE RASCALS I was sold. " Good Lovin' " and a legacy of great great music. Through their records- I loved the jazzy additions of Buzzy Feiten, Alice Coltrane, Joe Farrell and " White Trash" saxophone giant Jon Smith. Everything THE RASCALS did was off the hook and the highest level of _REAL MUSIC_ever.Beyond category if you will. I REPRINTED A ARTICLE ABOUT THE RASCALS.....And some advise from Steven Van Zandt. I read this- and it hit me directly about what Steven Van Zandt is talking about. I always dug his frame of mind, in the music business this could apply anywhere. I think readers of this RICO REEDS BLOG...Will get what I'm pointing at as well. Check it out- and do re-visit THE RASCALS music as you do. It's all great music, and an adventure that is open to all. TORONTO - Rocker Steven Van Zandt has some advice for recording artists who plan to step outside their already successful bands. "It's OK to do other things, but don't ever give up the band and don't ever give up your power base, don't ever give up the fact that you have succeeded in being identified by an audience," says the renowned guitarist for Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, who's done various solo projects, acted on "The Sopranos" and now stars in the Netflix series "Lilyhammer." "You have a relationship with an audience, which is a miracle, an absolute miracle, OK. It only happens in one out of a million people. Don't take that for granted — ever. Nourish that, evolve it, support it, feed it. "You can put it aside if you want to for a year, maybe two occasionally if you want to explore other things, but always come back." He also cautions against taking a strong band chemistry for granted. "You want to feel you don't need them, you never needed them, it was an aberration, it was a weird moment in your life, it was a freak incident, and now you're getting on with your real life. Well, that's almost never the case," says Van Zandt. "Destiny was at work or whatever you want to call it, maybe luck, maybe circumstance — but there were forces at work that allowed that thing to happen and you cannot disregard it, and probably you're never going to be able to create that experience again in your life." The subject of band breakups is one Van Zandt feels strongly about, having worked for 30 years to get soul-rockers the Rascals to reunite — efforts that resulted in them signing on to his concert/theatre show creation "Once Upon a Dream," which opens at Toronto's Royal Alexandra Theatre on Tuesday. Frontman Eddie Brigati, keyboardist Felix Cavaliere, drummer Dino Danelli and Ottawa-born guitarist Gene Cornish shot to fame in the mid- and late-'60s with their smooth R&B sound on hits including "Groovin,'" "Good Lovin'" and "It’s a Beautiful Morning." Van Zandt became a fan in '65, when he saw them perform at a roller rink in New Jersey. "The Rascals were sort of our own homegrown heroes, two of them were actually from New Jersey but we just adopted them as our own," says the songwriter/producer/syndicated radio host, wearing a signature bandana on his head in a recent interview at the Royal Alex. Van Zandt didn't realize it at the time, but Springsteen was at the same show. They were just teenagers and it was one of the first rock bands the longtime friends/collaborators had ever seen. "It was an enormously influential moment in our lives," says the 62-year-old, who co-founded Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes and several of Springsteen's early bands. But in 1970, the Rascals split and went on to various projects, resulting in what Van Zandt calls an "adversarial situation." Van Zandt first tried to reunite them around '82, feeling they still had "the goods" and that their place in rock 'n' roll history was yet to be carved in stone. He also recruited Danelli for his solo band and Cavaliere for his first solo album. The group was reluctant to get back together just for the sake of money, though. "Too much time had gone by, they're very idealistic individuals, they're very artistically sensitive, they're very sort of protective of their legacy, with good reason," says Van Zandt. Three years ago, Van Zandt finally convinced them to play together at a cancer charity concert. Then he wrote "The Rascals: Once Upon a Dream" stage show and convinced them to perform in it and tell their story in pre-recorded segments onscreen. (Actors also portray parts of their career onstage.) The show, directed by Van Zandt and staging and lighting expert Marc Brickman, was a sold-out hit on Broadway. Van Zandt says the group still has a "magical chemistry" and the same idealism they had in the '60s. And he credits his anti-apartheid and humanitarian efforts in South Africa in the '80s with giving him the negotiation tools necessary to make the reunion finally happen. "Somewhere along the line, I don't know why or how, I found there's a part of my brain that's really good at conflict resolution. Who knew?" he says with a laugh. "I found I was very good at it and I used what I learned in those political years with the Rascals." © Copyright 2013 - See more at: http://www.courierislander.com/cmlink/gmg-glacier-media-group/canadian-press/entertainment/music/steven-van-zandt-says-bands-should-learn-from-the-rascals-breakup-makeup-1.575349/#sthash.sj7dGSyN.dpuf CHECK THIS OUT- SAXOPHONISTS- - >> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uCdCzl1m1A ......Joe Farrell playing soprano. Also-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTtVDpt2Uhk . . . Jon Smith- tenor sax solo- one of the baddest sax solos in rock & roll saxophone ever. Nasty funky King Super 20 with an old Brill level air mouthpiece...IN YOUR FACE! Dig it. - - THANK YOU..See ya'll next week- TIM PRICE

Tim Price Bloggin' For Rico Reeds- Space and you.

The experience of creating space – within your body, your life, and with others – is incredibly liberating. I know that the more space I give myself, the more grounded I feel within who I am. And the more space I create the deeper connection I experience in my music and life. This isn’t really about physical ‘space’, but about creating space in the way you communicate and interact with others. This means not letting thoughts interrupt the connection that’s being created between you and the other person. It’s a feeling of spaciousness that exists within your body and inner self. It’s an experience of being clear, present and grounded in who you truly are – and using that connection as the foundation for relating to others from a more authentic and meaningful place. The ability to create space with others in this way has deepened as I’ve learnt to be more present and aware within my own body and self. As I take time to connect with the whole of who I am on a daily basis, my mind has becomes quieter and I feel more in tune with my authentic self. From this space, I’m naturally able to be more present with others without loosing that inner connection to myself. Being present to someone in this way may not always seem ‘easy’. If you let yourself, you can easily become distracted by your thinking: including devising what you’ll say next; mulling over your judgements about the other person (or worrying about what they think of you); feeling a need to interrupt their speaking with your own opinion; or thinking about something else entirely. I’ve fallen into this trap too, many times. Connecting with others authentically takes a conscious commitment in the moment. In my own experience, when I make that commitment, I find I’m rewarded many times over. Rewarded – not because I’ve been able to ‘contribute’ through my words – but because the experience of being truly present provides a much deeper, fulfilling sense of connection between everything. Beyond music, life and anything. Internal joy. IF....YOU DESIRE...A feeling of spaciousness that exists within your body and inner self. It’s an experience of being clear, present and grounded in who you truly are – and using that connection as the foundation for relating to others from a more authentic and meaningful place....Then give yourself the respect and open up.You might find that a dead end has become a doorway. - - - Till next week- take some walks, turn off the Iphone and facebook and live- Enjoy- Tim Price