Tim Price Bloggin' For Rico Reeds- “Great art presupposes the alert mind of the educated listener”

“Great art presupposes the alert mind of the educated listener”.....Arnold Schoenberg "I believe what I do and do only what I believe; and woe to anybody who lays hands on my faith. Such a man I regard as an enemy, and no quarter given!" -Schoenberg on his peculiar style of music. -- -Schoenberg's music can be difficult for the first time listener - that I admit. If you give it some time, though, it begins to make much more sense, and the passion and expression written into the score begin to come out. It may not happen the first or second time you listen, but if you put forth an effort, it will happen. Let's start with - Peripetie - Arnold Schoenberg. Take a week, listen to it once a day. Watch how what YOU hear in the music develops. The music is utterly seamless,The sound is rich and full-bodied.Arnold Schoenberg has become my "go to" choice for inspiration. Urgently recommended.He wrote for the muse of music. My kinda hero. Do not forget as well...Berks Jazz Festival.Sunday, April 7 Workshop: Tim Price's Jazz in the Classroom Time: 11:00 a.m. Admission: FREE (donations accepted) The Jazz in the Classroom workshop is part of Tim Price's popular "Adventures in Jazz Series." In performance-oriented settings, Tim Price works with young artists to improve both musical awareness and technical skills. When circumstances allow, it is informative and interesting for directors and teachers to help their students prepare materials to play in a master class setting. Students and faculty benefit from both the performance itself and Tim's expansion of musical ideas along with a fresh, creative perspective. FACTS...And answers learned from the masters and real life experience on the bandstand- come by and hang, study and have fun with Tim !In the clinic forum, Tim encourages students to participate by presenting relevant subjects and compositions by the masters , asking questions and sharing musical and, sometimes, personal concerns. Tim will then respond through discussion and demonstration. Tim will also urge participating faculty and students to express their thoughts and share their experiences and feelings on matters under discussion. These ideas provide a great point of departure and inspiration for students of all ages and musical levels. AND....Tim Price Jazz-A-Delic Thursday, April 11, 7 p.m. Gerald Veasley's Jazz Base Crowne Plaza Reading Tickets: $15 ORDER TICKETS Berks native Tim Price is no stranger to the Berks Jazz Fest. Price has appeared at the festival for over two decades and counting! For the upcoming fest, Price will showcase his Jazz-A-Delic project, featuring vibraphonist/percussionist Randy Sutin, who has been creating music with Tim for over 26 years; drummer/composer/educator Sean Kennedy; and superstar bassist Mark Amentt. - -- TAKE IT EASY...Catch you next week- Tim Price

Tim Price Bloggin' For Rico Reeds- Jazz-A-Delic...more than ever.

The word is ~ imagination !! Using your intuition and feelings when improvising is most important be it at the most advanced level or just a basic beginner. To thoroughly approach this as an art form and something that has deep meaning is most important. The masters when they played, be it Johnny Dodds or Sidney Bechet or Bud Powell on through the greats like Wayne Shorter or Charlie Mariano all came from a very deep place. At times, this place is something that you must go to in a natural way. Nothing cosmic about it, it's almost like a trance. It's almost like when your telling someone a story and you close your eyes and you're taking them somewhere with you. Art Pepper wrote a song about this called "The Trip." Stan Getz called this frame of mind the "alpha state." Whether its experienced in dreams, altered states, or simply sitting in solitude, the artist must be aware of the visionary realm. In Buddhist culture and other forms of spiritual thought, this is called the "third eye." It is the sixth in the series of energy centers in the body known as Charka. The sixth Charka contains and controls knowledge, intuition, and perception. Inherent to any of these philosophies of the "third eye" is recognition and attention paid to the source of human creativity. This human creativity can be one of the deepest subconscious forms of communication in the world. Opening your thoughts to the unknown realms of your own imagination. Many times musicians inquest to unlock the force behind this theory of the eye has shadowed their colleagues throughout ancient history. In my humble opinion, the subconscious travel that one can take studying Buddhism or any of those particular forms runs a very strong parallel to the stunning body of work of many jazz saxophone players. ~ ~ The music chose me. When somebody has a situation where they're playing music at an age like I was in 8th grade. At that particular time there were only 3 TV stations. I had no distractions, I had already gotten the sports bug out of my system due to a bout with scarlet fever I had as a kid. So for a few weeks I was restricted from sports, at that same time I had started saxophone lessons in 8th grade. A woman who worked with my mother at the telephone company was a Gerry Mulligan fan, she had given my mom a Gerry Mulligan record for me with Chet Baker and Chico Hamilton. My attention span was captured by that music. A few days later I found a radio station in Philly that was on all the time. I heard Lee Morgan play the " Sidewinder" . I had no idea who Lee Morgan was and no idea that I was listening to Joe Henderson until I saw his name. Something in the music, whether it was the freshness of how Mulligan or Lee Morgan played or something else that I couldn't put my finger on drew me in. From then on I was listening to the radio, taking my saxophone lessons, and playing in school bands in Junior High. I saw an ad for Berklee in a Downbeat. I realized that at that particular point in time I had to go there. From then on I realized where my path was. What is your experience when you feel connected into the music? This question could be answered a number of ways. I'll be blunt-THERE'S NOTHING LIKE IT IN THE WORLD! There's a euphoria and a feeling of deep interaction with what you're creating. You're inside something. I'm not standing there trying to be someone else by playing someone else's style or licks. My goal is to start from zero and try to add something to the music. This is something I've learned and been influenced by studying with masters such as Charlie Mariano, who has a great internalization of not only saxophone command but commitment to creativity. You have to understand even if you're playing simple triadic rock n' roll or the most harmonically ad vanced stuff. You're going for a groove. I have an unreleased CD that's called " Bombay Bar Walking" , and the vibe is no matter if you're at a corner bar in Philly and you're playing tenor in the pocket or you're sitting crossed legged with a tabla player to your right-no matter what you're going for that zone. I also stay neutral to all musical appetites.It's a personal thing.Personal is of supreme importance to me. That means to be oneself in any given setting.I am an unabashed eclectic, meaning interested in many different musical idioms.This goes back to my formative years, when I was exposed to all styles of music which I was involved in. Great rock & roll bands, playing creative jazz everyday at Berklee where I graduated from,playing organ group funky jazz in the " Combat Zone",backing "soul" acts and big bands. Also sitting in the same room with my mentor Charlie Mariano playing, studying and getting life lessons from that master innovative genius. I was always attracted to many diverse areas of music and when I began to construct my own musical landscape I found a "zone" within' the path I was seeking. That's where its at. That zone that everyone looks for is as important as anything. That is my spring board. How many times have we witnessed a player deep in a trance way beyond the environment he is in, whether it's a club, or a concert or just in a corner practicing? He's in another space for sure! What I have experienced is a kind of network between the people improvising (a mental network you could say) where many are connected and there is a kind of dialogue going on without any words being spoken.Like the great bands of Miles Davis or Wayne Shorter or John Coltrane. I'm pretty sure that many times, a person sitting cross-legged in deep meditation is in the same spiritual space as a tenor sax player behind a bar with a screaming organ trio and his eyes closed...playing from the deepest spot in his soul. What I'm getting at here is nothing cosmic or nothing too whacked out...what I'm trying to bring your attention is music needs all the imagination from an individual it can get. When unconscious-unspoken communication, traveling at the speed of thought, becomes the only or at least the truest form of communication, you just know everything is clicking just like it should ... the energy is like a ball and bounces around through glances and body comunication.It is awesome, it's the inner spirit of your mind in it's highest form. At this point in time in jazz, everything seems to be published and everything seems to almost be written down. We are in a great educational state. But where are the people who are really reaching within and trusting themselves to their own creative muse? This is the element that I am addressing here. As a student of music, take some time to think about using your intuition. As Bird said, "First you master the music, then you master your horn, then you forget all that shit and just play!" We need to keep that in the front part of our minds and make that a slogan similar to the many people who look to their "third eye." As you see, I'm trying to point out a parallel in creative paths. It's not easy. But it is easy when you bring it into your own consciousness and try to practice these aspects. Sure, licks, lines, inversions, and all that good stuff is of paramount importance. But let us not forget to keep the magic in the music. Give all that you have and you shall receive more than you can imagine experiencing when playing jazz! Lively Up Yourself ! Only 31 days...till Tim Price Jazz-A-Delic @ Berks Jazz Festival. Sean J. Kennedy....Mark Amentt...Randy Sutin & I will be "Steppin Out"...because... " Love Has No Pride". We talkin'...Jazz-A-delic shuffle "SK" grooves with jah Natty Dread mixed with stritch, vibes, bass-ooga-boo-galoo & nipple gongs , straight tenor...Datta tenor...electro-bassoon whammy and Libby Titus meets Pee Wee Russell & straight up fun. Mark your calendar's and....Lively Up Yourself with the Jazz-A-Delic. IMAGINATION...on the set. Come get some. Your gratitude empowers others to play even better. Remember fear destroys the souls ability to create. So start now and use the power of love to encompass all your decisions so fear has no room to exist in your life. Remove fear from your thoughts and you remove and limitations. All is illusion and all illusion is yours to control. So be connected. Everything happens for a reason. Chance is limited to a coin. Decision is limited to free will. We are limited to our decisions. So decide to burn and get down with the music you love. Decide to bring something to the music. The word is ~ imagination ! Jazz-A-delic...and more! ~ TIM PRICE

Tim Price Bloggin' For Rico Reeds- Self Expression.

If self expression is the pinnacle of art (or if you at least agree it is very important) and if you desire (and attempt) to express yourself in music, you are an artist. In the past, I would not have used the label "Artist" to describe anyone that was not already great at creating genuine art. I typically reserved the words, art, artist and musician for only the highest levels of excellence. But as a teacher of saxophones, bassoon, flute, clarinet, and the many forms of jazz I have changed my use of these terms for the benefit of all students. SO..... I believe "Self Expression" is the pinnacle of all art. Anything less, "is less" in my opinion. I'm not going to debate that view or try to persuade any of you to also believe it. Instead I am going to assume you already hold that view and discuss ways in which I may be able to offer you both philosophical and practical advice. Street sense, if you will. The first step is to stop thinking of yourself as merely a musician. I'll take this one step further and recommend against thinking of yourself as a musician! You are, or are at least learning to become, an artist. Music just happens to be your medium and oboe just happens to be your instrument, but YOU are the artist. From this day forward when someone asks you what you do or who you are, don't reply by saying you are a saxophonist, clarinetist or musician. Tell them (in a non-arrogant way) you are an artist. If they want more details than that, go ahead and tell them music is your medium. I guarantee you will put an entirely different impression in other people's minds than if you were to. But beyond the impressions of others, you will begin to put stronger impressions in your own mind that you are in fact an artist (even if you are still in the learning stage of fully becoming one). The way you view yourself (as an artist and not merely someone who owns a guitar and plays it sometimes) is very important to the way you will think about what you are doing musically. The way you see yourself will also effect the results you will get as you are expressing yourself. To be truly self expressive one must actually know what one is trying to express! Did you ever look back on a conversation you had and fantasize about talking to that person in a more authentic way than you did? Perhaps it was someone who mistreated you and instead of telling them how you felt about it, you walked away feeling dis-empowered and wishing you had stood up for yourself. For some of us, speaking our truth, in the moment, may be difficult because of fear of confrontation and lack of confidence, but not speaking our truth can have damaging effects on self-esteem and even health. “People often say that this person or that person has not yet found himself. But the self is not something that one finds.When we think about ourselves, we tend to think in a certain way about our skills, strengths and talents. We narrowly define ourselves, meaning we live life from a certain way of thinking and being, which limits our experiences. We can re-create ourselves at anytime and choose to define ourselves in other ways. Explore new ways of thinking and being, and you may discover that you have talents and passions you never knew existed. THINK ABOUT IT. We can help birth ideas and create new possibilities for our life with creative techniques. Some creative techniques to try include: writing daily about anything that’s on your mind,( HOW DO YOU THINK I DO THESE BLOGS? ha ha ) keeping an idea book that you can carry with you, using mind maps for creative problem-solving, brainstorming, and creating vision boards. Many of us rarely, if ever, take time out from our harried schedules to become an observer of our own life and who we are being. We get so bogged down in daily activities and obligations that days, months, and years fly by. Take time to step back from your life and see whether you are truly happy, fulfilled, using your talents, and pursuing your passions. You can even hire a life coach to help you with self-exploration to gain knowledge that can open up new possibilities for you. ~ These are things that are on my mind. Thinks like self expression, finding better ways to open the channel and so on. As well as this amazing _Straight tenor saxophone_made by Sax Dakota. The avenue of self-expression and fun abound here. Why? Because the sound inspires me. It's very unique, it's organized via the straight tube of the tenor. I'm really knocked out by how it inspires me. But more on this as you hear me play it live too. Till next week...be well and stay on your path. ~ Tim Price ............The thing always happens...That you really believe in;And the belief in the thing...Makes it happen Don't bunt, aim out of the ball park....Aim for the company of the immortals....Shifting our misbeliefs is our assignment....Carlos Santana - 2013

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