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The
impression that reading this book leaves is in complete agreement with
Ellington's words on Armstrong: "He went from poverty to richness
without hurting anyone on the way", which to me means a faithful
description of the man and his work.
More than a
biography, it is a well written & documented story of a beloved
American and the music he nurtured for a lifetime.
Bottom line, if you want to learn about the man and ' the music ', this is the definitive source.
He was a man who applied his
skills wisely to making a career in life, in the midst of terrible odds.
He played his cards wisely (his God-given talent), minded his own
business, and became an American icon. He is the 20th century epitome of
hard work plus genius makes it. A true disciple of Frederick Douglass.
He was also a man who couldn't hate or hold a grudge, and was despised
for that by those pharisees in the business.History
records soldiers, academics and others as American heroes. Rarely, if
ever, are great artists so dubbed, although they are able to shape our
thinking, change our perceptions and, subsequently, make changes in the
world we live in.
As soon as
popular critics and serious scholars started writing about that
uniquely American pop music, jazz, they wrote about Armstrong. They
couldn't avoid it because Armstrong, more than any other individual, set
the standards and many of the conventions for jazz, in his playing and
his singing. (Where would Bing Crosby have been without Louis to
imitate?) He wasn't the first great jazz soloist: Sidney Bechet holds
that honor by a few years. And Armstrong's seminal group, the Hot Five
(later Hot Seven), played outside the recording studio just one time. It
was never a working group, never a combo formed to play in the clubs
and dance halls where jazz was being forged in the twenties and
thirties.
Trying to imagine jazz without Armstrong is like trying
to imagine modern art without Picasso or the essay form without
Montaigne. His contemporaries knew it and admitted it. Even those who
were on the outs with him -Earl Hines, Coleman Hawkins--knew that Louis
was The Man. Red Allen, the trumpeter with (to my mind) the most
beautiful sound in jazz, wanted nothing more than to sound like Louis.
Jack Teagarden tried to play him on the trombone (and succeeded).
POPS, Terry Teachout's biography of Louis
Armstrong does that. With the skill of a fine writer, the accuracy of a
fine journalist and the sensitivity of a musician (all of which he is)
he approaches Louis Armstrong's innovative musical talent within the
context of America's history; of the time that the book covers and
America's past. Those things that made the man and his genius and
personality almost inevitable.The admiration felt
by the author does not mire the story: it is easy to read and fast
paced, to the point, and no digressions are present.
To me- this book is one of the gateways into more than just Pops ....it's life and music as it should be.
I loved it madly. . . . Tim Price
Tim Price Bloggin' For D'Addario Woodwinds- Musical evolution & more....
Hope your life is filled with nice notes and some new musical
activity. I’ve been home writing and listening to music for some
inspiration.Teaching a lot too, on Skype and in the studio.
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.
Take it a step further
Bob Dylan plays the same 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 propagate it as much as you can. As
always,strive for tone and help your school music programs, in every way
you can.
The Art Of The 4 bar phrase. Take this study below & play the phrases-
hear the melodic shape of the 4 bars. Not just notes but the musical
sentence or phrase. Look at my pencil marks in case you need. Do this
for a week- 6 Times a day. No mistakes or do it over. Look at your
transcriptions, you’ll hear a all new idea. To hear..is to see and visa
versa.
True improvising has a completely different dimension to it. That element is “spontaneity”.
This means that you are forced to create music right on the spot,
without having any time to prepare anything in advance. Obviously, this
kind of playing is challenging, both from the mental and physical
standpoint. It is more challenging from the mental standpoint because
you are forced to come up with cohesive musical ideas right as you are
playing, without having any time to analyze which phrases will flow well
together.
Always keep your focus on dreams and visions close dear reader,
along with a larger picture of unconditional human faith. Your music
will blossom- and results will be inspiring to you and others.
See ya'll
next week. This weeks blog is dedicated to Bob Feldman, saxophonist- actor-friend.
(1938-2018).
~ Tim Price
This major seventh chord bebop line carries harmonic interest and a nice intervalic shape.
Listen to
the line as you play it. Study the intervals, shape, and harmony of it.
Then start to write some of your own major seventh lines based on
mine.
Start with the part of the study at letter [A]. Try all tempos and use some phrasing you like.
Try all tempos and use some phrasing you like.
At letter [B]
we employ the full range of the saxophone. You must get out your
fingering charts and isolate the hard parts of the line until you get
this. Hard work will pay off! The only way to play "off the horn" is
to study it and put it to use on an idea like this. Take your time. - Click on the music to enlarge the page ok.
~Tim Price
Sonnymoon for.....YOU !
This is Sonny on RIVERSIDE in 1957, when as the liners say, he was
undisputed ruling the DOWNBEAT critic's poll and at the top of his form.
I like this album because Sonny hits on some better known standards, but
turns them into vehicles for his rich imagination as a leader and
soloist... the tunes are catchy even before his solos (with the opening
moments of JUST IN TIME bordering on almost weird), but once he starts
soloing, things swing... majorly...The rhythm section needless to say is
fitting... Sonny Clark on piano, Percy Heath and Paul Chambers on bass,
Roy Haynes on drums. Sonny's tricky rhythms have Sonny C. laying out on
THE LAST TIME I SAW PARIS - - I guess the man from St. Thomas could
baffle the best ! His playing is energetic, colorful and graceful. It
seems to engender respect for the material as well as his band mates as
demonstrated by the seemless manner in which he migrates between varied
rhythm sections. I especially enjoyed the international "flavor" of
"Mangoes," an interesting counterpoint to "The Last Time I Saw Paris."
What I love about this album is that it demonstrates what an engaging
player Sonny is and was... regardless of the tempo or tune he really
gets your attention... even before the solos... I also like how he
clearly states the melodies to the tunes, yet put his own things into
it. The solos can be very simplistic yet hard driving at the same
time... at other times, he'll lay a flurry of notes on you... That was
another strength of his... to play on space and time and do it cleverly,
yet always deep within the pocket. He was definitely one of the few
immediate post-Parker players who had his own rhythmic thing going... a
big fat fluent swingin' sound that makes you pay attention to each and
every moment... and again, cute and clever ideas for the arrangements,
showing the reason why he was a LEADER and not a sideman. THIS...is one
of my favorite albums in jazz ever. If you know me- You know I'm a Sonny
Clark fan as well."The Sound of Sonny" is Sonny Rollins' first and only
recording with one of my all-time favorite bop pianists, Sonny Clark.
Like most Sonny albums from this period, 80% of the material here is
standards. However, it is a perfect blend of familiar and seldom heard
standards, up-tempo grooves and touching ballads. Of particular interest
here is Sonny's first unaccompanied solo recording ("It Could Happen To
You"). "The Sound Of Sonny" ranks right up there with the best of them.
Rollins' performance on this classic from 1957 not only solidified him
as one of the greatest tenors of his generation, but, along with all of
the other material from his illustrious fifty plus year career, has
stood the test of time to make him one of the all-time greatest
musicians regardless of style. Backed by a duo of legends in bassist Ray
Brown and drummer Shelly Manne, Rollins cooks from beginning to end. He
is in prime form, still a relatively unknown tenor when this album came
out, he plays like a man ahead of his years. Sonny's tone is hard,
percussive, rasping, and even playful, a full spectrum of colors and
moods. What makes this a truly great album is that every single note
Rollins plays is a highlight. His soloing stands up to repeated
listening and rewards the effort with something new each time through.
Manne and Brown contribute fantastic performances of their own, matching
Rollins by producing phenomenal solos of their own.Sonny was in his
absolute prime when he cut Way Out West. No tennor ever had a better
tone than "Newk", and that includes some very exclusive company,
(Coltrane, Getz, Shorter, etc.) The painstaking remastering job here
brings out the brilliance of his majestic sound. To me Sonny's pharsing
has always had the same inherent rhythm as the great post-war singers
like Sinatra and Tony Bennett. Without a single bad note or overstated phrase, Way Out West is some of the best hard-bop you'll ever hear.
Fortunately Sonny is still going strong and at seventy-something he is
still producing vital music for us to enjoy. Even the usually
aggravating practice of sticking alternate takes behind the originals
hardly makes a difference. Rollins, Manne, and Brown are so brimming
with ideas, the longer alternates offer the listener just that much more
of a good thing. This is one of those albums that needs to be in every
jazz collection, even the cover photo is a classic. .
"Rollins Plays for Bird" is vintage Sonny Rollins -- an album with the
perfect combination of medium tempo hard boppers and scintillating
ballads. But unlike other recordings, you get them here all in one song.
"The Bird Medley" features seven different Charlie Parker songs, all
strung together intelligently by the band of Sonny, Kenny Dorham, Wade
Legge, George Morrow and Max Roach. While the medley is album's focal
point there are two other tracks, the eloquent ballad "I've Grown
Accustomed to Your Face" and "Kids Know," featuring terrific horn
interplay by Sonny and Dorham."Rollins Plays for Bird" is vintage Sonny
Rollins -- an album with the perfect combination of medium tempo hard
boppers and scintilating ballads. But unlike other recordings, you get
them here all in one song. "The Bird Medley" features seven diiferent
Charlie Parker songs, all strung together intelligently by the band of
Sonny, Kenny Dorham, Wade Legge, George Morrow and Max Roach. While the
medley is album's focal point there are two other tracks, the eloquent
ballad "I've Grown Accustomed to Your Face" and "Kids Know," featuring
terrific horn interplay by Sonny and Dorham. In my review of the
previous incarnation of this CD, I complained that the "The House I Live
In" should have been included here to complete this 10/5/56 session.
STILL....important timeless music.
Rollins was only 20 years old when track 13, I Know, was recorded in January 17, 1951.
Eleven months later, the then 21 year old Rollins was on tracks 5-12
(Scoops, With a Song in My Heart, Newk's Fadeaway, Time on My Hands,
This Love of Mine, Shadrack, On a Slow Boat to China, and Mambo Bounce.)
It is interesting that at 21 he already had a song that contained his
nickname - Newk - on the album. The first four tracks on the album were
the last ones recorded (October 7, 1953).I am a big MJQ fan to begin
with, so having Rollins with the original members - John Lewis, Percy
Heath, Milt Jackson and Kenny Clarke - is heavenly to me.
I will not bore you with feeble attempts at describing the music (the
first four tracks) because the sound samples do a far better job than I.
As a drummer I was particularly interested in Kenny Clarke's playing.
He is the father of bebop drumming, so paired in this musical setting
showed aspects of his playing that is not evident in his earlier work,
not his later work with Bud Powell in Paris.
The bulk of this album - tracks 5 through 12, feature an interesting
quartet format with the great Kenny Drew on piano, Percy Heath
apparently borrowed from MJQ for the session, and Art Blakey on drums.
Art's drumming is pretty subdued considering his explosive technique
with other ensembles, including his early work with Clifford Brown and
his career with the Jazz Messengers. The focus is Sonny's tenor and the
tone is beautiful. When you consider that he was barely 21 when these
tracks were recorded you have to wonder why he felt so compelled to
spend a chunk of 1959 practicing on the Williamsburg Bridge eight years
later.
What I love about the final track is the fact that Miles Davis wrote the
song and also played piano on it (backed by Percy Heath on bass and Roy
Haynes on drums with Sonny's beautiful tone coming from that tenor.) I
remember a story about Dizzy chiding Miles for not using the piano more.
Apparently that chiding had an effect.
For the life of me I do not understand why it took so long to release
this album. It was recorded in three sessions between January 1951 and
October 1953, but was not released until 1956. Regardless of why, the
long period between completion and release does show that the music was
still relevant - and this during a time when jazz was rapidly evolving
in a number of directions. To me the music is as relevant today as it
was when first recorded.
These are some Sonny that...should appeal to you....listen and enjoy.
More Sonny soon too- -TIM PRICE
The more you get out and play, the more
aptitude ideas and energy you have. Today more than ever-to get
something happening with other people face-to-face is of paramount
importance to your playing.
Get out of the
house and find out what you don't know! Even get together with a
guitar player and a piano player- you're doing it. I hope this is
making sense, because it is something we are sorely missing in today's
atmosphere in jazz. I look to jam sessions back in the day, when tunes
were called and standards were the call the day. Everybody was on a
common ground-A fair drummer who played jam sessions all the time, could
easily turn himself into a very good drummer in a group circumstance by
playing with other people. Same holds for any instrument.
Imagine what you could accomplish if you could simply get yourself to follow through on your best intentions no matter what.
The
pinnacle of self-discipline is when you reach the point that when you
make a conscious decision, it’s virtually guaranteed you’ll follow
through on it.Be it practicing your instrument, sticking with a
mouthpiece and putting the time in to learn to play it or just daily
goals and jobs.
Your discipline is one of many personal development tools available to
you. Of course it is not a panacea. Nevertheless, the problems which
self-discipline can solve are important, and while there are other ways
to solve these problems, self-discipline absolutely shreds them.
Self-discipline can empower you- imagine the results, if you say to
yourself ... I want to learn all my scales in 3eds...in every key at 120
on my metronome. Not have to...but want. That can be done sooner
than you think with discipline. So can application to study-reading a
new book to open new ideas on things. It can wipe out procrastination,
disorder, and ignorance. Within the domain of problems it can solve,
self-discipline is simply unmatched. Moreover, it becomes a powerful
teammate when combined with other tools like passion, goal-setting, and
planning.
Self-discipline is like a muscle. The more you train it, the stronger
you become. The less you train it, the weaker you become.
Think of the results- just for you.Confidence
before an audition! Confidence when picking up your horn to play in a
new setting- your primed and ready. Relaxed and confident! We all
possess different levels of self-discipline. Everyone has some — if you
can hold your breath a few seconds, you have some self-discipline. But
not everyone has developed their discipline to the same degree. Check it
out- it takes self-discipline to build self-discipline. Similarly, the
basic method to build self-discipline is to tackle challenges that you
can successfully accomplish but which are near your limit.
This doesn’t mean trying something and failing at it every day, you
must start with challenges that are within your current ability.
Old opportunities will dry up. New opportunities will begin to
appear.Your mind set does change- and so does your ability on whatever
you are working on with discipline. Invitations that once attracted you
will seem boring, while others will become interesting to you.People
will change how they relate to you. Some will become more distant while
others will zoom closer.Gigs will appear, you'll enjoy things more.
Things you used to merely dream about will begin to seem possible for
you. Celebrate your success!
~ Till next week...practice your long tones everyday- Tim Price
So we have two very different ways of learning the mechanics of
improvisation but, and here's the big but, when Bird or Trane got on
the bandstand to perform neither of them spent much time "thinking"! In
performance they were both in the same state of incredible
self-awareness. The mechanics became unimportant on the bandstand and
the emotional side of their improvisations took precedence. They played
from their heart and soul. This is the key to their greatness. They
both had an incredible natural gift for being able to open themselves
up to their inner creativity and let out their amazing ideas with
wonderful ease, excitement and wonder.
Another way is that a musician can
learn to improvise let's look at the COLTRANE thought process.
He was a searcher. He searched for new scales and modes from all over the world.
He studied out of violin books and harp books. He used the Slonimsky
book of scale patterns. Trane learned by studying as well as using his
own incredible ears!
As Charles Lloyd said to me " Bird invented the atom.....TRANE smashed
it."
LETS REMEMBER.....jazz is personal expression.
:REMEMBER ~ you do not have to reinvent the wheel !!! ::::
Thinking on your feet ;
Creativity is the bringing into being something which did not exist
before, either as a product, a process or a thought. Right? So let’s
apply this to ALL levels of saxophone playing, thought and
improvisation.
You would be demonstrating creativity if you:
· Played something which has never existed before.
· Reapply an existing lick or concept into a new area musically.
· Develop a new way of looking at something (bringing a new idea into
existence).
· Change the way someone else looks at something.
We are all creative every day because we are constantly changing the
ideas which we hold about the world about us and our relationship with
it. Creativity does not have to be about developing something new to the
world, it is more to do with developing something new to ourselves !!
When we change ourselves, the world changes with us, both in the way
that the world is affected by our changed actions and in the changed way
that we experience the world. It’s a thought process.
These are just some thoughts on this.Maybe it hits ya maybe it
don't.
HERE'S A ASSIGNMENT - The ultimate expression- Transcribe LESTER
YOUNG'S CLARINET SOLO- ON- " PAGING THE DEVIL"....take 2. Watch what
happens to your playing.
REMEMBER ~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. You
have to focus your practicing for maximum progress towards creating a
powerful forward motion as a player. Always in jazz, you have to be a communicator of the song as well as an artist. Without that, there's no point. You need to know common tunes and reach people. Remember- don't worry about re-inventing the wheel - play some music and be expressive- all else will follow.
IN A WORD- BASICS WILL LAST YOUR ENTIRE CAREER!
But most of all keep trying-playing-listening.
That is MOST vital to personal growth.See you next week; Tim Price
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.
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. Thank god for them!
Todays student needs
substance ! Plus how to focus practicing of improvising on the essential
elements,the actual substance of what to play and how to develop it in
your personal style, and dealing with practicing of specific vocabulary.
It's what I call, what to shed! Then you got to understand jazz is part
of culture. Bird, Prez,Basie,Pee Wee Russell, Roland Kirk, Duke, Hawk
and all those giants who gave something to culture. What did they have?
They had the the building blocks of jazz improvisation. MELODY ! Then
guide-tone lines, and melodic Rhythm. Real world building blocks of jazz
improvisation. In a word- BASICS that last for your career.
Just some thinking on subjects we all love and are close to our agenda.
Here's some lunch for your ears, and I'll see you next week!COUNT BASIE & LESTER YOUNG - 'Taxi War Dance' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUZUIDhNnjY&playnext=1&list=PL3240B02C6ABAA1FBCharlie Parker Early Recordings 1943 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_w6kJ9jyl7Y
Below...is some things to practice and study- have fun.
Till then......BIRD LIVES! Tim Price
This
is the _VERSE_To " Body & Soul" given to me by jazz legend Big Nick
Nicholas. If your familiar with the Coltrane tune " Big Nick"....Well
that's who this is.
I usually play this verse rubato then segue
into the tune. I'm posting this as a respect to my friend BIG
NICK..because he's not known as well as he should be, and by getting
this out into everyone's hands...we all can keep the VERSE to this tune alive...and also one of the real tenor players in jazz BIG NICK.
Big Nick was also the man Bird went to, to get songs and ideas for them for his " Bird With Strings" recording.I consider myself very lucky to have known Nick in this life...and this
is a great way to keep his name alive...and legacy. If you play
this...and pass it on...remember where it came from please.
Tim Price Bloggin' For D'Addario Woodwinds-
Bringing the you...into the music.
The point here is to emphasize what Rilling calls the "architecture" of
the music. For example, the way Pablo Casals varied the tempo according
to what he was trying to convey. The words , You Got to Be
Original, Man!Come from Lester Young.The quote said it all.
Hopefully, what's going to be remembered, the present living person
whoever it is, whether it's Casals, Bach, Coltrane or Lester Young in the context of the art form, its tradition,
its future, its present, and that whole mixture together. 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. A common form and feeling.
The vibe of a sax player who walks
the bar and a guy cross legged in India in a trance blowing –It’s all
the same- they BOTH are after the same thing. It’s…that thang…that place
the music goes. Like that groove that exists in R &B AND Jazz and
Indian ragas.In essence, we really have something called the language,
the syntax, the vernacular, and it's immediately transferable to
personal creation anyway. 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. The
goal sould be- to try to bring a spiritual dimension to the music.Be it
some booty shaking funky jazz, a swinging standard or your agenda.
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-
there's a great book by Hazrat Inayat Khan of the Sufis. 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.Not to get some in the shadow of another
player that it's just silly- or worse.Inspiration is one thing- being a
copy cat is just that.Do you want to cop Jagger or Sonny Rollins so much
that when folks hear or see you they say " Oh yea, he stands like
Jagger, or oh...he sounds sorta like Rollins. Be the best YOU you can
be- live with it.It's the work and it's the art that will do. SO.. it's
freedom, individual creativity ! Nobody can be a better YOU than YOU. 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.
Approached like this, it unlocks the natural, spontaneous creativity
within each participant who lets the process flow deep and operates
simultaneously on many levels. 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.
So this is what's going on now, what I'm thinking about. Lester Young is
right.
I hope you enjoy it-
Peace and goodwill to you all, Tim Price
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