Learning a lot of tunes is key to becoming a better Jazz improvisor, both because it establishes a common repertoire between players and because studying old standards is the best way to internalize fundamental harmonies and forms. Many veteran musicians know literally thousands of tunes, which they can play in any key. At New York … Continue reading Learning Tunes: Faster and Better
One of the first things my college teacher emphasized was singing solos along with records. Jazz is a musical language at its core, so it only makes sense to learn it through imitating the “native speakers,” or the great improvisors of past generations. The process is simple: put on a recording you like and try … Continue reading Sing, Sing, Sing
When I got to Eastman this fall, I almost immediately discovered a bunch of great tunes written by faculty and guest artists. Most were charming yet complex, consisting of intricate bebop lines and quirky harmonies. My question became: how could I internalize all of that information besides just playing the melodies over and over again? … Continue reading Do it Your Way: the Art of Paraphrase
Put yourself in this scenario: you’ve learned some vocabulary, discovered some interesting harmonic devices, and developed your technique. As a saxophonist, maybe you’ve perfected your altissimo register, or as a pianist maybe you’ve been working on your “block chords” to generate a fuller texture. In other words, you’ve got all the tools. The question becomes: … Continue reading Becoming a Storyteller: Creating a Narrative as you Improvise
By now you should have most of the information you need to book, advance, and prepare for gigs in previous sections of this four-part post. After my first two-week tour though, I thought it was worth sharing some parting thoughts on what it’s like to be a “gigging” musician traveling with a band. First and … Continue reading Ready to Go: The Art of Advancing a Gig (Part 4)
Now imagine all the pre-booking is done, your charts are neatly compiled, and that your band has rehearsed. It’s the day of the gig, so there are only a few details left to take care of. The checklist below proved very effective during the Affinity Quintet’s recent New Mexico tour: 1) Call ahead. It doesn’t … Continue reading Ready to Go: The Art of Advancing a Gig (Part 3)
At this point in the scenario, suppose your group has a few gigs and is ready to hit the road. Whether you're on tour or just around town here are a few things to keep in mind: 1) Idiot-proof your own setup To quote my dad again, you never want to be unwrapping a new … Continue reading Ready to Go: The Art of Advancing a Gig (Part 2)
Put yourself in this scenario: you've got a band you love playing with and a bunch of original music. You've rehearsed and developed group chemistry, and maybe you even have a recording out already. Now you're looking to start booking your group around town or maybe even going on tour. The question becomes: What are … Continue reading Ready to Go: the Art of Advancing a Gig (Part 1 of 4)
Huge thanks to everyone who came out to my masterclass today, it was a blast talking with all of you and hearing you play! I was struck by your thoughtfulness and depth, as I found myself listening differently once again to recordings I have heard countless times. For those of you who weren’t there or … Continue reading Swinging: An Overview
This last semester I worked as an intern at Jazz 90.1, one of the only remaining 24-hour Jazz radio stations in the country. Every week they receive countless CDs from artists who want airplay, and part of my job was to take a stack home and “grade” them. Over time, I noticed that there were … Continue reading Thoughts From a Radio Intern
Jonathan Fagan 