Jazz Procedures and Techniques

Spring 2018
Final Binder

Kai Smith
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Table of Contents
(Click on links below to jump to the section)

Suggested Listening Projects

Philosophy of Music Education

Improvisation Pedagogy

Big Band/Combo Setups

Rehearsal Technique

Drum Notes

Bass Guitar Notes

Guitar Notes

Piano Notes

Emailed PDFs

➢ Blueprint for Aleatoric Composition

➢ Call and Response Techniques

➢ Equipment

➢ Stop Thinking Like a Band Director

Big Band/Combo Publisher Info

Big Band/Combo Literature

Weekly Lesson Reflections

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Suggested Listening Projects

Clarinet

In A Mellow Mood​​ – The Buddy DeFranco Quartet, 1954

Personnel: Buddy DeFranco, clarinet; Sonny Clark, piano; Gene Wright, bass;
Bobby White, drums.
Buddy DeFranco is one of the most popular clarinetists from the swing/big band era in
the 1930s and 1940s. This is a great album to show students the “classic” jazz clarinet
style that is most familiar to them. The first song on the album, The Bright One, features
a 6 minute solo over 12 choruses of Rhythm Changes, which is both impressive and a
great example of solo clarinet playing.
Happy Reunion​​ – Ken Peplowski and Alan Barnes, 2009
Personnel: Alan Barnes, alto/clarinet/bass clarinet; Ken Peplowski, clarinet/tenor;
Robert Fowler, clarinet/tenor/baritone; Bruce Adams, trumpet; Mark Nightingale,
trombone; Robin Aspland, piano; Andy Cleyndert, bass; Bobby Worth, drums.
Featuring classic tunes by Duke Ellington, Johnny Hodges, and Billy Strayhorn, Happy
Reunion contains multiple talented clarinetists. Ken Peplowski is one of the most famous
jazz clarinetists from the 1990s on, and Alan Barnes is a UK musician who doubles (very
well) on soprano and bass clarinets. The tunes feature many clarinet duets with a lot of
trading lines back and forth, and would be a good listen for students who want experience
playing with other soloists or who would like a fine example of modern jazz clarinet
technique.
Elastic City​​ – The Kinan Azmeh Quartet, 2013
Personnel: Kinan Azmeh, clarinet; Kyle Sanna, guitar; John Hadfield, percussion;
Petros Klampanis, bass.
Born in Damascus, Syria, Kinan Azmeh is a great musician in that he draws on
influences from both Arab style and New York City, where he currently resides. On his
website, Azmeh describes this fusion as “an attempt to transcend the barriers of cultural
disparities and misconceptions, and establish a civilized communication which builds on
what brings humans closer together rather than separates them.” Elastic City exemplifies
this idea by combining Arab harmonies and instruments, especially drums, with
electronics and stylistic attributes of Western music. Azmeh is also a prominent classical
soloist and chamber musician, and his works of Mozart are as good as his jazz CDs.
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New York Counterpoint​​ – Richard Stoltzman, 1986

Personnel: Richard Stolzmann, clarinet; Bill Douglas, bassoon; Eddie Gomez,
bass; Glen Velez, percussion; Jeremy Wall, piano.
New York Counterpoint is an interesting album combining contemporary jazz and neo-
classical music into one. This CD goes into a more “smooth jazz” genre, which I
personally do not enjoy, but with Richard Stotzmann being one of the most important
clarinetists of the 1980s to the present, I felt that I needed to include one of his works.
New York Counterpoint also features Steve Reich’s piece by the same name for
amplified clarinet and tape (or nine b-flat clarinets and three bass clarinets) – one of the
most rhythmically intricate and popular Reich works of the time. Stolzmann also features
a little bit of world music to make this CD a well-rounded experience that is good for
students who want to learn a little bit of everything.
La Patilla (feat. Anat Cohen) ​– Aquiles Báez, 2008
Personnel: Aquiles Báez, guitar; Anat Cohen, clarinet; Pablo Gil, saxophones;
Diego Álvarez, cajón; Adolfo Herrera, cajón; Roberto Koch, bass; Adolfo
Herrera, drums; Alexander Livinalli, percussion; Gerardo Rosales, percussion;
Wilmer Montilla, percussion; Huáscar Barradas, flute.
This Latin CD by Aquiles Báez and Anat Cohen is one of my favorites on the list.
Featuring a lot of fast and oddly-metered flamenco music, Anat Cohen’s clarinet playing
is some of the best that I’ve ever heard. This is a great album for students, not only to
show off great Latin music, but to also show off a wonderful female musician. Anat
Cohen is one of my favorite clarinetists of all time, and this CD shows off both her
beautiful tone and phrasing and her fast and clean technique.
Duke at the Roadhouse ​- Eddie Daniels, 2013
Personnel: Eddie Daniels, clarinet; Roger Kellaway, piano; James Holland, cello.
To say that the music of Duke Ellington will never be forgotten is an understatement. He
has been honored by more vocalists and ensembles than just about any jazz composer.
This particular CD is a live recording from a concert performance by clarinetist Eddie
Daniels and pianist Roger Kellaway who have been making music together since the 80s.
Daniels is another famous modern jazz clarinetist, and is probably a students’ go-to
musician to listen to if they like jazz from their time.
Out to Lunch!​​ – Eric Dolphy, 1964
Personnel: Eric Dolphy, bass clarinet, flute, alto saxophone; Freddie Hubbard,
trumpet; Bobby Hutcherson, vibraphone; Richard Davis, bass; Tony Williams,
drums.
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Out to Lunch! was Eric Dolphy's only recording for Blue Note Records as a leader Today
it is generally considered one of the finest albums in the label's history, as well as one of
the high points in 1960s avant-garde jazz and in Dolphy's discography. This is a
noteworthy album for bass clarinetists who don’t believe their instrument can be used in a
jazz ensemble. "Something Sweet, Something Tender" includes a beautiful duet between
Richard Davis on bass and Dolphy on bass clarinet.
Free Fall​​ – Jimmy Guiffre, 1962
Personnel: Jimmy Guiffre, clarinet; Paul Bley, piano; Steve Swallow, bass.
Jimmy Giuffre's 1962 recording for Columbia with his trio is one of the most
revolutionary recordings to come out of the 1960s. The original album is comprised of
five clarinet solos, two duets for clarinet and bass, and three trio pieces. he CD reissue
adds five more clarinet solos to the bank and makes it a stunning view of Giuffre as a
master of the idiom of not only jazz free improvisation but also a fine interpreter of the
musical languages being discussed by classical composers Darius Milhaud, Stravinsky,
Messiaen, and even Morton Feldman and Earle Brown.
Woody Herman – The Genius of Clarinet – Woody Herman, 2013
Personnel: Woody Herman, clarinet.
A compilation of Woody Herman’s greatest hits, this CD has it all (love ballads, fast
swing, you name it). Woody Herman is one of the most famous clarinetists from the
swing/big band era, similar to Buddy DeFranco. Unlike DeFranco, his music has a dirtier
style and a fatter feel to it, and his clarinet playing is sometimes unhinged. This is a great
album for advanced students to listen to – it will really break them out of their comfort
zone.
Best of Ivo Papasov​​ – Ivo Papasov and his Bulgarian Wedding Band, 2008
Personnel: Ivo Papasov, clarinet; Yuri Yunakov, saxophone; Neshko Neshev,
accordion.
Ivo Papasov is a Bulgarian clarinetist who leads the "Ivo Papazov Wedding Band" in
performances of jazz-infused Stambolovo music. Not only is this album great for
teaching students about the genre of Bulgarian wedding music, but it also features a
signature tone and technical style of the clarinet that may be unfamiliar and educationally
stimulating to students.

Bb Cl, Bass Cl, Contra Bass Cl

1. Clarinet Marmalade ​ 25 Great Jazz Clarinetists

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○ Released: June 23, 1994

○ Featured Clarinetists: Larry Shields, Frank Teschemacher, Pee​Wee Russell,
Eddie Miller, Matty Matlock, Irving Fazola, Danny Polo, Omer Simeon, Benny
Carter, Lester Young, Leon Roppolo, Johnny Dodds, Jimmy Noone, George
Lewis, Joe Marsala, Sidney Bechet, Jimmy Dorsey, Mezz Mezzrow, Buster
Bailey, John Mince, Jimmy Hamilton, Woody Herman, Artie Shaw, Benny
Goodman, Barney Bigard.
○ Studio recordings of tunes dating to mainly between the mid 20s and early 40s.
The majority of this CD is filled with dixieland/New Orleans jazz style which
emphasizes the clarinet’s ability to have a characteristically bright inflection. The
most obvious traits of dixieland clarinet playing is the fast and thin vibrato and
short scoops.
2. Imagination Lost ​ Edmund Welles, Bass Clarinet Quartet
○ Released: August 3, 2011
○ Personnel: Cornelius Boots, Jonathan Russell, Jeff Anderle, Aaron Novik
○ Edmund Welles is NOT a jazz group, but incredibly worth listening to if you’re
into learning about the vast capabilities of the bass clarinet, or really like heavy
metal. Edmund Welles write and perform original works and covers of heavy
metal/rock music. Occasionally accompanied by guitar/bass and drum set, this
group of bass clarinetists use various extended techniques (including but not
limited to: grunting, growling, vibrato, slap​tonguing, throat harmonies and
extreme high and low range) and some of the loudest dynamics you will ever hear
coming out of a bass clarinet in order to mimic the timbre of a guitar.
○ On this CD specifically, they feature a song called “At the Soda Shop” which
mimics the standard doowop you would expect... but with a metallic twist.
○ The founder of the group Cornelius Boots offers skype lessons to learn some of
these reed extended techniques.
3. The Complete Braxton 1971 ​ Anthony Braxton
○ Released: April 1978, Remastered 2011
○ Personnel: Anthony Braxton, Chick Corea (piano), Kenny Wheeler (trumpet),
Dave Holland (bass), Barry Altschul (drums)
○ Features multi​reedist Anthony Braxton in an avant​garde and free jazz setting.
Braxton writes a number of solos for contrabass clarinet included in this two​LP
set, most notably 4​16 CJF on Vol. 2.
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4. Flow: Jazz and Renaissance from Italy to Brazil ​ Hugo Siegmeth, Axel Wolf
○ Released: April 14, 2015
○ Personnel: Hugo Siegmeth (lute), Axel Wolf (tenor, bass cl)
○ Tracks on this CD are a combination of classical and easy jazz pieces in a
chamber setting adapted for tenor saxophone or bass clarinet with lute. Compared
to everything else on this list, this CD is the most lyrical and “easy listening”. As
Axel plays jazzy solos, the accompanimental lute gives this duo a unique
renaissance identity.
5. Jazz Clarinet Now ​ Joseph Howell
○ Released: January 11, 2009
○ This CD features clarinet soloist over a pretty stereotypical jazz ensemble
rhythm section. The playing on this CD emphasizes the warm tone qualities of the
clarinet and mostly uses the low​mid registers. Most of the tunes on this piece are
slow to mid​tempo swing.
6. The Big Picture ​ David Krakauer
○ Released: February 18, 2014
○ On this CD, popular Klezmer clarinetist David Krakauer plays popular movie
and musical themes with a klezmer inspired jazzy twist. His playing spans
between the dixieland sound of Benny Goodman and the well renowned klezmer
style with lots of scoops, pitch bends and glissandos.
7. Stanger on the Shore ​ Acker Bilk
○ Released: April 11, 2000
○ On a CD filled with easy listening jazz, Acker Bilk (Bernard Stanley Bilk)
plays a series of romantic tunes over symphonic accompaniment. Included are a
number of pieces rearranged so he could play the solos with more jazz inflection
(including Pachelbel's Canon and the theme from “The Godfather”)
○ Very lyrical with vibrato
8. Jazz Cats ​ Clarinet
○ Released: 2014
○ This CD includes an assortment of well known dixieland artists including
Benny Goodman, Sidney Bechet and Artie Shaw in big band swing settings.
9. Clarinet Gumbo ​ Ken Mathieson’s Classic Jazz Orchestra
○ Released: September 8, 2014
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○ Personnel: Roy Percy (dbl bass), Konrad Wiszniewski (tenor, cl), Phil
O’Malley (trombone), Martin Foster (sax, cl), Tom Finlay (piano), Billy Hunter
(trumpet, flugel), Dick Lee (sax, cl), Ken Mathieson (drums)
○ New Orleans jazz featuring the clarinet
10. Rick Bogart ​ Rick Bogart
○ Released: August 23, 2006
○ A swing​oriented set including some dixieland jazz. ​The settings are intimate,
with Bogart heard with two separate piano​bass​drums trios and on three songs with
just piano and bass. Most of the songs are standards played with spirit, although
there are few surprises on such tunes as "What a Wonderful World," "Begin the
Beguine," and "I Can't Get Started."

Jazz Oboe and English Horn

Yousef Lateef
“In the Evening” from ​The Complete Yusef Lateef (Atlantic LP 1499)
Yusef Lateef (alto,tenor saxophone, flute, oboe, vocals) Hugh Lawson (piano)
Cecil McBee (bass) Roy Brooks (drums) Sylvia Shemwell (tambourine ​3,4) NYC,
June 1, 1967
This song is important because it exposes the different sounds the oboe can create
to achieve a “jazz” sound, mainly the use of vibrato, especially jaw vibrato which
is not typical to classical oboe playing.

“Trouble in Mind” from ​Yusef Lateef ​ Jazz 'Round The World (Impulse! A​​56)
Richard Williams (trumpet) Yusef Lateef (tenor saxophone, flute, bassoon) Hugh
Lawson (piano) Ernie Farrow (bass) Lex Humphries (drums) NYC, December 19
& 20, 1963
In this song Yousef demonstrates the way the oboe can bend notes in order to
make solos more interesting. Because of the double reed this is something
idiomatic to the oboe that is different than the way other instruments use this
technique.

Eastern Sounds (Moodsville MVLP 22)

Yusef Lateef (tenor saxophone, flute, bamboo flute, oboe) Barry Harris (piano)
Ernie Farrow (bass, rabat) Lex Humphries (drums)
Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, September 5, 1961
“Blues for the Orient”​ This song demonstrates the use of multiphonics which are
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created on the oboe through false fingerings. Again, this technique is very
idiomatic to the oboe and is used to make solos more interesting.
“Love Theme From ‘Spartacus’”​ In this song Yousef uses little turnarounds and
grace notes to make his solo have more pizzazz which gives the song its eastern
sound and something that the oboe also helps make possible idiomatically.

“Oboe Blues” from ​Yusef Lateef ​ The Dreamer (Savoy MG 12139)

Bernard McKinney (euphonium) Yusef Lateef (tenor saxophone, flute, oboe)
Terry Pollard (piano) William Austin (bass, rabat) Frank Gant (drums,
percussion) Chicago, IL, June 11, 1959
This song just provides an example of how the oboe can solo over blues changes
as well as another unexpected instrument, the euphonium, which makes for a
really interesting mix. This recording, like his others shows Yousef Lateef’s use
of tone color to make oboe fit more into the jazz canon.

Oboman
On the Reed...Again! (Cristal 0902)
(Michael Felberbaum composer, guitar) (Jean​Luc Fillon oboe) (Karl Jannuska
drums) (Raphael Jonin mastering) (Michael Rebinowitz bassoon) (Peggy Stern
composer) March 21, 2008​March 22, 2008
This album shows the interesting and fun sounds that can come from the unlikely
jazz pairing of oboe and bassoon, as well as english horn. Jean​Luc Fillon also
really explores the range of the instrument in his solos and interesting sounds he
can create with the instrument.

Oboman Plays Cole Porter

(Oboman oboe, english horn, oboe d’amore) (Fred Eymard viola) (Joao Paolo
piano)
This CD brings together a jazz trio playing their arrangements of Cole Porter,
iconic Broadway pianist and composer. Songs by Porter are a jazz standard and
have been done by artists such as Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra. With this
album, Oboman (Jean​Luc Fillon) gives oboe its place in the jazz canon alongside
these stars.

Echos of Freedom
(Oboman Fillon, oboe, english horn) (Mark Feldman, violin) (François Méchali
bass) (Ramon Lopez drums) Oboman brings together another unlikely group of
jazz players. Notable on this album is his use in changing color and sound of the
oboe in his solos, partially through the use of false fingerings.
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Yoram Lachish

Almah by Avishai Cohen​​ ​(Parlophone France)

This group is an middle eastern chamber ensemble. Yoram Lachish works mainly
in world music. This album shows his ability to improvise and his use of
articulations, tone colors, and multiphonics on the english horn to enhance his
improvisation.

Levantasy​​ Kepera Trio & Yoram Lachish

This album shows mediterranean music with a jazz vibe and english horn
improvisation featuring pitch alterations. Yoram Lachish also plays some oboe on
this album that has a more symphonic, classical sound that is then contrasted by a
middle eastern tone.

Patterns of Chaos
(Yoram Lachish oboe, english horn) (Ariel Shibolet soprano sax)
This album demonstrates the similarities in tone between the soprano saxophone
and oboe and how together they can sound like a bagpipe. There are excellent
examples of multiphonics which are idiomatic to both instruments and useful to
both in jazz soloing.

Jazz Horn

Jim Rattigan, Jazz French Horn

Released January 1st, 2004
Personnel: Jim Rattigan – Horn & Wagner Tuba
Hans Koller – Piano and Fender Rhodes
Dave Whitford – Bass
Gene Calderazzo – Drums
This album really shows off Jim on the horn and he really finds a jazz tone that
horn players are not taught in their classical lessons. I caught myself forgetting
that it was a horn at times and thought that it was a trombone actually playing.
This album may have just sold me on jazz horn.

Jim Rattigan, Shuzzed

Released October 1st, 2012 through Pavilion Labels
Personnel: Jim Rattigan – Horn
Phil Robson – Guitar
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Phil Donkin – Bass

Gene Calderazzo – Drums
This entire album displays Jim’s virtuosic playing, and his flexibility around the
horn. The pieces that are on the album are very quirky and colorful as described
by The Rough Guide to Jazz, and after listening to the album I agree
completely. There is something unique about this album and the way it makes
you feel about Jazz horn.

Tom Varner, Jazz French Horn

Released 1985 through New Note Label
Personnel: Tom Varner – Horn
Jim Snidero – Alto Saxophone
Kenny Barron – Piano
Mike Richmond – Bass
Victor Lewis – Drums
There is no question that this album shows off Tom’s athleticism around the
horn. A decent amount of time Tom is tutti with Jim and it is no cake walk for
a horn player and its worth noticing how tough that is to move around the horn
like that. The album also features some charts written by Charlie Parker and
Duke Ellington, which helps give horn players more exposure to big jazz names.

Julius Watkins, Les Jazz Modes

Released November 20th, 1957 through Dawn Label
Personnel: Julius Watkins – Horn
Charlie Rouse – Tenor Saxophone
Gildo Mahones – Piano
Paul West, Paul Chambers, Oscar Pettiford – Bass
Art Taylor & Ron Jefferson – Drums
Janet Putnam – Harp
Eileen Gilbert – Vocals
This is a perfect album to show French horn players, since Julius was one of the
first Jazz French horn players. He may also be one of the best Jazz French horn
players that has ever lived. Exposure to this album is important since it feature
Julius but also shows the innovation for horn players at the time Julius was
getting into Jazz. This album also features Charlie Rouse who was another big
name in Jazz.

Tom Varner, Nine Surprises

Released September 24th, 2014 through Tom Varner Music
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This album is unique in that a lot of the charts are under a minute long. The
album is actually a 15-​-part suite that changes the Main Theme throughout the
album. Tom’s abilities are still evident as you listen to the album. But you can
notice a difference in his playing since he has aged since the 80’s. It is also
worthy to note that Tom studied under Julius Walker and it shows in his
playing.

Vincent Chancey, Welcome Mr. Chancey

Released in 1993 through In & Out Label
Personnel: Vincent Chancey – Horn
David Gilmore – Guitar
Kevin Bruce Harris – Bass
Ronnie Burrage – Drums
Chancey is another student of Julius Watkins and it is evident as well. In this
album there isn’t a lot of swing but more focus on lighter R&B rhythms.
Chancey’s improvisational chops are also very fluid and impressive. He wrote
five of the six charts on this album that had very simplistic melodies that he
would then break off into jamming.

Tom Bacon, The Flipside

Released in 1989
Personnel: Tom Bacon – Horn
David Craig – Bass
Paul English – Piano
Michael Grammar – Drums
Tim Harris – Guitar
David Kirk – Tuba
Dave Ziegler – Trumpet
The album has literature that was exclusively written for solo jazz horn with two
of them written by Tom himself. Listening to the album you can tell that Tom
is very virtuosic on the horn with a crisp tone and clean and fluid technique,
which is good to show young students what is possible of horn. He also is
considered to be one of the founders of modern jazz.

Adam Unsworth, Excerpt This!

Released March 2nd, 2006 through Adam Unsworth
Personnel: Adam Unsworth – Horn
Tony Micell – Vibraphone
Ranaan Meyer – Bass
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Cornell Rochester – Drums

Diane Monroe – Violin
Les Thimmig – Bass Clarinet, Flute, and Alto Flute
Throughout the entire album Adam sounds like a trombone and really makes his
athleticism on the horn seem so simple to the ears. In each song you can get a
sense of expressiveness and creativity in his playing. When showing this album
to students you can talk about how this was when Adam was beginning to
explore Jazz horn, and show the students what the early stages of starting Jazz
sounds like.

Adam Unsworth, Next Step

Released December 10th, 2008 through Adam Unsworth
Personnel: Adam Unsworth – Horn
Tony Miceli – Vibraphone
Brian Howell – Bass
Tony Deangelis – Drums
Les Thimming – Flute, Alto Flute, Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Soprano
Sax
In this album you can hear huge advances in Adam’s sound from the previous
album. You could actually use this album to show to your entire jazz band
because the album gives the other instruments plenty of time to be heard and
more so than other albums. You can especially show your percussionist since you
can hear a lot of vibraphone in this album. Again in this album it’s unbelievable how
much Adam sounds like a trombone player.

John Clark, Song of Light

Released in April of 1980 and re released in 2012 as a reissue
Personnel: John Clark – Horn
Ron McClure – Bass
Michael Cochrane -- Piano
Victor Lewis – Drums
This album is a good way to expose a young horn students and other Jazz
students a fantastic Jazz horn player. John is probably right up next to Julius
Watkins for top Jazz horn players that everyone should listen to. This is also a
good introduction for funk on horn since this album is centered around a funk
and rock sound. The sound that John uses really does justice for Jazz horn and
eliminates any debate as to whether or not horn should be a part of Jazz.

Flute
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Yardbird Suite (1957)

Flute/Tenor Saxophone – Herbie Mann
Alto Saxophone – Phil Woods
Vibraphone – Eddie Costa
Guitar – Joe Puma
Bass –Wendell Marshall
Drums – Bobby Donaldson
Track List:
1. Yardbird Suite
2. Here’s The Mann
3. One for Tubby
4. Squire’s Parlor
5. Who Knew
6. Opicana
Herbie’s flute articulation varies between breath (or very very very soft tongue) and a
harder tongue to exaggerate the inflection of the line. The small combo setting (the
lightest drum playing, no piano, vibes, and guitar) makes it all very intimate-sounding,
allowing the listener to not be underwhelmed by the seemingly small sound of the flute. I
think this is a great album to start students with because it’s accessible while
demonstrating the differences between jazz flute and classical flute in terms of
articulation, tone, and vibrato usage.

At the Village Gate (1962)

Flute – Herbie Mann
Vibes – Hagood Hardy
Bass – Ahmed Abdul-Malik, Ben Tucker
Drums – Chief Bey
Congas – Ray Mantilla
Track List:
1. Comin’ Home Baby
2. Summertime
3. It Ain’t Necessarily So
This is the album that first brought Herbie Mann to popularity, with Comin’ Home Baby
becoming one of his signature songs. I really like his Afro-Cuban take on Summertime;
there are so many different takes on Summertime out there that it is a great tune to teach
how to play differently in different styles.

Flute Flight (1957)

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Flute/Alto Flute – Herbie Mann

Flute – Bobby Jaspar
Vibraphone – Eddie Costa
Guitar – Joe Puma
Bass – Doug Watkins (B side), Wendell Marshall (A side)
Drums – Bobby Donaldson
Track List:
A1 – Tutti Flutie
A2 – Bo Do
B1 – Flute Bass Blues
B2 – Flute Bob
B3 – Solacium
Introduce your students to the alto flute! Released around the same time as Yardbird
Suite so it has the same feel and a lot of the same personnel. Since it just has two flutes
the feel is way more laid-back.

Flute ‘n Oboe (1956)

Flute – Bud Shank
Oboe, Arranger, Conductor – Bob Cooper
Guitar – Howard Roberts
Bass – Don Prell Drums – Chuck Flores Violins – Eudice Shapiro, Ben Gill Viola
– Milt Thomas Cello – Ray Cramer
Track List:
1. "They Didn't Believe Me" (Jerome Kern, Herbert Reynolds) - 4:39
2. "Gypsy in My Soul" (Clay Boland, Moe Jaffe) - 3:23
3. "In the Blue of Evening" (Al D'Artega, Tom Adair) - 4:35
4. "I Want to Be Happy" (Vincent Youmans, Irving Caesar) - 2:31
5. "Tequila Time" - 4:18
6. "I Can't Get Started" (Vernon Duke, Ira Gershwin) - 4:14
7. "Blues for Delilah" - 7:00
8. "Sunset and Wine" - 4:09
9. "What'll I Do" (Irving Berlin) - 2:45
This is an example of jazz flute playing with vibrato at the same time that Herbie Mann
and Bobby Jaspar were playing without it. It’s more like ol’ timey violin, which is also
heavily featured on this album. The oboe gives it a soprano sax kind of vibe; the whole
album is pretty relaxed, with the instrumentation creating a Hollywood orchestra sound.

Koto & Flute (1960)

Flute – Bud Shank
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Koto – Kimio Eto

Track List:
1. "Haru No Umi (Suite) Part 1: Haru No Umi" (Michio Miyagi)
2. "Haru No Umi (Suite) Part 2: Haru No Otozure" (Miyagi)
3. "Haru No Umi (Suite) Part 3: Tanima No Suisha" (Miyagi)
4. "Joyo Kaze" (Kimio Eto)
5. "March" (Tokichi Setoguchi)
6. "Chi Doi" (Kengyo Yoshizawa)
7. "Yach-io Jishi" (Yoshizawa)
8. "Yoro Kobi" (Eto)
9. "Lullaby (3 Variations)" (Traditional)
Bud Shank, popular for mixing eastern music and jazz influences, collaborated with
Kimio Eto on this album of Japanese music. Flute is really present in many different
cultures and many different styles.

River Chant (1975)

Tenor Saxophone, clarinet, flute, bass flute: Jimmy Giuffre
Bass - Kiyoshi Tokunaga
Percussion – Randy Kayes
Track List:
1. Tree People
2. Elephant
3. Tibetan Sun
4. The Train and the River
5. The Tide is in
6. River Chant
7. Om
8. The Listening
9. Celebration
This is a little bit of an “out there” album. All of the tunes were written by Giuffre, and
he solos over soundscapes created by the bass and percussion. This is radically different
from the Herbie Mann and Bobby Jaspar stuff from just 15 years prior, but definitely
worth listening.

Aurora (2010)
Flutes/Composer – Michael McGoldrick
Released in 2010, this is the latest album by the Irish flute player Michael McGoldrick.
McGoldrick flawlessly executes jigs and reels over a more contemporary background
(horns, drums, and electric bass). This is a very tonally accessible way to introduce Irish
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flute playing to students.

Phenil Isopropil Amine (1958)

Flute – Bobby Jaspar
Vibes – Michel Sausser, Sadi Lallemand
Bass – Paul Roverie, Jymie Merritt
Drums – Kenny Clarke, Humberto Canto
Bobby Jaspar’s articulation is incredibly smooth and light. He doesn’t often overblow or
over articulate like Herbie Mann does, therefore the interest in his playing is created more
through dynamics and less through color.

Memphis Underground (1969)

Herbie Mann, Roy Ayers, Larry Coryell, Sonny Sharrock
Track List:
1. Memphis Underground
2. New Orleans
3. Hold o, I’m Comin’
4. Chain of Fools
5. Battle Hymn of the Republic
In this album, Mann mixes jazz and R&B, having recorded the album in Memphis. The
flute playing introduces a little bit of vibrato for this style, but it’s still very cool and
relaxed.

Hip Jazz Clarinet Albums

Bug Music – Don Byron (1996)

● Don Byron is an innovative clarinetist (as well as tenor saxophonist) who tends to
push genres beyond the norm. Bug Music is a collection of arrangements of big
band tunes by underappreciated big band leaders from the 1930s and ‘40s such as
John Kirby and Raymond Scott. Byron also includes lesser known Duke Ellington
tunes in this collection. Highlights include the classic ​St. Louis Blues​, the
classically inspired ​The Quintet Plays Carmen a​ nd the whimsical clarinet and
piano duo, ​Blue Bubbles.​

Ralph Peterson Presents the Fotet – Ralph Peterson (1989)

● Peterson is a jazz drummer who was mostly active during the late 1980s and early
‘90s. This album features Don Byron on clarinet and bass clarinet. The album as a
whole combines elements of free jazz and free-form soloing but also maintains
structure of the tune as a whole, making it rather accessible to listeners. The
 17

addition of Bryan Carrott on vibraphone also adds a unique texture that is not
always heard in jazz.

Duke Ellington at Newport – Duke Ellington Orchestra (1956)

● Ellington at Newport is already considered one of the best jazz performances of
all time. Any jazz student in general should be exposed to this album at some
point during their education. I personally consider Jimmy Hamilton’s clarinet
performance on this CD to be a staple of jazz clarinet playing. Most notable in the
Festival Suite,​ which consists of ​Festival Junction​, ​Blues to Be There​, and
Newport Up,​ Hamilton’s solos demonstrate virtuosity, tasteful phrasing and an
overall full sound over the rest of the band. Other performances that feature
Hamilton that are not off of this album include ​Time On My Hands a​ nd ​Bluebird
of Dehli.​

Luminosa – Anat Cohen (2015)

● Luminosa is a rather creative jazz clarinet album. Notable racks include the chill,
yet jazzy ​Lilia,​ a cover of Brazilian Clarinetist Severino Araújo’s ​Espinha De
Balcalhau​ and a cover of Hip-Hop/Electronic artist Flying Lotus’s ​Putty Boy Strut
(my personal favorite off of this album). The diversity of genres within this album
demonstrates the versatility of the clarinet as a lead instrument within a small
ensemble setting.

A Day in New York – Tony Scott & Bill Evans (1957)

● This album features bop clarinetist Tony Scott and Bill Evans before working
with Miles Davis. Scott’s clarinet playing incorporates a rather abrasive tone and
is usually within the upper register of the clarinet. His gritty tone complements the
combo’s playing while breaking any stigma one may have with the clarinet
usually sounding “pretty”. Students can latch onto his tone along with his
virtuosic altissimo playing that is backed by a fantastic combo. While the album
consists of mostly standards, Evans’s composition ​Five o​ pens the album with a
catchy be-bop-esque tune with a hint of Evans’s tasteful harmonic ideas. ​Tenderly
also features legendary trumpet player Clark Terry who can be heard on many
recordings by Ellington, Count Basie, Oscar Peterson and Dizzy Gillespie.

M​2​ – Marcus Miller (2001)

● Marcus Miller is primarily an electric bass player; however, he is also an excellent
jazz bass clarinetist. Throughout most of his albums, Miller would incorporate
bass clarinet into the harmony while his electric bass would play the melody. M​2
is no exception. Tunes such as ​Lonnie’s Lament​ and the ​Ozell Interludes​ are
 18

primary examples of Miller bringing the bass clarinet in and out of the forefront
of the texture. Meanwhile, the beautiful ballad and album closer ​Your Amazing
Grace​ entirely features Miller entirely on bass clarinet. The album as a whole
incorporates, funk, R&B, hip-hop and jazz styles which can be accessible to many
students who are just getting into jazz. It also features an all-star personnel
including Herbie Hankcock, Branford Marsalis, James Carter, Maceo Parker and
Fred Wesley among many others.

Stockholm ’81 – Putte Wickman (1981)

● Putte Wickman, along with Tony Scott, is considered to be one of the first bop
clarinetists. Stockholm ’81 is a collection of jazz standards played in a clarinet
trio setting. It features Putte Wickman on clarinet, Red Mitchell on bass and John
Lewis on piano. Beginning jazz students can listen for Wickman’s bop language
within his solos as well as become exposed to a collection of standards that the
trio plays including ​‘Round Midnight​, ​Lush Life​, and ​Confirmation.​

Swing Low Sweet Clarinet – Eddie Daniels

● Eddie Daniels is best known for his virtuosic and versatile clarinet playing; with
his technique and style, he has been able to bridge the gap between jazz and
classical clarinet. In this album, Daniels take classic big band swing tunes and
rearranges them adding a more modern and fresh sound. Clarinetists may be able
to connect to Daniels’s warm classical-esque sound while still being able to hear
his jazz language. Any woodwind player who is interested in jazz should know
who Eddie Daniels is at some point.

The Easy Way – Jimmy Giuffre (1959)

● The Jimmy Giuffre trio features Giuffre on clarinet and tenor saxophone, Jim Hall
on guitar and Ray Brown on bass. This album is as more relaxed collection of
tunes. What makes this album so great however is the communication between all
three players with each player catching on what the others are doing and
responding with tasteful phrases and ideas. Most of the tunes are original
compositions by Giuffre and feature his lyrical style of playing. This can be heard
in ​The Easy Way,​ ​Off Center a​ nd his arrangements of ​Mack the Knife a​ nd ​Come
Rain or Come Shine​.

Paquito D’Rivera – Tico Tico (1989)

● Paquito D’Rivera is a virtuosic clarinet and alto saxophone player originally from
Cuba. D’Rivera has released a prolific collection of music throughout his career
(over 50 albums as a leader!) and it is safe to say that all of his recordings include
 19

virtuosic and inspiring playing. Tico Tico in particular includes afro-cuban and
salsa jams with virtuosic soloing by not only D’Rivera but also by the rest of the
band. Students can become exposed to a fusion of latin, jazz, funk and South
American music within this album.

Bassoon

Frolic in the land of Plenty

Released Jan 28 2008 under Abstract Logix.
Personnel:
Paul Hanson: Bassoons, Tenor Sax
Dennis Chambers: Drums
Paul Van Wageningen — Drums
Victor Little — Bass
Eric Levy — Fender Rhodes, Piano
Armen Chakmakian — Piano, Fender Rhodes;
Tracy Silverman — Violin
Mike Olmos — Trumpet, Flugelhorn
Caito Marcondes — Pandeiro
Haroun Serang — Guitars, Electro beats
On this album, Paul Hanson presents bassoon with different fusions of European
folk music into his combo’s compositions. Hanson’s sound sticks more to the traditional
warm timbre of the instrument rather than the rougher sound of Daniel Smith. The
smoothness of his sound, along with her characteristic bassoon melodies, he creates a
new atmosphere for the bassoon sound to explore. His solos are very legato in the
beginning and move to busier works with small changes to the timbre. Hanson focuses on
color changes, as seen in his personnel choices for certain tunes. For example, he
includes violin as a complimentary bright color when he is working with his solo changes
in the upper range of the bassoon. He adds the violin color to create a brighter
atmosphere before the rhythm section starts responding to his rhythmic variations. Paul
Hanson demonstrates a new color palette for the bassoon while emphasizing his rich,
woody tone.

I Am Three
Released Jun 7, 2005 with Sunnyside Records
Mingus Orchestra
Personnel:
Kenny Rampton — Trumpet
Ku-Umba Frank Lacy — Trombone
 20

Bobby Routch — French Horn

Seamus Blake — Tenor Saxophone
Craig Handy — Alto Saxophone
Douglas Yates — Bass Clarinet
Michael Rabinowitz — Bassoon
Jack Wilkins — Guitar
Boris Kozlov — Bass
Donald Edwards — Drums
On this recording, I am specifically looking at the Mingus Orchestra tunes Chill
of Death and Todo Modo. This album puts the bassoon in a big band context. It is
interesting to note the group name on the recording changes between Mingus Band,
Mingus Dynasty, and Mingus Orchestra. Chill of Death uses the bassoon and French horn
to add darker colors to the underlying harmony. The bassoon in this big band does not
play the bass line with the rhythm section. Instead, it is treated as a solo instrument in a
classical ensemble. In both of these tunes, the bassoon does more lyrical and color
changes in his solos. Rabinowitz does not change the warm timbre of the bassoon;
instead he uses inflections and the range of the bassoon to create contrasts in his soloing.
This is particularly striking in Todo Modo, where the hard swing of the bassoon and
French horn carry the ensemble throughout the groove. In the beginning, the bassoon
adds the chromaticism to the trumpet melody and trombone melody. The tune then opens
up into a Latin/Cuban fusion of different Latin beats and grooves. The bassoon does not
play as large of a role as in the previous recording, but it is important to note how the
bassoonists sticks to the traditional sound and adds bits of flair here and there.

Bassoon on Fire
Released June 4, 1996 under Cats Paw
Personnel:
Michael Rabinowitz — Bassoon
John Hicks — Piano
Rufus Reid — Bass
Victor Lewis- Drums
Michael Rabinowitz is known as one of the first specialists of jazz bassoon after its
minimal introduction in big bands in the 1920s. His Bassoon on Fire album depicts
bassoon and hard bebop and some post-bop. The pervasive use of the range of the
bassoon for each track shows his technical capacity of motivic masterpieces in his
improvisations. He rarely used pitch bending as his additional flair. Instead, he uses the
vibrato speed and articulations as a means for creating variations in his improvisations.
The album includes some of his own compositions in the bebop style, as well as tunes
like Nica’s Dream by Horace Silver, Central Park West by John Coltrane, etc.
 21

Rabinowitz’s unique sound can be described as a warm, woody saxophone. Many of his
inflections and scoops are directly from saxophone jazz articulations. Since the bassoon
is a mixture of tone holes and keys, Rabinowitz uses the instrument to further define the
inflections done in the heads and solo sections of these works.

Bassoon Goes Latin!

Released March 11, 2008
Personnel:
Daniel Smith — Bassoon
Daniel Kelly — Piano
Michael O’Brien — Bass
Vincent Ector — Drums
Roswell Rudd — Trombone
This Latin-fusion jazz bassoon solo album takes popular Latin jazz and features the
bassoon and the primary melodic instrument. Daniel Smith uses the trombone to
compliment his range and add color to his horn section. Daniel Smith, unlike the
bassoonists mentioned above, has a very bright sound. The bright sound is brought down
by the trombone doubling in the horn section in each of tunes on this disc. The bassoonist
uses this bright sound to make sure he is the featured instrument rather than an additional
color to the small chamber group. To compliment the bassoonist’s playing style, the
rhythm section presents the groove and lets the horn section lead the tune. Daniel’s
soloing style uses pitch bending, timbre changes, inflections, articulations, and growling.
Most of the time, Daniel sticks to his unique sound while he solos, which means they are
flamboyant, out there, and busy solos. He builds upon the melody and then adds his own
signature lick, which is presented in a couple of the tunes on this album.

Dream Travels
Released in 2000 by Janet Grice
Personnel:
Janet Grice — Bassoon
Deanna Witkowski — Piano
Noriko Ueda — Bass
Vanderlei Pereira — Drums
This Brazilian-influenced album reflects Janet Grice’s love of Brazilian music and her
love of bassoon into one album. In addition to being one of the bassoonist on call for The
Mingus Orchestra, Janet Grice has made a name for herself as a Brazilian jazz artist.
Janet’s velvet smooth sound is complimented well by her combo, and the melodies she
chooses show off her eclectic timbre and articulation palate. Janet’s solos are laid back,
 22

organic, and rhythmically exciting. She utilized all register of the bassoon and
incorporates her control over her vibrato to initiate color changes. Her soloing style
resembles flute more than saxophone; she performs flourishes and flutter tounging more
often then scoops and bends. With this, her combo does an excellent job holding
conversations with her as they are changing samba rhythms, which creates a lively
atmosphere for improvisation.

Magoas de Fagote
Released 2008 by Alexandre Silverio
Personnel:
Alexandre Silverio - Bassoon
Tom Santana — Guitar
Fábio Leandro — Piano
Igor Pimenta — Bass
Sérgio Reze — Drums
Well known as the Principal Bassoon of the Sao Paulo State Symphony Orchestra,
Alexandre has made a name for himself as a classical and jazz bassoonist. On this
particular album, Silvero does an excellent job blending with his horn section and
representing himself as a soloist. His sound is dark, with a hair of brightness when he
changes the timbre. His solos are rhythmically exciting and jump around all octaves of
the bassoon. Melodically, they are easy to follow and have organic flow to the more
complex sections of his soloing. He does not pervasively use extended technique or pitch
bending in his playing, but he does change the vibrato speed and timbre of notes. One of
the tunes on this album, My Favorite Things, is articulated to sound like a tenor
saxophone (Coltrane is an inspiration for Silvero). There are moments where the
trombone and bassoon colors separate and come back together that are quite gorgeous.
The high ranges used in his personnel compliment his classically based sound well, and
his rhythm section adjusts well to his choice instrumentation. Another interesting
performance choice is the use of synthesizers at his feet. With his amplifier set up, he has
pedals set up under his feet that change the sound of the bassoon.

I Hear You
Personnel:
Ray Pizzi-Flute, Saxophone, Bassoon, Christian Stock-bass
Aldo Caviglia — Drums
Wolfgang Lackerschmid — Vibes
Known as an extensive woodwinds player, Ray Pizzi is well known for his role in big
bands and cinema soundtracks. He is a player with a very large sound and plenty of
surprises up his sleeve. Tracks 4, 5, and 11 are features for bassoon, and it is important to
 23

note that Ray comes in alone and uses multiphonics in the general key to lead the rhythm
section into the tune. His sound is medium-bright, with flexibility in most registers. Ray
tends to play high more than low, and it works to his advantage. For example, in track 11,
Ray opens up with a familiar folk theme, and it seems like the track is just a statement of
a familiar tune. However, he uses articulations and extended technique to growl, scoop,
to add character to the tune. He always comes back to the original familiar tune and
creates classical motifs, but as the piece goes on the piece becomes more unfamiliar and
they transform it into something groovy.

Give it Up
Released in 1985 under Black Saint
Personnel:
Karen Borca — Bassoon
Jimmy Lyons — Saxophones
Paul Murphy — Drums
Jay Oliver — Piano
Enrico Rava — Bass
Karen Borca, an avant-garde free-jazz bassoonist, is well know for her collaborations
with her late husband Jimmy Lyons. Her playing is generally very bright, but she uses the
John Coltrane of sheets of sound with her free-jazz playing. She creates sound motives
through specific tonal patterns in a given moment and then grows this sound in a
horizontal or vertical way throughout the piece. She pervasively uses multiphonics, pitch
bending, vibrato speed variations, inflections, scoops, growls, and vocalizations in her
free jazz playing. She has a wide array of colors in her timbre palate, and she plays with
them at every single opportune moment. Her solos are very busy, but always are
conversing with the rhythm section or the saxophonists of the group. There are some
tunes on this particular disc that the bassoon is almost unheard of until her bright sound
rises up out of the busy texture. She does an excellent job being “free” in her
interpretation of the melody and solo work, and her rhythm section helps with this. She
can be free while her rhythm section provides percussive backdrops for her
improvisations.

The Australian Jazz Quartet

Released in 1956 by Bethlehem Records
Personnel:
Errol Buddle — Bassoon and Tenor Saxophone
Bryce Rohde — Piano
Jack Brokensha — Vibraphone and Percussion
Richard Healy — Alto Saxophone, Flute, Clarinet, Bass
 24

This particular ensemble, formed in the 1950s challenged the bassoon to be a jazz
instrument. On the LP, the bassoon is a feature as its own solo instrument. This LP is one
of the ways bassoon became a member of the jazz camber group. Later in the 1950s,
artists such as Chick Corea would begin incorporating bassoon into their jazz
compositions. The bassoon plays the role of additional color in the rhythm section and
then steps to the forefront to solo. Errol Buddle, the bassoonist on this recording, plays
the bassoon as though it is a tenor saxophone. The inflections used in his melodic
material while soloing is similar to his saxophone inflections. He also has signature
rhythmic and melodic riffs that he transfers between bassoon and saxophone. Buddle
explores the range of the bassoon, but did not go to the full extremes in the high register
of the instrument. He sticks to the low and middle registers to create contrast with the
vibraphone and the upper woodwinds. Since he does not move across register often, there
is very little vibrato used and he uses the shape of the notes to lead in his solos with the
air rather than the vibrato speed.

Reginald Foresythe & His New Music

Released ~1933
Personnel:
Sol Schoenbach — Bassoon
Benny Goodman — Clarinet
New Music of Reginald Forsythe — Rhythm section
Schoenbach, most well know as Principal of the Philadelphia Orchestra at the
time, appears on the track as the “mystery bassoonists” on ​Dodging a Divorcee.​
Schoenbach heard about the gig from his clarinet friend Benny Goodman, and he
appeared at the recording session and played. It wasn’t until years later that he revealed
his identity in a radio interview. This recording puts the bassoon in a big band context,
with Benny Goodman leading the head of the tune and Reginald tickling the keys. The
bassoonist acts as a walking bass line with the piano and then separates to create a new
tonal idea. After this harmony is introduced, Schoenbach takes his solo. He starts low on
the bassoon to contrast his middle range accompanimental figures he previously plays.
He explores the top of his range briefly, but enjoys playing low to contrast the clarinet
sound. There is minimal use of extended technique such as multiphonics and growling.
Schoenbach retains his classical sound of well-rounded notes and melodic motifs. He
experiments with using Benny Goodman’s inflections but does not use vibrato to change
anything in his sound. He sticks to classical roots and throws in some articulation flair to
match Benny Goodman’s melody.

Trombone Listening List

 25

1. Grace (2010)
■ Personnel:
Michael Dease: trombone, valve trombone
Roger Squitero: vocals, percussion
Mark Whitfield: guitar, acoustic guitar
Yotam: acoustic guitar, electric guitar
Sharel Cassity: alto flute, alto saxophone
Eric Alexander: tenor saxophone
Roy Hargrove: trumpet, flugelhorn
Claudio Roditi: flugelhorn
Steve Davis: trombone
Cyrus Chestnut: Piano
Gene Jackson: Drums
■ I chose this album because Dease demonstrates versatility on the
instrument that is almost unparalleled in the jazz trombone world
currently. The way that he can move between styles with ease is
remarkable and something trombonists would want to emulate.
2. Standards: Live at the Village Vanguard (1988)
■ Personnel:
J.J. Johnson: Trombone
Ralph Moore: Tenor and Soprano Saxophone
Stanley Cowell: Piano
Rufus Reid: Bass
Victor Lewis: Drums
■ I selected this album because this was the first jazz album that I was given
to listen to. JJ is a great bop player and his style on the heads as well as
his improvising shows an aspiring trombone player how to adapt the bop
style on to the trombone. I may also recommend this album to a rhythm
section player as well. I was drawn to the way that they interact with the
soloist in all the charts.
3. Somebody New (2015)
■ Personnel:
Wycliffe Gordon: Trombone, Vocals, Soprano Trombone,
Trumpet, Tuba
Miles Osland, Larry Nelson: Alto sax
Gordon Towell, Doug Drewek: Tenor Sax
Lisa Osland: Baritone Sax
Rick Byrd, Rick Cook, David Hummel, Andrew McGrannahan:
Trumpet
 26

Bradley Kerns, Josh Dargavell, Bill Kite: Trombone

Loius "Hap" Bourgois: Bass trombone
Raleight Dailey: Piano
Ross Whitaker: Guitar
Danny Cecil: Bass
Paul Deathrage: Drums
■ I chose this Wycliffe album because it is his first album recorded with a
big band. It gives the high school (or middle school) trombonist an idea of
what a trombone should sound like in front of a big band. It also
showcases Wycliffe as a composer and arranger. I think this is important
because it can be used to demonstrate arranging and composing to future
students.
4. Spiritman (2015)
■ Personnel:
Steve Turre: Trombone, Shells
Bruce Williams: Alto, Soprano Saxophones
Xavier Davis: Piano
Gerald Cannon: Bass
Willie Jones III: Drums
■ I chose this album because of Turre’s ability to blend bop and “sweet”
styles together to form his sound. He also demonstrates a foreign concept
to many trombone players and that is the use of shells. It shows a
traditional style of South American music that can be adapted for very
high register trombone. Overall, Steve Turre can show the more
advanced student a different style than they may be used to and push them
out of their comfort zone.
5. J.J.! (1965)
■ Personnel:
Bud Johnson, Harvey Estrin, Jerome Richardson, Jerry Dodgion,
Oliver Nelson, Ray Beckenstein: Reeds
Clark Terry, Ernie Royal, Jimmy Maxwell, Joe Wilder, Thad
Jones: Trumpet
J.J. Johnson, Jimmy Cleveland: Trombone
Tommy Mitchell, Tony Studd: Bass trombone
Hank Jones: Piano
Bob Cranshaw: Bass
Grady Tate: Drums
■ J.J. Johnson is shown as a leader in this album with a big band. He
demonstrates his bop style approach with big band style arrangements.
 27

J.J. Johnson gives good examples of standard tunes in the repertoire and
how to adapt them for trombone.
6. New York Breed (1996)
■ Personnel:
Conrad Herwig: Trombone
Dave Liebman: Saxophone
Richie Beirach: Piano
Rufus Reid: Bass
Adam Nussbaum: Drums
■ Herwig has a unique approach to post-bop trombone playing. He
incorporates afro-cuban styles into his interpretations and ideas for
standard and original tunes. Herwig is also a trombone professor and
plays the ideas that he teaches to students. They are fairly symmetric and
easier to transcribe with his clarity of articulation.

7. Let it Flow, Fred Wesley’s Tribute to James Brown (2010)

■ Personnel:
Fred Wesley: Trombone
Ernie Fields Jr.: Saxophone and Flute
Phillip Whack: Saxophone
Gary Winters: Trumpet
Peter Madsen: Keys
Reggie Ward: Guitar
Dwayne Dolphin: Bass
Bruce Cox: Drums
■ I chose this album because of Fred Wesley’s playing experience and
differing style. He is one of the go-to funk trombone players; having
played with James Brown, Parliament, Parliament-Funkadelic, Funkadelic,
and many more funk groups. He’s even played with the Count Basie
Orchestra. His virtuosity on the horn is something young (and old)
trombonists can emulate from. This album shows Wesley’s ability to play
funk and can be used as a starting point for trombonists that want to learn
a funk style of playing.

8. Space Available (1996)

■ Personnel:
Bob Carr, Phillip Feather, Bill Liston, Sal Lozano: Saxophone
Wayne Bergeron, Dennis Farias, Steve Huffsteter, Bob Summers:
Trumpet
 28

Bill Watrous, Richard Bullock, Doug Inman, Wendell Kelly, Bob

McChesney: Trombone
Shelly Berg: Piano
Trey Henry: Bass
Randy Drake: Drums
■ Bill Watrous is a more modern bop-oriented player. He is a master
technician and has a great sound. I think this album highlights his bop
playing “chops” and gives students a good model to base their sound on.
The line-up for this album is also filled with great players that other
instruments can listen to. He has played with a lot of big name players
and this album shows his experience and what he’s learned from playing
with those people.

9. Mellow-Dy (Recorded: 1967-68, Re-released: 1992)

■ Personnel:
Slide Hampton: Trombone
Nathan Davis: Tenor Saxophone
Dave Pike: Vibraphone
Hampton Hawes, Martial Solal: Piano
Henri Texier: Bass
Daniel Humair: Drums
■ I like this album because it shows Slide Hampton as an adaptive trombone
player. The first few tracks are originals and transcriptions of J.J. Johnson
tunes while the second half has a more modern approach to the horn.
Slide is normally known more for his writing abilities more so than as a
player but this album is a good example of just how good of a player he is.

10. Dreams of New Orleans (2012)

■ Personnel:
Wycliffe Gordon: Trombone, Valve Trombone, Trumpet, Vocals
Michael Dease: Tenor and Baritone Saxophone, Valve trombone,
Trumpet, Vocals
Adrian Cunningham: Clarinet, Soprano Saxophone
Jon-Erik Kellso: Trumpet, Vocals
Matt Munisteri: Banjo, Guitar, Vocals
Ibanda Ruhumbika: Tuba
Marion Felder: Drums
■ I chose this album not only because of Wycliffe Gordon’s ability as a
trombone player but because of his ability to bring the old tradition of
 29

New Orleans into a modern day album. New Orleans music is rooted in
movement and celebration and Wycliffe brings that to life with this album.
Prominent trombone playing began with tail-gate trombone and New
Orleans style processionals and Wycliffe does a great job of capturing it
and showing it off. His virtuosity and technical abilities are also
ridiculous and can be used to show aspiring trombonists.

Jazz Guitar

Charlie Christian “The Genius of the Electric Guitar”

(Released in 1987, recorded from 1939-1941)
Although he died at the age of 25 from Tuburculosis, Charlie Christian had a
lasting impact on guitarist and musicians in general from the swing era and beyond. This
recording features Christian with the Benny Goodman sextet. Playing with Benny
Goodman gave him a great amount of exposure in a short period of time and allowed him
to have the influence that he has had. One of the first key electric guitar players, Charlie
Christian had the ability to use the guitar as an effective solo voice that wasn’t possible
with just and acoustic setup. His simple often riff based playing is a great way to get
guitarists interested in blues into the realm of jazz music.

Count Basie “The Atomic Mr. Basie” (1958)

Any guitarists who wants to play in a big band should know the name and style of
Freddie Green. A member of band leader Count Basie’s band for many years, Freddie
was known for his “four on the floor” style of guitar comping. By strictly playing quarter
notes using a down pick and often-simple 3 note voicings, Freddie Green treated the
guitar as if it were a percussion instrument at times. Along with the other Basie Rhythm
section members, Green laid the platform for the rest of the band to swing on top of.
Freddie Green is also a name a big band director should be familiar with in order to help
capture the Basie style in the rhythm section. Freddie lays it down on this record in
particular.

Kenny Burrell and John Coltrane (1963)

This recording is a great example of a guitar sax feature along with a great rhythm
section. Kenny Burrell and Coltrane are offered the support of Tommy Flanagan, Paul
Chambers and Jimmy Cobb on piano, bass and drums respectively. Burrell demonstrates
how to blend effectively with a group using dynamic contrast and trading. Paul Chambers
frequently solos using a bow, which provides an interesting timbre that Burrell supports
effectively through his light comping. This album is also great for guitarists to expose
themselves to John Coltrane and elements of his style from this era.
 30

Grant Green “Matador”

(Released in 1979, recorded in 1964)
This album features jazz guitarist grant green with McCoy Tyner on Piano and
Elvin Jones on Drums as well as Bob Crenshaw on Bass. Tyner and Jones are well
known for their tenure and influence on many on John Coltrane’s works. Grant green
displays his great melodic ideas and his ability to build solos into a climax. This is aided
by the incredible rhythm section and the interaction between group members. Also listen
to Grant Greens album “Idle Moments.” Grant Greens later albums also show his
influence in acid jazz and could appeal to fans of rock and funk.

Wes Montgomery “Smokin’ at the Half Note” (June 1965)

One of the most important and influential jazz guitarists ever, Wes Montgomery’s
Smokin’ at the Half Note​ is an essential record to listen to for any jazz guitarists.
Recorded at the Half Note in New York as well some tracks at the Van Gelder studios in
Englewood Cliffs, NJ, it features Wes Montgomery with the Wynton Kelly trio. The trio
features Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers on bass and Jimmy Cobb on drums, all
of whom were also regarded for their work with Miles Davis. The album showcases
Wes’s signature on many common jazz standards, a few of which were his compositions.
His usage of his thumb instead of a pick helped provide his signature smooth tone, which
is featured on this album along with heavy use of octaves and chord solos. His incredible
sense of melody and phrasing is also exhibited, as he seems at home with the guest
rhythm section. Pat Metheny (also on this list) described Wes’s solo on “If you could see
me now” as his favorite solo of all time.

Joe Pass “Virtuoso” (1973)

Virtuoso is a solo jazz guitar album that demonstrates Joe Pass’s unbelievable
technical ability and musical sensibility. This album helped redefine what people
believed was possible on the guitar and has influenced many guitar players sense. This
album is a good template for the possibility’s of guitar in a solo setting, and features
many jazz standards performed in a chord melody style often with Pass’s own walking
bass lines in between melodic lines and chord solos. This album may also appeal to
guitarists interested in “shredders” as Joe Pass’s technical displays on this album are
impressive and unmatched.

Jim Hall “Live” (1975)

Recorded at a club in Toronto, Ontario, ​Live f​ eatures Jim Hall with Don
Thompson on bass and Terry Clarke on Drums in a guitar trio setting. Jim’s playing on
this recording particular is especially melodic and deliberate in it’s delivery. The
 31

interaction between Hall and the other members is also something that guitarists should
take note of. Jim Hall’s style is often subtle and laid back, which is something that all
musicians could benefit from listening to. Also check out Jim Hall on “The Bridge” with
Sonny Rollins to see how he interacts with the great tenor saxophonist.

Pat Metheny “Bright Size life” (1976)

Another guitar trio album, this album was recorded when Metheny was only 21
years old… and it remains one of his most important albums to date. Recorded the
electric era of jazz, the album has great roots in jazz-rock fusion which helps its wide
appeal. Metheny is joined by the great Jaco Pastorious on fretless electric bass and Bob
Moses on drums. This is an essential jazz guitar listening that could appeal to fans of rock
guitar as well. It features some of Pat’s most notable compositions and can help introduce
guitarist into the world of modern jazz harmony.

John Scofield and John Abercrombie “Solar” (2008)

This album features the guitar duo of modern jazz players Scofield and
Abercrombie. The record features popular standards and shows the possibilities of the
guitar in a duo setting. The contrast and similarities between the two heavyweights could
also prove to be eye opening for jazz guitarists. While many of the tunes on the record are
old jazz standards, the two employ very modern sounding jazz harmonies to keep things
interesting and fresh.

Kurt Rosenwinkel “Standards Trio: Reflections” (2009)

One of the most influential jazz guitarists of the last 20 years, Kurt Rosenwinkel
displays his mastery of the guitar on this trio record. Playing jazz standards, many of
which are ballads, Kurt takes a unique and modern approach on jazz classics.
Rosenwinkel is probably the most “modern” sounding guitarists on this list as he
frequently experiments with unusual harmony, time signatures and effects pedals. For
these reasons he is a refreshing player to listen to and younger jazz guitar players may
relate to his genre crossing style.
 32

Philosophy of Music Education

Raising Cain
Semantic and Episodic Learning
Semantic Learning is done through rules and sequences. Most of lectures and
explanations rely of semantic learning for content to transfer. (Left brain)
Episodic Learning is highly sensory and is unique to each individual. Episodic
Learning is typically experienced outside of the classroom. (Left brain)
Education of Boys
Historically, women are seen as the caregivers while men are the workers and
providers in society. Because of this, men have become less aware of their own
feelings and feelings of others.
3 Ways Men Handle Emotion:
Compete/control/criticize
Stoic Culture
Alcohol abuse + violence
Overall, the boys in our culture are physically growing earlier ​but not
emotionally
Education of Girls
While boys are less aware of their feelings, girls are too aware of responses from
others
Boys draw hard disciplines (detention, emotional abuse, etc.).
HARSH DISCIPLINES DO NOT WORK. It only teaches violence as an answer.

As an educator, how can we create an environment/culture where our male students can
express themselves within the classroom? Raise emotional literacy through music!
Use music to open up. Teach empathy. Ex. Fridays are for sharing music.
Raise inner emotions to the conscience level.
Teaching Boys Emotional Literacy
Teach them to recognize emotional cues and how to deal/cope and interact with
someone who disagrees with them.
Boys want to be able to express and create within a safe environment
Boys aspire to heros
Music is great avenue to teach teamwork, self-expression, and engagement (hands-on)
Music is important to realize the emotional life
If a student is acting up, give them a chance to lead (Hammel: Wind Up)
 33

Broca's Area -- part of the brain that processes language. Improvisation helps Broca’s
Area.
★​ASK. DON’T TELL★
★

Final Presentation Outline

➔ Global Trend -- Technology growing exponentially
◆ Teacher’s role is not to teach content
◆ Music is unique
◆ Teach human values, independent/collaborative thinking (teamwork), leaders, and
creative problem solving
◆ Teaching people through music
➔ Current Issues in Music Education
◆ Inclusion
● Students with disabilities
● Student ideas
● Non-traditional instruments
◆ Creativity
● Being told what to do
● Not given space to create or explore
● Self Expression
➔ Teaching Pedagogy to Include
◆ Teaching by ear
● Gets students to use their ears
● Sound before symbol
● Appeals to students of another modality
◆ Including movement
● Students are sitting all day
○ Grand Wiggins article
● Appeals to students of different modalities
◆ How to include into today’s band rehearsal?
● Students choose seating arrangements (ex. Skyline MS)
● Include movements/ear training/singing/
● Ask questions to students (Ask, don’t tell)
● Involve students in concert programming
 34

Improvisation Pedagogy
Teaching by ear. ​Not by rote.
Start the class of by ​playing​. Ask and discuss what was done ​after​​ the experience.
Articulation Exercise
Play with metronome -- “groove” is consistent
Get kids to ​tap one of their heels​​. Get body moving (dance music)
Call and Response -- Jazz culture (dance music)
Can talk about it after the exercise
Start with two pitches. Eventually add pitches (within a step)

Jazz “Melodic” Minor [​SOUND BEFORE SYMBOL​​]

Teach by ear!! “Find this note”
Divide scales into halves (tetrachords)
Ex. B Jazz Minor (B C# D E F# G# A# B)
F# Major tetrachord
B minor (start from F#)
“Find tonic”
Ask if Maj or min 3rd
Ask if Maj or min 7th
Use proper terminology! (Dorian/mixolydian)

Gb Lydian Dominant (shares same notes as Db Melodic minor)

Teach #4 as:
Neighbor tones
Enclosures
Teach from top tetrachord

Teaching the Circle of 4ths

“Find this note”
“How many notes of the scale away is this?”
Variations with:
Roots + 5ths
Triads
Other chords within the piece
Attack tuning by having students their ears
 35

Big Band/Combo Set Ups

Guides
Director -- DON’T BLOCK LEAD PLAYERS
Line up lead players
Singer near the rhythm section
RS together -- stage right
Line up bari+bbone
Solo chairs near rhythm section
Bass player at the crook of the piano
Trumpets standing
Set up should be so every player can hear each other
See every brass player’s bells
Trombones play w/ off set stand
String bass ​in front​ of amp
RS ​faces​ each other
Mallet perc in back if miked. Up front if not.
Performance Set up:
 36

Rehearsal Techniques
Articulations
Teaching by ear. ​Not by rote.
Start the class of by ​playing​. Ask and discuss what was done ​after​​ the experience.
Articulation Exercise
Play with metronome -- “groove” is consistent
Get kids to ​tap one of their heels​​. Get body moving (dance music)
Call and Response -- Jazz culture (dance music)
Can talk about it after the exercise
Start with two pitches. Eventually add pitches (within a step)
Articulation depends on ​tempo
Never slur more than 2 notes
Marcato ended with tongue (quarter notes assumed marcato)
Gliss = chromatic (would not tongue note after gliss)
Jazz “legato tongue” = air release

Ghosting -- de-emphasized notes. Comes from how horns would copy the vocal style. Ghost may
be awkward for trombones so have the saxes play the ghost.

Ghosted Notes General Rules

● Not tongued (“swallowed”)
● Note before needs to be full valve and tongued
○ Take out ghost to help keep the note before be full value
● Note after tongued (not always full)
● Off beats are ghosted (Never down beat)
● Ghosted notes are at the ​bottom​ of the phrase
○ Preceded AND followed by higher note. Never after space (quarter note)

Recommended listening: “Count Basie's Finest Hour” -- good for articulations/style

★​TEACH CONCEPTS. NOT THE SPECIFICS★

★

Rehearse in Box Setup with all the players facing each other
Mix it up by rehearsing in the Mixed Box
 37

Jazz “Melodic” Minor [​SOUND BEFORE SYMBOL​​]

Teach by ear!! “Find this note”
Divide scales into halves (tetrachords)
Ex. B Jazz Minor (B C# D E F# G# A# B)
F# Major tetrachord
B minor (start from F#)
“Find tonic”
Ask if Maj or min 3rd
Ask if Maj or min 7th
Use proper terminology! (Dorian/mixolydian)

Gb Lydian Dominant (shares same notes as Db Melodic minor)

Teach #4 as:
Neighbor tones
Enclosures
Teach from top tetrachord

Teaching the Circle of 4ths

“Find this note”
“How many notes of the scale away is this?”
Variations with:
Roots + 5ths
Triads
Other chords within the piece
Attack tuning by having students their ears

Ways to change RS texture [​Don’t be limited by the score! Once you buy it, it's yours!​​]
Brushes
String Bass arco
Eliminate chorded instruments (or even drums)
Just high hat
No RS (solo/ensemble alone)
Electric/synth
Groove change (double time/ 12/8 / Straight 8ths)
“Stop Time” (playing only on downbeat or 4&)
Trade 4s
Vamps
 38

Multiple soloists (converse, vary textures/registers, dovetail)

Guitar only

Tuning
Break band into 3 sections (based on tesitura)
Stop at various pitches (to keep from being mindless)
Works on blend (both unison + harmonic)
Work with 1 group at a time (tune each notes individually)
Ensembles are likely to be sharp!! Why?
Jazz is louder music
Register (pinching)
Hot temperature
Keys
How do you incorporate articulations and rhythms into the warm up?

Find and isolate all perfect intervals

Play chord then cut off to have 1 perfect interval play at a time

Warm Up
*​Be​ bop NOT be ​Bop​*
Internalizing the beat/groove w/ feet

Going around circle | . |

Going around circle w/ intervals
Up M3rds and down M2nd (teach guide tones)

Time Feel Pedagogy

Thinking about wheel or forward propulsion
“Ground rhythm” @ 2+4
Get them to listen/sing
Swing is closer to dotted eighth sixteenths than triplets

Turn metronome on
“Du va Du va Du va Du va Du va Du va …”
Half of band sing swing, rest of the band sing music
 39

SWITCH
Thigh slap subdivision then sing music

Metronome Tech:
Metronomen clicking
1. Clap w/ met
2. Clap as if met was the offbeat
3. Clap w/ met being the third triplet
4. Then click met only on 2 and 4. Then only on 4
Any other variations:
Quarter note = ~70.
Triplet subdivisions
“Down beat” becomes every other subdivision/triplet
Introduce polyrhythmic ideas
 40

Drum Notes
Storage:
DO NOT​​ stack or leave it set up (wears on lugs and drum head)
Set up:
Once set up, drum set “flows” from crash, tom, ride, to floor tom
Throne first!
Have drum rug (if on hard surface)
Bass drum (with legs)
Pedal (untwist latches)
Floor toms (top vs bottom) w/ tom legs
Hold by shell
Always set on right side
Snare stand (on left side)
Snare on drum stand → tighten
(can tighten snare. Called “sloppy kit”)
Set snare throw towards/face you
High Hat
Store w/ “pole” guarded (up)
All 3 legs ​flat
Clutch​ stays w/ high hat. ​Not​ cymbals.
Set up next to snare
Cymbals shouldn’t touch
Change bottom cymbal angle
Crash cymbal + tom
Set up behind snare
Crash cymbal ​flat
Boom stand + Ride cymbal between floor tom + bass
 41

If setup is correct, drummer will play with ​minimal motion​​ (requires ergonomic setup)
Pedagogy:
“Heel down” vs “Heel up”
Start with only high hat and ride.
Straight quarters on ride and 2+4 on high hat
Drum Sticks
Any VicFirth 7A/5A (wooden tip)
Lighter smaller sticks
Cymbals
Zildjian A Custom ~$750
“ ZBT ~$300
Sabian XSR ~$500 (good for ms/hs)
Zildjian ​K​ Custom ~$1,000 (Best cymbals)
Hardware
Sound Percussion
PDP
DW
Drum Kit (Shells only)
Pearl Export ~$650
Roadshow ~$350
Drum Heads
Brands: Remo, Evans, Aquarium
[Bass 21-22” / Snare 14” / Tom 12” / Floor 14-16”]
Coated vs Uncoated

Marlon Jazz Drum Set Lecture

Ride = time keeper
Keeping quarter note pulse
 42

★​Have beginner rock left foot heel-toe-heel-toe with right hand with quarter
notes on the ride​★
 43

“Listen to the bass’ metronome”

“How to ​blend​ drum set w/ band?”
Drum set player should play relaxed and loose
Tip of the drum stick to the high hat
“Feathering” of the bass drum
Once beginner can play with high hat and crash, teach them to comp with the snare drum

𝄁 ​ 𝄀 𝄀 𝄀​
. . //drum fill//​𝄀
Playing with brushes
1. Quarter notes, right hand, use as little brush as possible
2. Sweep across drum either line or circle
3. Combine, no brush, one hand tap, other slide across drum
4. 1 hand brush, other still swipe/tap
5. 2 brushes
6. Intro duets circle brush (accent on 12o’clock)
JAZZED (Free magazine!!)

Drum Set Notes

Bass -- Low F
Ride -- E
Snare -- C
Crash -- G
Toms -- D and A
Anything written ​in the​ staff, the drum ​must​ play
If written above, drummer improvises

Grooves:
Bossa Nova (straight eights)
 44

Clave (and Son Clave)

“Somba pattern”

General Rules for Drum Set:

Don't kick saxes (accents/hits)
Brass alone or whole ensemble
Don’t hit cymbals w/ short band notes
Hit rim shot + bass drum
Add crash if longer note
Get rid of unnecessary sounds/noise (aka. clutter)
Allow for space after crash

Fills
When hit is on the ​off beat​​, you want rhythm setup w/ no rest
Stick w/ heads (no cymbals on fill)
When on ​on beat​​, you want space before hit
 45

String Bass/Bass Guitar Notes

Bass Role
Keep time (practice w/ metronome!)
Walking bass style (4 legato quarter notes)

First steps
Roots only (legato quarter notes!)
Root only on beat 1 (then 5th, then 3rd. NOT 4th!)
3 beats of root then lead into next chord by a half step (either below or above)
Have the entire band play!! (1 measure at a time)
Alternate between roots and 5ths
Pentatonic pattern (do re mi so OR do te la so)
Ways to approach next chord:
● ½ step below/above
● Whole tone below/above
● Introduce “skip beats” (Jalapenos)
● V of next chord
“Don’t leap from a non-chord tone!”
Listening Suggestion -- “Coltrane plays the Blues”

Amps
Bad sound = “too boomy”
Bass should be felt but not overpowering
Turn bass ↓ and treble ↑ (opposite for guitar)
You want to hear the “wood” of the upright
If sound still sounds bad, check:
Technique
Strings
Settings
Stand ​in front​ of the amp! And amp should point towards the winds.
Don’t get an amp with speakers >12’
AMP GETS TURNED ON LAST AND OFF FIRST!!
 46

Brands:
● Fender 100 (bad for upright, good for electric) ~$300
● GK Gallien -Krueger (better for upright) ~$800
● Check out SWR(?) (Good for both upright and electric and cheaper than GK)

Electric Bass
4 or 5 strings (5 string opt: added upper or lower string)
“But 4 is plenty”
Brands:
● Fender
● Squire
Strings:
● Fender Medium ~$22
● D’dario ~$20
Pickups (how the electric bass picks up frequencies):
Where you pluck changes the tone
Closer to bottom = punchier
Closer to middle = upright sound
[In general, pluck in between the two pickups]
Active VS Passive
Active = Preamp in bass. Requires battery
Passive = No battery. Just plug and go. ​BUY THIS

Strings Bass
Pickups
Buy separately and have it installed
Fisherman ~$250
Underwood
Realist “Clip” ~$400
Strings
~$200
Roundwound vs Flatwound vs Half wound
Playing Technique
Left Hand Position:
Thumb “planted” on the back of the neck
Touch middle finger to thumb
Fingers never >1in. Away from strings
Keep hand in 1st position as much as possible
 47

½ Position -- 1st finger @ 1st fret

1st position -- 1st finger @ 2nd fret
2nd position -- 1st finger @ 4th fret

Right Hand Position:

Electric:
Play near pickups
Close to classical bass pizzicato
Straight wrist!! (adjust strap to fix)
Pluck down and in ​NOT ​up and out
Slapping = Hit with thumb + pluck from underneath string
String Bass:
Fingerboard anchor (thumb on side of fingerboard not underneath)
Pluck near the end of the fingerboard
Pluck with “as much meat”
Elbow UP!
Bass height = nut to eyebrows
Stand ​behind​ string bass
 48

Guitar Notes
Notation
Transposes down 1 octave
Notated in treble clef
Guitar often doubles tbones
LH: index = 1, etc., etc., and Thumb = T
Any circled numbers refers to strings
E3 = ①​ [written E3. Pitched E2]
G3 = ②
D4 = ③
G4 = ④
B4 = ⑤
E5 = ⑥
Don’t take piano voicings to guitar!
Guitar prefers open voicings (Have at least one open string)
Plectrum = Pluck (familiar for beginner students) vs Finger (warmer sound)

Body Types
Solid Body
Cheaper
Least warm sound
Most popular
Electric
Hollow Body
Classical guitar (electric)
Jazz appropriate
*Semi Hollow Body*
Most versatile
Jazz appropriate
Electric (needs amp)
Not as expensive (middle of the road)

Pickups
*Humbucker* vs Single Coil

Brands (really good guitar ~$1,000):

● G+L
 49

● Fender
● Gilson
● Epiphone
● Ibanez
● Gretsch
● P. Read Smith

Guitar Amps:
Brands
● Marshall
● Fox
● Mesa Boogie
● Fender
Combo​​ VS Separate
Solid State​​ VS 2 Tube (fragile and $$$$)
Cables (buy spares!)
● Fender
● Planet Waves
● Monster

Tuners
Inline ~$20-30
Clip on
Ear (recommended)

Strings (measured in gauges)

thin/medium/thick (younger students go with thinner strings)
Standard = 0.01 Gauge for high E string
Brands:
● D’dario
● Ernie Ball
● Fender
Roundwound (for lower strings) and Flatwound (upper strings)
Comes in mixed set

Recording -- “Essential Count Basie” / “Count Basie’s Finest Hour”

With Freddie Green as Guitarist

Don’t play/strum all 6 strings (stick to 3rd and 4th if possible)

 50

Drier than string bass

Lift fingers to stop sound
 51

Piano Notes
Two ways to teach Jazz piano: Left Hand w/ Roots & Rootless Voicings

Left Hand w/ Roots

5 voice shell extensions
Root on left pinky, ​*guide tones w/ both thumbs*
“Play the shell”
1. Left pinky bass (C)
2. Find 7th w/ left thumb (Bb)
3. Right thumb other guide tone (E)
4. Add 6th, then 9th (if possible). QUARTAL HARMONY
5. Go through Circle of 4ths with guide tone resolutions
 52

Lowest Guide Tone Range

D3-D4 (anything below will make it muddy)
Guide Tone Resolutions
(5) 13 → 9
3→7
7→3
9 → 13 (5)
Book:
Phil DeGray “Contemporary Jazz Piano”

Rootless Voicings

Once the player ca​n play this ​↑, take out the root and shift voicings to only left hand
Right hand can now be used for solos or comping with extensions
Root can be added into the right hand to make the chord sound more dissonant
Planing -- Only when chord does not change for long time. Moving chord up and down in
the key of the song. Opt. chromatic planing up/down.

Get them to read chord symbols​ (most music will have written out parts)

Comping
Get rid of sustain pedal (to be avoided at first)
Need clarity of articulation
How to vary texture?
Have them play in the holes of the melody!

Salsa Piano
http://www.vanessarodrigues.com/salsa-ebook
 53

Emailed PDFs

Blueprint for Aleatoric Composition

Greg Thomas, Albemarle HS
gthomas@k12albemarle.org
Rationale:
This type of lesson is an effective way to engage students in authentic creativity while
introducing many of the real world skills needed by an improvising musician. This
happens over a period of several lessons, and can be continuously and productively
taught for an entire semester or even an entire year.
Beginning:
➢ Everybody has staff paper and a pencil
➢ Everybody’s contribution is important to the process even if it is not on display directly
in the finished product. The process is where the improvisation takes place most
powerfully.
➢ Start Simply!
Brainstorming a theme
It helps to have a programmatic idea for the composition. We recently invented a
piece titled “Rescued From Environmental Destruction”. Another composition was
entitled “The Unsuccessful Prom Date”. Having a theme helps encourage the creative
process. Dividing the song into sections that define your theme helps students invent
emotional content and gives the composition a skeletal structure. For example, sections of
the “Prom” piece may be subtitled “Getting Ready for Prom”, “Dinner at Taco Bell”,
“I’m Not Sure That Qualifies as Dancing”, etc.
Inventing Scales
➢ Spend a few minutes defining what a scale is, then invite every student to invent one.
Name it after them, for example the “Richie-tonic scale”. The scale or scales you select
from the group will be the backbone of the ensuing composition. No traditional scales are
allowed.
➢ Teach everyone the chosen scale by rote – spend the required few minutes clarifying
the intervals required. This lesson will pay dividends in all your rehearsals.
 54

➢ Everyone notate this scale on their staff paper in their key for future reference.
➢ If their scale was not chosen, they should also notate their own scale on their staff
paper.
Inventing Melody
➢ Everyone creates a short melody from the invented scale. I play the 8 second
game. Experiment with melody in 8 second bursts with 8 seconds of silence in between.
Do this many times, 10 or more. Prompt students to choose a mood: dreamy, angry,
proud, etc. and create a melody that matches that emotion. It is not necessary to notate at
this step because you are allowing students to be less concerned with the product and
more concerned with the experiment. Encourage kids to play their ideas for the class, but
whether or not they have played their ideas publically, they will still have participated in
the creation of new spontaneous music conforming to specific guidelines. They have
already improvised!
➢ Select one (or more if you are ambitious) melody to base your composition on. ➢
Everyone learns the melody on their instrument and learns to sing it - add words if you
like.
➢ Commit the melody to memory. At this step of the process it can be very useful for
some students to notate the melody on staff paper.
Expanding on the Melody
➢ Discuss ways that melody can be altered, harmonized, embellished, mutated, etc.
➢ Spend several minutes freely experimenting
➢ Showcase some ideas with no criticism.
➢ Combine several of these ideas for interesting effects.
➢ At this stage interesting group improvisation can take place with soloists
experimenting with the melody and everyone else playing long tones on other notes in the
scale. The group can be subdivided into birthday months to prevent overcrowding. (group
1 – Jan, Feb, March)
Invented Conducting Gestures
➢ Using the chosen invented scale, invite students to respond to invented
conducting gestures. Experimenting with student conductors at this stage is also useful.
Be uninhibited in your gestures, using eyes, fingers, body, posture, face, etc. Encourage
students to interpret your gestures musically.
➢ Conduct only specific sections of the room, and change unpredictably. Keep everyone
on their toes. Recording some of these segments is not only amusing, but also has the
 55

effect of keeping students engaged.

➢ Develop a glossary of gestures that seem to get the best responses. Codify them in
some way on paper for later use.
Including a Groove Section
➢ From Within your invented scale, extract some chord combinations. Give them names.
This is a great moment to teach what a chord is. Play with these.
➢ Ask students to invent a simple Bass vamp derived from the invented scale. Follow
the same pattern of experimentation and demonstration used when creating the scale and
melody.
➢ Ask students to invent accompanying rhythmic patterns for use in the groove
section. You will notice EVERYONE improvising at this stage if you lay down a drum
groove and an invented bass ostinato.
➢ Pick a couple of these rhythms and codify them – they can be notated musically, or
lyrically. For example, a rhythm could be described with the phrase “The DJ played only
hits from the 60’s”.
➢ Take turns with the three roles in this section of the composition: Bass, Comping,
Soloing.
Creating a Glossary of invented symbols
➢ Invent a short list of written symbols (No more than 10) that can be used on
your lead sheet during the composition. Some of these should correlate with your
conducting gestures.
➢ Rehearse the sounds that each symbol represents. Use your imagination – nothing is
off limits. You can use traditional concepts, like chromatic scale fragments, or invented
sounds like air blown in the wrong end of the instrument.
➢ A student may compose of short sequence of these symbols on the board and everyone
will interpret them.
➢ Be sure to invent a symbol to command the group to play the melody, the groove
section, adjusted melody, etc.
➢ Stress listening and trying to relate to other things going on in the room.
Creating a Lead Sheet
➢ The lead sheet provides the overall architecture of the performance version.
➢ The lead sheet illustrates the sequence of musical events/environments/moments.
➢ The creation of a lead sheet is a terrific group product, but the final lead sheet, once
 56

agreed upon, should be copied and distributed to every student.

Giving a Performance
➢ The Performance of this type of Aleatoric composition is controlled by the conductor
and the lead sheet.
➢ It’s perfectly acceptable to have narration interspersing the composition – every
marching band does it!
➢ Every phase of this project includes improvisation, including the performance.
➢ The success of the performance depends on how focused students can be on
the sounds around them and how adept they are at interpreting the lead sheet and
conducting.

Call and Response Techniques with Beginning Improvisers

Dr. Chuck Dotas Director of Jazz Studies James Madison University
dotascj@jmu.edu
Music Education majors understand the value and importance of this type of exercise, but often
need guidance getting it started with students. These are some of the things we talk about and
utilize in my Jazz Procedures and Techniques course:
Sound before symbol
Ears! “Find this pitch,” not “play a concert E” (etc)
The concept of a groove
a) snap fingers on 2 & 4 (or use a metronome on 2 & 4, or an app such as Drum Genius).
b) have students tap their heel (causes movement in the hip), or move their body. We
want them to internalize the pulse. Eventually this means not tapping the foot, moving to
the larger rhythms of the music instead. For beginning improvisers, though, learning to
feel the pulse in their body via heel tapping is enough.
c) keep the pulse going in-tempo between all calls and responses (having the whole class
tap while you snap or tap will help)
Start simple:
a) one pitch, a two-bar or four-bar (4/4) rhythm depending on the level of the class
b) first note on beat one of the first bar; use a pattern that leaves some space (2 or 4 beats
 57

of silence) at the end of the last bar

c) use syncopated patterns common in jazz (or in the piece you’re about to play, etc)
d) sing with jazz syllables; play with jazz articulation e) this reinforces the idea of simple,
rhythmic, riff-based ideas in an improvised solo (“if you can’t repeat an idea you just
played, it’s too hard.” Good advice for young improvisers.)
Reinforce the Wind/Song concept​​ (always sing a phrase first, then play it. Repeat it to reinforce
it.)
a) sing the first phrase, the class sings the response
b) sing the same phrase again, the class sings the response
c) repeat b. until the response is accurate
d) play the same phrase on your instrument, the class plays the response
e) play the same phrase again, the class plays the response
f) repeat e. until the response is accurate
Slight alterations to emphasize specific musical elements
a) sing another phrase on the same note but with a slightly altered rhythm (for example,
quarter note triplets instead of eighth notes)
b) sing the same phrase, inflect one note (a bend or a growl, etc)
c) sing the same phrase but at a noticeably different volume
Don’t forget to use space
a) simple riff that uses mostly space
b) when they’re ready, sing a pattern that starts with a rest
c) generally works best to stick to 2 bar phrases that end with some space (reinforcing the
concept of a continuous groove is more important that singing/playing a pattern that goes
until the end of the last measure)
Add a second pitch
a) keep it stepwise at first
b) teaching students to hear minor vs. major seconds: sing/play a phrase with major
seconds one time, followed by the same phrase using minor seconds
Add a third pitch, etc.
a) At first, introduce notes stepwise up a particular scale (without mentioning that it’s a
scale). Students will start to recognize the scalar pattern, which will help them internalize
 58

the increasing number of pitches.

b) use a particular scale enough that students are comfortable with it (ie: it’s internalized)
before discussing the theory behind it. It may take many sessions to get to this point, but
that’s OK. This is a great way to help demystify music theory. This works with simple
scales as well as complex scales (ie: h/w diminished, altered, etc).
c) if your students are able, teach these patterns as descending scales instead of ascending
(ie: start at the top of the scale). Emphasize how this is a common device in jazz solos.
d) once the students are comfortable with scalar patterns, introduce a pattern using two
notes a third apart (similar to the major/minor second exercise above, teach aural ID of
thirds by playing a phrase using a major third followed by the same phrase using a minor
third).
e) introduce arpeggiated patterns, ascending first, followed by descending.
f) teach simple riffs from classic jazz solos in this manner. Once they have internalized
the riff, play them the actual recording...then have them (on their own) choose other
simple riffs from the recording, learn them by ear, and teach them to the class as
calls/responses.
Peer learning
a) ask for volunteers for the “caller.” Remind the students to keep it simple (can do this
by demonstrating an impossibly hard/silly rhythm as the call—make it fun!).
b) ask for a volunteer caller and a volunteer responder.
c) if you sense nervousness about individual playing, use groups—you do the call, all
woodwinds respond, do another call, all the brass respond, etc. Middle school kids love
making little contests out of these types of exercises.
d) At this stage, always use volunteers—the others will gain the confidence to try when
they see their friends having fun.
e) your class clowns will love the chance to be in charge, and they are usually very good
leading the class, as well as taking chances and improvising.
Adding improvisation
a) sing/play a phrase, the class repeats the phrase but at a drastically different volume, or
with drastically different inflection/tone color.
b) sing/play a one or three bar phrase; the class responds collectively (or individually),
creating a unique final-bar ending for the phrase. (ie: you start a phrase, they finish it)
c) sing/play a phrase, the class responds with a phrase “as opposite as possible.” ID
specific musical concepts that can be varied (loud vs. soft, high vs. low, lots of space vs.
 59

lots of notes, strictly in time vs. flurries of notes, etc).

d) antecedent/consequent phrases: the caller plays an ascending phrase, the responder
plays a descending phrase (etc)

Once the basic process is established, it is very easy to adapt this technique to
introduce/discuss/develop many different musical concepts.
This type of ear-based activity can be done as part of a warmup, or any time you feel you need to
get the kids’ heads back into the room.

Equipment: trumpets, trombones, saxes

With equipment, keep in mind that new equipment will affect a player’s sound for
about two weeks. After that, the player will revert to the sound s/he hears in his/her head.
Developing a solid concept of good sound on one’s instrument (ie: listening to master
players) is just as important as playing on proper equipment.
If you have a limited budget, buy good mouthpieces/strings/sticks/drum heads/cymbals
for your students before spending a lot of money on instruments—the parts of an instrument
closest to the sound source (embouchure for wind instruments, fingers for string and rhythm
section instruments) have the biggest influence on a person’s tone.

Trumpet
Instruments:
Bach (medium large bore for public school), Yamaha
Mouthpieces:
Bach 5C or 7C (with Bach, the number is the size of the rim, the letter is the cup
depth)
Avoid “cheater” mouthpieces like the Schilke 14 A4A. Their very shallow
cups result in a thin, poor tone.
Mutes (all players in a jazz ensemble should own):
1. straight (Dennis Wick best, Leblanc Alessi/Vacchiano less resonant but
cheaper)
 60

2. cup (Humes and Berg Stone-Lined most common)

3. harmon (Jo-Ral copper the best, but expensive [80.00 or more]; Imo quite
common but more out of tune and low notes don’t speak)
4. plunger (available from any hardware store)
Note: Some scores call for brass to use bucket mutes, and also sometimes hats (an
actual hat colored like a stone-lined cup mute—a throwback to the days when
brass players used their derby hats in the manner we use plungers today). These
can be purchased from the Brasswind catalog for about 50.00 each, or the brass
can play in cups or into the music stand as a substitute for buckets/hats)

Trombone
Instruments:
1. Beginner/MS: King 2B (500 bore)
2. HS: King 3B (525 bore)
Mouthpieces:
1. Beginner: Bach 7C
2. JH/Young HS: Bach 6 1/2 AL
3. Good HS: Bach 5G or Schilke 51 (small shank mouthpiece OK for jazz)
Mutes:
See descriptions under ​Trumpet​. Public school trombonists should own the same
mutes as trumpet with the exception of the Harmon, which is used very rarely in
public school trombone parts.
 61

Saxophone​: ​(bold print indicates “can’t miss” generics to buy in bulk for your program)

Instruments:
1. Avoid cheap imitations of Bundy and Selmer instruments.
2. Yamaha model 26 is a good beginner horn
3. Yamaha model 52 is a good HS horn (tenor: $2,000; soprano
$1,800)
4. Avoid Selmer in HS: too much finesse required
5. Baritone saxes: buy horns with a low A key

Mouthpieces:
1. Mouthpiece choice is much more important for jazz saxophone tone than for
brass, because sax mouthpieces are made from different materials (metal, rubber,
plastic)
2. Rubber Selmer C-Star and S-90 are good classical mouthpieces that work OK
for jazz
3. Alto, Tenor, and Bari Sax: Meyer 5M is a good jazz mouthpiece; in
general, don’t go larger than size 6 for public school students (too hard to
control)​​ [with Meyer, the bigger the number, the more open the mouthpiece]
4. Soprano Sax: Selmer C-star: pitch is easier to control than a Meyer mouthpiece.
5. Altos, Sopranos: ​Do not​ use metal mouthpieces.
6. Tenors, Bari: put off metal until college if possible
7. ​Do not​ buy hybrid mouthpieces (specialty mouthpieces often endorsed by
specific players). They are very expensive (can be $500.00 or more), easily
broken, and inconsistent in quality and tonal characteristics.
8. Avoid stock Bundy mouthpieces that come with beginner instruments.
Encourage parents to negotiate w/dealer for a better mouthpiece.

Reeds:
1. Two kinds of cut: Filed (French cut) and unfiled (American cut)
2. Beginners: rico 2 1/2 (classical: use rico royals later on)
3. HS: Van Doren 2 1/2 or 3 (classical: Van Doren Blue Box 3; jazz: Van Doren
Java [3] or V16)
4. Rico Jazz unfiled reeds (3 soft) are also good
5. recommended mixture of reed types/strengths to have in your band office
for your students:
 62

1/4 of your supply: Van Doren Blue Box 2 1/2

1/4 of your supply: Van Doren 3
1/4 of your supply: Van Doren Java 2 1/2
1/4 of your supply: Van Doren Java 3

Ligatures:
1. Inverted ligatures (screws on top) are preferable to standard ligatures
2. If a student is squeaking, the reed is probably warped; a better ligature will
prevent warping
3. Stock brass ligatures are OK
4. Rovner ligatures ($15.00) good for both classical and jazz
5. Rovner Eddie Daniels model ($30.00) good for jazz
6. Oleg “Oleg-a-ture” ($60.00) good for jazz
7. Gigliotti ligatures are a good basic choice for JH/HS players
8. avoid Otto Link ligatures

Jazz Clarinet:
1. use softer reeds than in the classical ensembles
2. use Van Doren 5RV mouthpiece
3. avoid Otto Link mouthpieces

Stop Thinking Like a Band Director

[And try not to think like a teacher either]
1) So how should I think?
2) Teaching Jazz Band and Concert Band. Are they the same?
➢ Yes
➢ But actually, no.
Jazz, at its core IS defined by spontaneous relevant composition! (Improvisation)
Commitment to understanding the music much deeper
Highly specialized in terms of style and roles of participants
Relevant culture content in Jazz which is IMPORTANT for all of us
Much more freedom to create -- solos, arrangements
Much more freedom with instrumentation
VBODA still can’t decide how to judge it (Hooray!!)
WAY easier to branch out to related or derivative styles -- blues, funk, rap, pop, etc.
Possible to incorporate, mash, blend, be part of music history in the making!

3) Your approach to Creativity

 63

➢ Jazz band is the last or at least the best chance for authentic creativity in traditional music
-- don’t kill it
➢ Be a student of improvisation -- you are a musician -- stop fearing and start doing
➢ Develop an approach to creativity in your teaching -- try not thinking sequentially. (You
don’t have to play eighth notes before you play sixteenths.)
➢ Do less
➢ Use the material to your advantage. Tinker!
➢ If the grade is the goal, the students can only go so far
➢ If the gift is the goal, the students will never stop rising

4) Create the Vibe

➢ Minimize the difference between who you are inside and outside of rehearsal -- nobody
really likes a schizophrenic
➢ Be the bearer of the gift of music (it is its own reward, unlike other subjects)
➢ Be the receiver of gifts also
➢ What music is playing -- model listening, singing, doing music
➢ Grades -- they are mostly evil
➢ Expectations as they relate to the students’ future and integrity as an adult and to the gift,
but not as they relate to your program or your desire for trophies
➢ Spaces -- your office, the band room, your time, your participation
➢ Inclusion of authentic student input in all phases
➢ You have to find a way to make the music relevant
➢ Expectations should be relevant to the students’ progress to adulthood ​NOT​​ the progress
of your band
➢ If you replace yourself with a method book, you’ll lose

BE THE MODEL
 64

Big Band/Combo Publisher Info

Recommended Jazz Pedagogy Method Book
Foundational Materials for the Young Musician​​, by JAMEY SIMMONS. Really
Good Music Publishing (RGM)

Jazz Studies Guide​​, published jointly by:

IAJE (International Association for Jazz Education)
PO Box 724
Manhattan, KS 66505
Phone: 785-776-8744
Fax: 785-776-6320
www.iaje.org
MTNA (Music Teachers National Association)
The Carew Tower
441 Vine St. Suite 505
Cincinnati, OH 45202-6320
Phone: 888-512-5278
Fax: 513-421-2503
www.mtna.org mtnanet@mtna.org

Comprehensive Website
School Band and Orchestra Magazine
www.sbomagazine.com

Publishers and Distributors​ (in addition to materials distributed in class)

Advance Music
(young groups: Groovin’ Easy series and Jim Snidero Easy Jazz Conception series, other
big band pieces are quite difficult; also has method books, playalongs, etc)
www.advancemusic.com www.shermusic.com (US distributor)
Alfred Music Publishing
(publishers of the Chop Monster method books, etc) www.alfred.com
Double Time Jazz
(Jamey Aebersold’s jazz CD website; comprehensive source of classic and contemporary
jazz recordings) www.doubletimejazz.com
Doug Beach Music
(good source of MS/easy HS music, look for pieces by Doug Beach and George Shutack;
distributed by Kendor Music) www.kendormusic.com/dbmusic.htm
 65

Essentially Ellington
Information about the Essentially Ellington competition and ordering pieces by Duke
Ellington and Billy Strayhorn can be found at the Jazz At Lincoln Center website:
www.jalc.org Information on music for big band: follow the links on the JALC website:
Resources: Print Music
Contact Information:
Jazz at Lincoln Center
Education Department
33 West 60th Street,
11th Floor
New York, NY 10023-7999
Phone: 212.258.9800
Fax: 212.258.9900
education@jalc.org
Big Band music is distributed by Warner Bros. Publishing
FJH Music Company
(look for Bryan Kidd; publishes jazz and concert band music)
phone: 800-262-8744
www.fjhmusic.com
Heritage Jazz Works
(look for things by Fred Sturm, Frank Mantooth, Peter Blair, Mike Titlebaum)
A division of The Lorenz Corporation
phone/fax: 262-646-5164 might be outdated; try Lorenz Music)
peterblair@prodigy.net (might be outdated; try Lorenz Music)
Increase Music
Publisher that will send parts created for unusual instrumentation, etc. Good writers; look
for Brent Wallarab, Jamey Simmons, Brian Gaber. Level: beginning through HS jazz
ensemble; catalogue gives good information on instrumentation, ranges, difficulty, etc,
and includes a demo CD
Phone: 800-650-0004
Fax: 651-748-8747
www.increasemusic.com

Jamey Aebersold Jazz

(Aebersold play-along recordings; comprehensive source of jazz method books, etc; see
double time jazz for jazz recordings)
www.jazzbooks.com
Kendor Music
Publisher of many big band pieces; contact them for distributor information
 66

www.kendor.com
Kjos Music
(publisher of Standard of Excellence Jazz Ensemble Method; good source of MS/easy HS
big band pieces; look for Dean Sorenson)
phone: 800-797-KJOS
www.kjos.com
Lorenz Music
Phone: 800-444-1144, ext. 1
www.lorenz.com
webmaster@lorenz.com
Marina Music Service
(good distributor of all level pieces, both big band and combo)
www.marinamusic.com
Matrix Publishing Company
“Fundamental Series” (grade 2 middle school level big band charts from the
standard jazz canon)
A division of The Lorenz Corporation
Phone: (800) 444-1144 ext 1
Fax: (937) 223-2042
www.matrixmusic.com/jazz.html
E-Mail: info@lorenz.com
Really Good Music, LLC.
(MS/HS level; good writers. Writers whose names I know and trust: Brent Wallarab,
Jamey Simmons, John Harmon, Ron Caviani, Frank Mantooth, Ted Pease, Mike Irish,
Dominic Spera, Dave Milne, Ron Keezer, Tom Boras, Michael Mossman (latin stuff),
Lovell Ives, Fred Sturm) phone: 715-834-7530
www.reallygoodmusic.com

Second Floor Music

Good source of transcriptions of classic jazz combo pieces (see handout)
Sierra Music Publications
(Bob Curnow; good source of classic big band music from the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s,
advanced HS level, music of Stan Kenton, Bill Holman, many others)
www.sierramusic.com
Tom Davis Music Publishing
(good MS/HS writer; teaches HS in upstate New York)
phone: 585-394-3750 www.tomdavismusic.com info@tomdavismusic.com
Warner Bros. Jazz
(publisher of much big band music including Essentially Ellington pieces; see website for
 67

distributor information)
www.wbjazz.com
The Real Easy Book
http://www.shermusic.com/new/1883217156.shtml
 68

Big Band/Combo Literature

Standard Jazz Melodies (heads)
The following are but a few examples of pieces that can be taught easily by ear to a combo
and/or big band. Suggested recordings are also listed (titles preceded by an asterisk should be in
your school jazz CD library. Other titles are appropriate to recommend to advanced students).
Blues heads (major key)
C Jam Blues​ (Duke Ellington)
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra, Blues In Orbit (Columbia CK 44051)
Duke Ellington and His Orchestra, ​The Private Collection
(10 CD boxed set) (KAZ CD 510)
Red Garland Trio, ​Groovy​ (Prestige 7113)
Johnny Hodges/Earl "Fatha" Hines, Stride Right (Verve 8647)
Pie Eye’s Blues​ (Duke Ellington)
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra, Blues In Orbit (Columbia CK 44051)
Sonnymoon for Two​ (Sonny Rollins)
*Sonny Rollins, A Night at the Village Vanguard (Blue Note)
Freddie the Freeloader​ (Miles Davis)
*The Miles Davis Sextet, Kind of Blue (ColumbiaLegacy CK 64935)
(note: do not buy the older release of Kind of Blue, Columbia CS 8163. It was
mastered at the incorrect speed and is quite sharp as a result.)
Wes Montgomery Trio, Portrait of Wes (Riverside 9492)
Now’s the Time​ (Charlie Parker)
*Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, ​A Night At Birdland​ (vol. 1 and 2)
(Blue Note CDP 7 46520 2)
*Charlie Parker, ​Parker, Charlie, 1920-1955​ (compilation) (Verve)
Charlie Parker/Max Roach Quartet, Bird at St. Nick's (Fantasy)
Roy Haynes, Dave Holland, Roy Hargrove, Dave Kikosi and Kenny
Garrett, ​Birds of a Feather; a Tribute to Charlie Parker​ (Dreyfuss Jazz)
J.J. Johnson Quintet, J.J. in person! (Columbia)
 69

Joe Pass, Virtuoso 4 (Pablo)

Au Privave​ (Charlie Parker)
*Charlie Parker, ​Parker, Charlie​, 1920-1955 (compilation) (Verve)
Miles Davis, ​Jazz Club - Trumpet​ (compilation) Verve 840 038-2
Wynton Marsalis Quartet, ​Live at Blues Alley​ (Columbia PC2 40675)
Tuba quartet, ​Tubby's Revenge​ (Crystal Records S 221)

Billie’s Bounce​ (Charlie Parker)

*John Coltrane, John Coltrane: The Prestige recordings (boxed set)
(Prestige)
*Charlie Parker, ​Parker, Charlie, 1920-1955​ (compilation) (Verve)
The Red Garland Quintet with John Coltrane, ​Dig It!​ (Fantasy)
Ella Fitzgerald with the Tommy Flanagan Trio, Montreux '77 (Fantasy)
Tenor Madness​ (Sonny Rollins)
*Sonny Rollins (w/John Coltrane), ​Sonny Rollins: The Complete Prestige
Recordings (boxed set) (Prestige 7PCD-4407-2)
*John Coltrane, John Coltrane: The Prestige recordings (boxed set)
(Prestige)
Blue 7​ (Sonny Rollins)
*Sonny Rollins, ​Sonny Rollins: The Complete Prestige Recordings​ (boxed
set) (Prestige 7PCD-4407-2)
Straight, No Chaser​ (Thelonious Monk)
*Miles Davis Quintet, ​Milestones​ (Columbia)
*Miles Davis Quintet (with John Coltrane and Thelonious Monk),
Miles and Monk at Newport​ (Columbia PC 8978)
Thelonious Monk Quintet, 5 by Monk by Five (Fantasy)
Blue Monk​ (Thelonious Monk)
Thelonious Monk, ​Thelonious Monk: The Complete Prestige Recordings
(Fantasy)
 70

Thelonious Monk, ​Monk Alone in San Francisco​ (Fantasy)

Clark Terry Quartet, ​In Orbit​ (Fantasy)
Watermelon Man​ (Herbie Hancock)
*Herbie Hancock, ​Takin’ Off​ (Blue Note)
*Herbie Hancock, ​Headhunters​ (CBS)

Blues heads (head in minor key, blowing in major key)

Blue Train​ ​(John Coltrane)
*John Coltrane Quintet, ​Blue Train​, (Blue Note B2-46095)
Dig Dis​ (Hank Mobley)
*Hank Mobley Quartet, ​Soul Station​ (Blue Note 7243 4 95343 2 2)
Blue Minor​ (Sonny Clark)
*Sonny Clark Quintet, ​Cool Struttin’​ (Blue Note 7243 4 95327 2 4)
Blues heads (minor key)
Mr. P. C.​ (John Coltrane)
John Coltrane Quartet, ​Giant Steps​ (Atlantic SD 1311)
John Coltrane, ​The Heavyweight Champion: the Complete Atlantic Recordings​ (Rhino)
Equinox​ (John Coltrane)
*John Coltrane Quartet, ​Coltrane’s Sound​ (Atlantic 1419-2)
John Coltrane, ​The Heavyweight Champion: the Complete Atlantic Recordings​ (Rhino)

Rhythm Changes
Lester Leaps In​ (Lester Young)
*The Smithsonian Collection of Classic Jazz​ (CBS Special Products/RD
033/ A5 19477
Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Coleman Hawkins, ​Very Saxy ​(Fantasy)
Cotton Tail​ (Duke Ellington)
* Duke Ellington and His Orchestra, ​The Blanton-Webster Band ​(Bluebird 5659-2-RB)
 71

Other song forms

Cantaloupe Island​ (Herbie Hancock)
Herbie Hancock, ​Empyrean Isles​ (Blue Note)
So What​ (Miles Davis)
*The Miles Davis Sextet, ​Kind of Blue​ (ColumbiaLegacy CK 64935)
(note: do not buy the older release of Kind of Blue, Columbia CS 8163. It was
mastered at the incorrect speed and is quite sharp as a result.)
The Miles Davis Quintet, ​Friday and Saturday Nights in Person at the Blackhawk
(Columbia C2 S 820)
The Miles Davis Quintet, ​Live at the Plugged Nickel​ (Columbia C2 38266).
The Eddie Jefferson Sextet, ​Body and Soul​ (Prestige 7619)
The George Benson Sextet, ​Beyond the Blue Horizon​ (CTI 6009).
The J. J. Johnson Big Band, ​Say When​ (Bluebird 6277-2 RB CD reissue)
Impressions​ (John Coltrane). ​This is a head composed by Coltrane over the chord changes of S​ o
What​ that is more appropriate to the fast tempo that Miles tended to perform S​ o What​ in the
1960s.
*John Coltrane: The Complete Live at the Village Vanguard (boxed set; Impluse)
John Coltrane Live at Newport 1963 (Impulse)
John Coltrane Afro-Blue Impressions (Pablo)
Blue Bossa​ (Kenny Dorham)
*Kenny Dorham/Joe Henderson Quintet, ​Page One​ (Blue Note 45-1901)
*The Milt Jackson Trio, ​The Big Three​ (Pablo 2310-757)
The Tommy Flanagan Trio, ​Montreux '77​ (Pablo Live 2308-202)
Superblue, ​Superblue 2​ (Blue Note CDP 7 92997 2)
Doxy​ (Sonny Rollins)
*Sonny Rollins, ​Sonny Rollins: The Complete Prestige Recordings​ (boxed set) (Prestige
7PCD-4407-2)
St. Thomas​ (Sonny Rollins)
*Sonny Rollins, ​Sonny Rollins: The Complete Prestige Recordings​ (boxed set) (Prestige
7PCD-4407-2)
 72

Tune Up​ (Miles Davis)

* Miles Davis Quintet, ​Cookin' With The Miles Davis Quintet​ (Prestige 7094)
Hank Mobley: ​The Complete Blue Note Hank Mobley Fifties Sessions ​(Mosaic
MD6-181)
Miles Davis Quintet: ​Blue Haze​ (Fantasy)
Sister Sadie​ (Horace Silver)
Horace Silver Quintet, ​Blowin’ the Blues Away​ (Blue Note CDP 7 46526 2)
Walkin’​ (Richard Carpenter)
*Miles Davis Sextet, ​Miles Davis All Stars​ (Original Jazz Classics CD -213-2)
Miles Davis Quintet, "Four" and More (Sony 9111)
Art Pepper, ​Art Pepper​ (+11 Original Jazz Classics CD-341-2)
Freddie Hubbard, Lee Morgan, The Night of the Cookers (Blue Note CDP 7243 8 28882
2 2)

Another source of easy jazz heads is The Real Easy Book published by Sher Music (see handout)
 73

Weekly Lesson Reflections

Elizabeth
This week I had my lesson with Elizabeth. She showed me the iReal Pro app and
taught me how I could potentially use it to learn basic improvisation. She also taught
some fun improv games for younger students such as having the students improv using 1
note ideas then 2 note, 3 note, then 4 note ideas over simple chord changes. All of the
games she taught were really helpful for helping soloists focus on creating clarity and
helpful for beginners who may need additional parameters to be more comfortable
soloing.

Samm
This week, I had the opportunity to work with Samm on the drum set. I thought
this was a really well thought out lesson because Samm had me playing easy content
(quarter notes on the ride) early on in the lesson. He would have me do this for several
measures at a time to help build that muscle memory/consistency. He would sequentially
add more and more layers until I was using all four of my limbs to play the swing style
on drum set. It was by no means perfect but it was a lot more than I thought I would be
able to do in 30 mins. The only thing that would have helped me keep time and deal with
the multitude of simultaneous responsibilities would have been to count out loud.

Neal
I had my lesson with Neal this week. We went over the differences in stylistically
opposing big band charts and a few concepts of playing over them. We listened to the
recordings and followed along in the music as well. ("Yes Sir that's my Baby" and
"Tah-Dum!"). I had a lot of questions about soloing and chord scale theory, and we went
over some different concepts in a jazz blues, including what modes to use over the
different chords in a jazz setting instead of the "blues scale" blues.

Joseph
This week, I was able to get a lesson from Joseph. In this lesson, Joseph showed
me the basics of String Bass playing and he helped answer some basic questions about
improvising bass lines and theory concepts. While we did get to cover a lot of topics
about playing bass lines, he never actually had me play any at all. I think I would have
appreciated experimenting with bass lines even if it was just on the piano.
 74

Olivia
This past week, I had a Jazz voice lesson with Olivia. For this lesson, Olivia
mostly had me go through some vocal warm ups and then we sang a little bit out of her
“The Real Book”. I was already familiar with the warm ups from taking vocal techniques
last year so we were able to get through those pretty straight forward. In the “The Real
Book”, we talked about how to sing the lyrics in a way that reflects how we would say it
in a conversation. To do this, she had me say the lyrics once to get the flow, and then we
added the pitches and rhythms on top.