This page contains my jazz improvisation recordings from 2005. As you'll hear below, these jazz recordings feature such highlights as cracked notes, poor note choice, unsteady rhythm, and meandering phrases! And that's why recording myself is so important. It's the best way to evaluate my playing and to chart my progress over time. I don't expect that I'll ever become a great jazz trumpet player, but I am anxious to hear how much better I can get with practice. As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions.

All of my jazz improvisation recordings: 2004 - 2005 - 2006 - 2007 - 2008 - 2009 - 2010 - 2011 - 2012 - 2014 - 2015 - 2016 - 2022

DECEMBER 16, 2005

iwasdoingallright - audio clip - Aebersold #104, Bass Piece

This clip is from the Kenny Werner - Free Play play-a-long. I purchased it recently thanks to a suggestion from Dan Jacobs. It's basically a collection of tracks with unconventional rhythms, instrumentation, and harmonies. I really like this collection so far, as it's already pushed me to try some new directions in my playing.

I had only played with this "Bass Piece" track once prior to recording this clip. That first session was about three or four weeks ago, so enough time had passed for me to forget everything except for the fact that it speeds up. There aren't any chord changes, nor is there really any structure to the bass track. My goal with this clip was to make it sound as though the bass and I were actually interacting...

SEPTEMBER 28, 2005

iwasdoingallright - audio clip - Aebersold #12, Take The 'A' Train by Billy Strayhorn

This is the last clip I recorded tonight. My chops were worn out and I probably should have put my horn down, but I just had to play one more tune. While soloing, I had this image in my head of a boisterous (and somewhat inebriated) saxophone player belting out a loud sloppy solo. I think that image comes across in my clip...

Since it's the end of the 3rd quarter, I figure I should add in a couple other clips from tonight's recording session, even though they're short.

iwasdoingallright - audio clip - Clip #1 - Aebersold #99, Super Jet by Tadd Dameron

As you might guess, clip #1 is the beginning of my solo. I continued soloing after the clip ends, but I got tongue-tied and my solo sort of fell apart. After resting for a chorus or two, I started up again and recorded the following:

iwasdoingallright - audio clip - Clip #2

SEPTEMBER 13, 2005

iwasdoingallright - audio clip - Freeform improvisation

Here's a short clip of freeform improvisation. I just picked up my horn, noodled around a bit, and then recorded this clip.

Playing without an accompaniment helps ensure that your note choice, use of motifs, sense of motion, and rhythm are good enough to stand on their own. If/when they aren't, there's nowhere to hide...

AUGUST 25, 2005

iwasdoingallright - audio clip - Aebersold #34, Green Dolphin Street by Kaper & Washington

My chops were pretty much shot during this clip. I had to use one of my old tricks to get the notes out: pressure (didn't I just write about that?) I know, I know... I'm setting a lousy example. At least, it's clear in this clip that pressure isn't a cure-all. I totally missed the high note in a fast little run near the beginning.

I like the long descending run towards the end of the solo. Basic notes and rhythms, nothing fancy, but I think it worked out pretty well. Another element that I liked was the fact that I start and end the solo with simple-song fragments. I think this is the first time I've done that.

AUGUST 10, 2005

iwasdoingallright - audio clip - Aebersold #100, Margie

This track is from the "St. Louis Blues" Dixieland play-a-long. This was my first time playing with this track. I'd guess this clip was recorded after 4 or 5 warm-up choruses.

While recording, I had to break for a phone call. I continued playing after the call, but I forgot to start the recorder. I hate it when I do that! So, this clip is the best of the lot. There are a few cracked notes, but I think it's still worth sharing.

JUNE 24, 2005

iwasdoingallright - audio clip - Aebersold #108, A Shade Of Jade by Joe Henderson

I was listening to the version on Joe Henderson's "Mode For Joe" this afternoon and couldn't help but pick up my horn. Since we're nearing the end of the second quarter, I also figured I should try to get in another recording. I recorded with this track back in 2004, however I definitely prefer today's clip.

JUNE 2, 2005

iwasdoingallright - audio clip - Aebersold #56, "In Walked Bud" by Thelonious Monk

I hesitated putting this track on due to several obvious mistakes, but really I had to put something new online because I'm embarassed by how bad I sound in the 2 tracks below (especially "I Let A Song..."). I didn't think they sounded so bad at first, but after some repeated listening... yikes!

In this recording, I nearly missed the first note (D) entirely but pressed on anyway. And of course, I totally missed the high C that I was shooting for near the end. I did manage to play a high C a few minutes earlier, but wouldn't you know it, I wasn't recording at the time.

MAY 24, 2005

This is my first attempt to play along with the following tracks. I didn't look at the changes, nor did I spend more than a single chorus noodling around before making these recordings. I approached "I Let A Song..." with the intention of creating a new melody for the tune, while my "Catalonian" solo is comprised mostly of short rhythmic phrases.

While they're not great solos, I think they're pretty decent (for me) considering my unfamiliarity with both tunes.

iwasdoingallright - audio clip - Aebersold #12, "I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart" by Duke Ellington

iwasdoingallright - audio clip - Aebersold #82, "Catalonian Nights" by Dexter Gordon

As you work on your ear training, you should also try to figure out tunes entirely by ear. If you have access to the written changes, take a look at them afterwards to see how you did. It would also be a good idea to record yourself so you can better identify problem spots.

APRIL 25, 2005

iwasdoingallright - audio clip - Aebersold #38, "This I Dig Of You" by Hank Mobley

This solo is played over the first two choruses of the tune, where you'd typically play the head.

I didn't get a chance to practice this past weekend so my chops were pretty fresh today. I took advantage of this fact and played a bit more in the upper register than usual. Before I started recording, I actually managed to play a pretty decent E above high C!

MARCH 19, 2005

iwasdoingallright - audio clip - Aebersold #86, "Tokyo Blues" by Horace Silver

Instead of using a bunch of notes, I experiment with short melodies and phrases, using syncopated rhythms to create interest in the solo. The rhythmic aspect is best heard in the beginning of the second chorus. Nothing special, but at least it isn't as note-heavy as some of my recent clips...

MARCH 3, 2005

iwasdoingallright - audio clip - Aebersold #86, "Mary Lou" by Horace Silver

I bought this play-a-long at the same time that I bought #17 & #18 (see below). I haven't had a chance to try it out, though, until recently. It's definitely one of the better Aebersold's, due to the energetic rhythm section. I recommend it highly.

There isn't much to say about my solo. Mostly, I just wanted to get something online since I missed February altogether.

JANUARY 7, 2005

iwasdoingallright - audio clip - Aebersold #17, "Nutville" by Horace Silver

I really like the recording of this tune on Horace Silver's "The Cape Verdean Blues" especially Woody Shaw's playing. I like the tune so much, that I recently bought this play-a-long specifically so I'd have this track. I played a few choruses to get my bearings and then recorded this clip. There are some weak spots, but I think I did a fairly good job of keeping up with the challenging tempo.

iwasdoingallright - audio clip - Aebersold #18, "Nica's Dream" by Horace Silver

Now that I've finally got my flugelhorn valves working (read the note in my equipment information page. Updated 3/3/05: Um...), I thought it was time to use it in another recording. Things were going pretty well until I goofed and basically totally derailed my solo. The goof occurs right after the fade out at the end. Clever editing, eh?

LEARNING TO IMPROVISE - ARTICLE LINKS

• Introduction
• Listening To Jazz
• Ear Training
• Rhythm & Phrasing
• Motifs & Cohesive Solos
• Vocal Improvisation
• Transcription
• Jazz Theory

LISTENTING TO JAZZ

Listening to jazz is the single most important thing you need to do if you want to learn how to play jazz. Everything you need to know is contained within the music itself. Of course, many of us need some help understanding what we hear (did somebody say ear training?), so we can play it on our instruments. For that, we can turn to ear training, transcribing, theory, and other forms of education. But, it all starts with the music.

I've stated this elsewhere, but it definitely bears repeating in this document: aspiring jazz musicians need to listen to as much jazz as possible. Listening to jazz will help the student (or anyone, for that matter) internalize the rhythms, melodies, and harmonies of jazz. Eventually, your familiarity should reach the point where you can effortlessly sing along with a tune, mimicking the way the performer plays each note (match the articulation, dynamics, accents, etc). If you aren't at least this familiar with the sound of jazz, you'll have a heck of a time trying to play it!

PREREQUISITES

1. Jazz recordings to listen to

2. Ears and the ability to listen closely

3. That's it! You don't need any formal training or prior experience to listen and learn from jazz music.

RECOMMENDED RECORDINGS

There are dozens (if not hundreds) of lists of recommended jazz albums on the Web. Here's one good list (with audio clips!), and here's another. And here's a recommended jazz list that I made. These lists will help introduce you to important jazz recordings and artists. I'd also encourage you to do a little background research on each recording, to learn more about the album and its performers. You can get decent information on most albums at allmusic.com.

WHERE TO GET RECORDINGS

I didn't actually own any jazz until I was 15. For Christmas, my mother bought me two tapes: "Maynard Ferguson Greatest Hits" and "Miles Davis Greatest Hits." THANK GOODNESS SHE BOUGHT THAT MILES TAPE! While Maynard gathered dust, the Miles tape started to warp from too many repeated listenings. I just couldn't get enough, especially of the opening track, "Seven Steps To Heaven." When I turned 16, I'd borrow the car and hang out at the library. There, I was introduced to all sorts of players thanks to a couple dozen jazz records and a handful of videos. So, you might want to start out at your local library as well.

If you can afford ~$10 month, I'd recommend a subscription to one of the legal online music sites. Their jazz collections are so large that you probably won't even get through half of the recordings. I've tried all of the major online music services and would definitely pick Rhapsody as my favorite. Rhapsody has an amazing jazz collection that includes pretty much everything from Blue Note, Columbia, Impulse, Verve, RCA, Prestige, and several other jazz labels.

I'd also recommend Pandora as an excellent source for jazz recordings. Pandora is a free Internet radio service where you can select from a wide array of artist "stations". Once you pick a station, Pandora automatically streams similar music. For example, if you request the Miles Davis radio station, you'll get Miles Davis recordings along with recordings from his contemporaries. This provides you with effortless variety in your playlist and it can expose you to new musicians that you might not have heard before. Unfortunately, since it is a streaming radio station, you can't request particular songs nor can you go back and re-listen to a track or sections of a track. But, hey, it's free!

Other sources of free or inexpensive music include Spotify and YouTube. Of course, you can also go to your local record/CD store and buy music the old fashioned way :-)

SUPPORT LIVE JAZZ

While you'll probably do most of your listening via recordings, you should definitely listen to live jazz in your area. As an audience member you have the ability to participate in the performance through your applause, smiles, and cheers. I've been to plenty of concerts where the audience's reaction to a solo pushes the soloist and group forward. This creates a connection with the performers that you just don't get with recordings. Also, at a live show you get to see the interaction between musicians first-hand, in the form of head nods, smiles, glances, etc. This is an important part of your jazz education because it reinforces the fact that jazz musicians are constantly communicating with one another as they create music as a cohesive group.

FOCUSED LISTENING

During the period of time that I stopped playing the trumpet, I spent a couple of years playing drums in a rock band. It wasn't anything fancy; just some friends getting together for fun. When we started, I didn't have any experience playing the drums, so I spent a couple of weeks teaching myself how to play.

I learned to play the drums entirely by mimicking what I heard in rock recordings. Since most rock beats involve at least three different sounds (bass, snare, hi-hat/ride-cymbal), I focused on each part, learning one rhythm at a time. Before long, I was hearing things that I hadn't even noticed before. For example, I began to hear how the drummer moved from the high-hat to the snare in order to play a quick sixteenth-note pickup on the snare, or how the bass drum's rhythm changed between a song's verse and chorus.

I don't play the drums much anymore, but I continue to use the approach of focused listening to better understand what it is that makes a particular recording/solo sound so good. I then take those elements and try to incorporate them in my own playing. Likewise, I use this approach to isolate my weaknesses when reviewing my recordings.

EXAMPLES

Rather than simply tell you to listen closely, I selected some tracks and have identified some specific things that you can listen for. This list is simply a starting point to get you in the practice of listening more closely to jazz, so you can learn more from the music.

LISTENING FOR SHARED MOTIFS & PHRASES

I've already written about the use of motifs to build a cohesive jazz solo. As you'll notice in the clips below, motifs and/or short phrases are also passed between two different soloists to create a smooth transition from one solo to another. While this doesn't happen in every recording, it is a fairly common practice.

iwasdoingallright - audio clip - Cannonball Adderley ends his solo with a phrase that Miles then turns into a motif for the beginning of his solo. Artist: Miles Davis, Album: "Milestones", Track: "Milestones"

iwasdoingallright - audio clip - Before the end of his solo, Lee Morgan plays a couple of 3-note phrases which Booker Ervin mimics at the beginning of his solo. Artist: Andrew Hill, Album: "Grass Roots", Track: "Soul Special"

iwasdoingallright - audio clip - Ornette Coleman passes a phrase to Don Cherry. Artist: Ornette Coleman, Album: "Change of the Century", Track: "Ramblin'"

iwasdoingallright - audio clip - Joe Henderson ends with a phrase that Woody Shaw uses to begin his solo. Artist: Larry Young, Album: "Unity", Track: "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise"

LISTENING FOR EXPRESSIVE PLAYING

You can play a note, or you can make that note sing. The ability (or inability) to inject feeling into your playing is likely going to have the largest impact on your overall sound and your ability to convey your message to an audience.

iwasdoingallright - audio clip - Louis Armstrong uses heavy vibrato to make his horn sound as if it's crying. Artist: Louis Armstrong, Album: "Satchmo Plays King Oliver", Track: "St. James Infirmary"

iwasdoingallright - audio clip - Nina Simone is my favorite vocalist and the power and intensity of her voice in this recording is amazing (even for her!). You believe every word she's saying. The sax solo that leads into Nina's singing is also fantastic and full of emotion. This clip is also a good example of the shared phrase concept. The sax ends with a quickly articulated rhythm that Nina crisply echoes. Artist: Nina Simone, Album: "Nina Simone Anthology", Track: "I Put A Spell On You"

LISTENING FOR GROUP INTERACTION

The more you listen to jazz, the sooner you'll realize that the soloist isn't the only one creating spontaneous music. In actuality, the entire rhythm section and the soloist are actively listening to each other, reacting to each other and spontaneously creating music as a group. This interaction can be extremely exciting, elevating the playing of each musician to a level that he/she might not have achieved alone.

iwasdoingallright - audio clip - Near the end of one of Lee Morgan's choruses, Philly Joe Jones starts playing a double-time feel on the snare and cymbal. This only lasts a few beats before Morgan joins in (at the start of the next chorus). The double-time feel continues through two fantastic choruses, ending with a snare roll (iwasdoingallright - audio clip) and some great down-tempo bluesy licks by Morgan. All of this happens spontaneously as the group listens to one another. Artist: John Coltrane, Album: "Blue Train", Track: "Blue Train"

iwasdoingallright - audio clip - Miles was already playing a great solo when Tony Williams starts playing a syncopated rhythm at the top of his ride cymbol (which brightens the sound). Miles follows suit with one of the hippest syncopated phrases I've ever heard. Artist: Miles Davis, Album: "Miles Smiles", Track: "Footprints"

iwasdoingallright - audio clip - This clip is a great example of "less is more." Miles plays sparce phrases with lots of rest in between. About half way through, you can hear Bill Evans fill one of the rests with a rhythm similar to what Miles just played. Evans fills another gap near the end of this clip, at the point where the chord changes. It's a neat effect, because Miles isn't playing yet and it's almost like Evans is the one soloing. Artist: Miles Davis, Album: "So What", Track: "So What"

iwasdoingallright - audio clip - Listen to the rhythms played by Horace Silver on the piano. For most of the clip, he's playing the same rhythm over and over again. This rhythm changes to playing on nearly every beat as we enter the bridge, thus creating a sense of greater motion behind Blue Mitchel's speedy playing. Artist: Horace Silver, Album: "Song For My Father", Track: "The Natives Are Restless Tonight"

iwasdoingallright - audio clip - In this clip, McCoy Tyner and Elvin Jones are playing such a dense foundation, that Wayne Shorter's solo sounds powerful and somewhat mysterious, even though he's essentially just playing one long-held note. Like the "So What" clip above, it shows us that you don't need to play a lot of notes when the band is working as a cohesive unit. Artist: Wayne Shorter, Album: "JuJu", Track: "JuJu"

iwasdoingallright - audio clip - Lee Morgan is building his solo, playing one fiery phrase after another. Finally, he takes a quick pause before the bridge. Billy Higgins inserts a perfectly chosen fill on a low drum and Morgan comes in with perhaps the best-placed high "F" ever played on the trumpet! Artist: Lee Morgan, Album: "Search For The New Land", Track: "Mr. Kenyatta"

I spent a few weeks trying to come up with a list of recommended recordings so I'd have some suggestions to go along with my listening guide. These recommendations primarly focus on the hard bop period (mid 1955-65), as that's the period that I like best.

I tried to organize each album in order of preference, however I decided it would be best to simply put them in ranked groups. So, within each group, there is no specific order.

GROUP 1

• Miles Davis - Kind Of Blue
• John Coltrane - Blue Train
• Dexter Gordon - Doin' Allright
• Lee Morgan - Search For The New Land
• John Coltrane - A Love Supreme
• Miles Davis - Round About Midnight
• Sonny Rollins - Saxophone Collosus
• Wayne Shorter - Speak No Evil
• Clifford Borwn - Clifford Brown & Max Roach
• Joe Henderson - Mode For Joe
• John Coltrane - Giant Steps
• Thelonious Monk - Monk's Dream

GROUP 2

• Art Blakey And The Jazz Messengers - Moanin'
• Miles Davis - Seven Steps To Heaven
• Herbie Hancock - Maiden Voyage
• Ornette Coleman - The Shape Of Jazz To Come
• Joe Henderson - Page One
• Miles Davis - Relaxin'
• Clifford Brown - Study in Brown
• Herbie Hancock - Takin' Off
• Horace Silver - The Cape Verdean Blues
• Miles Davis - Miles Smiles
• Duke Ellington & John Coltrane - Duke Ellington & John Coltrane
• Keith Jarrett - The Koln Concert or Tokyo '96
• Sonny Rollins - The Bridge

GROUP 3

• Lee Morgan - The Sidewinder
• Wayne Shorter - Juju
• Cannonball Adderley - Somethin' Else
• Horace Silver - The Jody Grind
• Horace Silver - Song For My Father
• Miles Davis - Miles Ahead
• Miles Davis - Any of: Cookin', Steamin', Workin', or Relaxin'
• Charles Mingus - Blues & Roots
• Bill Evans - Waltz For Debbie (Live)
• Sarah Vaughan with Clifford Brown
• Chick Corea - Now He Speaks, Now He Sobs
• Hank Mobley - Dippin'
• Jackie McLean - Vertigo
• Donald Byrd - Free Form
• Larry Young - Unity
• John Coltrane - Live at the Village Vanguard

GROUP 4

• Jimmy Smith - Back At The Chicken Shack
• Nina Simone - Anthology
• Horace Silver - Finger Poppin'
• Nancy Wilson & Cannonball Adderley (self titled)
• Betty Carter - The Modern Sound Of Betty Carter
• John Coltrane - Crescent
• Sonny Rollins - Way Out West
• Booker Ervin - TexBook Tenor
• Johnny Griffin - A Blowin' Session
• Wayne Shorter - Night Dreamer
• Hank Mobley - No Room For Squares
• Miles Davis - Sketches of Spain
• Donald Byrd - Byrd In The Hand
• Blue Mitchell - The Thing To Do
• Carmen McRae - Bittersweet
• Don Ellis - Live At Monterey

RECENT/MODERN RECORDINGS

Here are some great recordings from the past 10-20 years. Most (if not all) of these artists are still in their prime and tour regularly. Catch them if you can!

Note: I *really* need to update this list...

• Dave Douglas - Soul On Soul
• Kenny Garrett - Introducing Kenny Garrett or Songbook
• Chris Potter - Lift: Live At The Village Vanguard
• Brad Mehldau - Day Is Done
• Dave Holland Quintet - Extended Play - Live At Birdland
• Nicholas Payton - Gumbo Nouveau
• Masada - Live At Sevilla 2000 or Live At Tonic 2001
• Mingus Big Band - The Essential Mingus Big Band
• Tim Warfield - Jazz Is
• Roy Hargrove - Nothing Serious
• Joshua Redman - Spirit Of The Moment: Live At The Village Vanguard

FOUNDATION RECORDINGS

Some people believe you need to start listening to early jazz before you should listen to later periods. I think you should start by listening to whatever period interests you the most. Give early jazz a listen, but there's no need to force it upon yourself if you don't like it. I do believe, however, that once you develop a solid appreciation for jazz, you'll gradually listen to more periods and likely find that the old recordings don't sound so old anymore...

• Sidney Bechet - The Legendary Sidney Bechet
• Sidney Bechet - The Best Of Sidney Bechet
• Louis Armstrong - The Best Of The Hot 5 & 7 Recordings
• Louis Armstrong & Duke Ellington - The Great Summit, Master Takes
• Louis Armstrong - Louis Armstrong Plays W.C. Handy
• Louis Armstrong & Ella Fitzgerald - Ella & Louis
• Bix Beiderbecke - Vol. 1: Singin' The Blues
• Jelly Roll Morton - Birth Of The Hot
• An Anthology Of Big Band Swing 1930-1955
• Fletcher Henderson - A Study in Frustration: Thesaurus of Classic Jazz
• Duke Ellington - The Best of the Duke Ellington Centennial Edition
• Ella Fitzgerald - Sings the Duke Ellington Song Book
• Charlie Parker - The Complete Charlie Parker On Verve
• Dizzy Gillespie - Dizzy Gillespie At Newport
• Dizzy Gillespie - Verve Jazz Masters 10: Dizzy Gillespie
• Fats Navarro and Tadd Dameron: The Complete Blue Note and Capitol Recordings
• Lester Young - With The Oscar Peterson Trio
• Art Tatum - The Complete Capitol Recording

Be sure to check out The Red Hot Jazz Archive for audio clips and historical information pertaining to pre-1930's jazz.

COMMENTS?

I turned off comments for this thread because I want to avoid a situation where people debate my ordering or my inclusion/exclusion of a particular album. This is my list, if you don't like it, go make your own ;-)

LEARNING TO IMPROVISE - ARTICLE LINKS

• Introduction
• Listening To Jazz
• Ear Training
• Rhythm & Phrasing
• Motifs & Cohesive Solos
• Vocal Improvisation
• Transcription
• Jazz Theory

I was going to include the following in my "Listening to Jazz" feature, but decided it would probably be best to make a separate document. The two topics are closely related, however, as they both pertain to listening to music closely in order to understand what's being played.

ABOUT TRANSCRIBING

Transcription is the act of writing down the notes and rhythms to a piece of music, or in this case, to a jazz solo. When transcribing you have to figure everything out on your own, using your ear to tell you which notes are being played. The final notation should be rhythmically and melodically accurate enough that someone could read the transcription and sound (somewhat) like the original solo.

There are several books and websites that offer pre-transcribed solos (see the end of this page for links), however it's often recommended that students do transcriptions on their own. In both of the music schools I attended, for example, we had to transcribe at least one or two or jazz solos each year. Students are encouraged to transcribe solos because there is the notion that if you do it yourself, you'll learn more about the solo. I agree with this point, as you'll no doubt listen to the solo dozens of times closely following every note and rhythm. Additionally, there's the thought that you'll gain valuable ear training skills from the experience...

EAR TRAINING

While the act of transcription can strengthen your ear, like anything else, you won't get noticeable results unless you do it often (at least a few times a week). If you are looking to transcription for ear training benefits, make sure that you use your ear to concentrate on the pitches rather than simple trial-and-error. I've noticed in my past transcription activities that it's tempting to rely on the rewind button. Instead of slowing things down and/or hitting the rewind button 50 times, I suggest that you take the solo in short sections, learning each section well enough to sing it perfectly. Once you can sing a section, try to transcribe from your singing. This will ensure that you are really internalizing the melodies and rhythms while using your ear to find the notes. Honestly, though, I don't think transcribing is the most efficient way to train your ear because it takes too long to write everything down and figure out the rhythms. When it comes to ear training, I prefer dedicated ear training tools.

The remainder of this document pertains to transcriptions whether or not you actually do the transcriptions yourself.

EXAMINING SOLOS

You can certainly learn about a jazz solo through repeated listening, but it's often easier to understand what's happening when things are written down. I first noticed this benefit during my freshman year of college. Until then, I had never transcribed a solo, nor had I even seen one that was already transcribed. I was also fairly stifled in my concept of what notes should be played over which chords. For example, if I saw a C7 chord, I thought I was only supposed to play C, D, E, F, G, A, and Bb. When I finally did my first transcription, I was absolutely stunned to realize that the soloist might play any note over that same C7 chord, even so-called wrong notes! It was then that I learned that any note can sound good if preceded or followed by the right note. I'd later read a Miles Davis quotation which echoes this sentiment: "When you hit a wrong note it's the next note that makes it good or bad." This revelation about note choice is just one of the many things I've learned while examining transcribed solos.

LEARNING THROUGH IMITATION

For many beginners, it's difficult to develop a good jazz sound. This includes everything from the basic swing feel, to phrasing, articulation, and accents. The best way to learn these things is through imitation. Having a transcribed solo allows you to play along with a recording without having to figure out which notes to play. Instead, you can focus on sounding exactly like the soloist. Try to capture every inflection, dynamic, and accent until your playing is nearly indistinguishable from the original. Then record yourself. When you listen to your recording, does it sound like the original? If not, why? Maybe you didn't swing as hard as you could have, or maybe you're accenting the wrong part of the beat. Whatever it was, you now have the capability to isolate the differences and work on them.

INFLUENCE THROUGH IMITATION

An offshoot of imitation is influence. While imitating a solo, you can't help but become influenced by what you hear. One of my favorite jazz improvisation exercises begins with me playing a transcribed solo or two by a single jazz musician, such as Charlie Parker. If I hear a section of the solo that I really like, I'll play it a few times, listening closely to the specific elements that make the solo sound good. Once I've gotten a good feel for the solo, I start to branch off from the written solo and improvise my own solo. Having thoroughly absorbed the sound of the written solo, my improvised solo becomes influenced by the sound of Charlie Parker and I find myself playing ideas that I normally wouldn't play. These new ideas are often better than anything I might have played on my own.

LEARNING LICKS

In jazz, the term "lick" refers to a short pre-learned phrase that you can basically plug into your jazz solos. Transcriptions will show you that just about every great player has at least a handful of licks that pop up in several of their solos. This is true, even in the solos of great innovators like Louis Armstrong, Charlie Parker, and Miles Davis.

The learning of licks is especially useful for beginners who may otherwise struggle to come up with ideas in their solos. I like to compare licks to pickup lines. Pickup lines like "do you come here often?" and "what's your sign?" are filler and (hopefully!) starters for real conversation. In other words, you gotta' start somewhere so it helps to have some stock-material to get the conversation going. Similarly, having a healthy repository of jazz licks that you can play in any key will give you content to insert into your solos to either connect improvised ideas, or to get your solo off the ground.

Transcriptions make it easy to isolate the licks that you like and to learn them note-by-note. Just be sure that you don't fill your entire solo with pickup lines ;-)

YOUR FIRST TRANSCRIPTION BOOK

There are a lot of transcription books out there, containing transcribed solos from every legendary jazz musician. When picking your first book to purchase, you could simply get a book dedicated to your favorite jazz musician, or you could get a book containing various solos by players of your instrument. In my case, my first transcription book contained solos by a dozen or so jazz trumpeters. The book was Ken Slone's "28 Modern Jazz Trumpet Solos" and it was recommended to me by my college jazz trumpet teacher. I've since purchased several other books containing jazz transcriptions and I've looked at dozens of transcriptions online.

In my opinion, there is no better book of jazz transcriptions than the "Charlie Parker Omnibook." Every student of jazz, regardless of instrument, should have this book. I didn't get a copy myself until 2007 (I got the Bb version), and boy do I wish I had bought it years ago. Page after page, it's the ultimate masterclass of how to play jazz. It's also relatively easy to play. There aren't a lot of complex rhythms, nor are there a bunch of high notes that I can't reach. It's just jazz at its finest.

TRANSCRIPTION LINKS

• CharlesMcNeal.com - Tons of jazz transcriptions and jazz patterns
• JazzTrumpetSolos.com - this site presents both transcriptions and audio clips in a unique format
• Trumpet.Voici.Org - Over 300 transcriptions from trumpeters of the swing-era and beyond
• CannonballJazz.com - TONS! of free transcriptions of Cannonball Adderley solos
• Jeff Helgesen's Transcriptions - This page contains links to several dozen jazz trumpet solo transcriptions
• www.music.sc.edu - USC has a few dozen transcription from a variety of artists and instruments
• www.alisdair.com - this page has links to many more jazz transcription sites

Percy Heath passed away on April 28, 2005, at the age of 81. Nearly one year before his passing, I was fortunate enough to attend a master class with all three of the Heath Brothers. My original journal entry from that class is shown below.

Originally written on May 30th, 2004

The 2005 Atlanta Jazz Festival is this weekend. There are quite a few great artists in town, including the Heath brothers, who gave a masterclass on Sunday afternoon. The class lasted about 2 and a half hours and it was truly one of the greatest experiences of my life.

To start, the Heath brothers are living legends. Check out the links below to get bios and discographies for each of them. As you can see, they've played with virtually EVERY jazz legend. During the class they played about 7 tunes and told at least twice as many stories about their experiences as jazz musicians. There's so much to tell, so I guess I'll just jump right in with descriptions of the brothers.

JIMMY HEATH (bio)

The most famous of the brothers, Jimmy is still an incredible tenor sax player. He's now 77, and rather small in stature, but when he plays… look out! I don't think I've ever witnessed anyone play so well and so effortlessly. He is a true master of jazz. Many years ago, Albert (Tootie) gave him the nickname "The Professor," which suited him well. Later in life, Jimmy became a professor at Queens College in New York. The scholarly run continued, as he would go on to receive three honorary doctorates (the 3rd is to be granted in a few months), including the first honorary doctorate granted to a jazz musician from Julliard.

PERCY HEATH (bio)

The oldest of the brothers, Percy, is 81! Percy rotated between playing a full upright bass, to playing his "baby bass," which looks like a cello. He's a very jovial man. After talking about Elvin Jones' recent passing (Jimmy spoke at the wake), Percy jokingly commented that when he finally passes, we could cry if we want to, but there's no need… since he lived such a great and happy life. Even if you haven't actually heard of Percy, you've most likely heard him play. He's on a couple hundred recordings, with artists like: Clifford Brown, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Dexter Gordon, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Cannonball Adderly, Art Blakey, Thelonious Monk, Don Cherry, Bill Evans, Stan Getz, Art Farmer, Milt Jackson, and Horace Silver… to name a few.

ALBERT "TOOTIE" HEATH (bio)

Albert is the youngest brother, at 69. Often overshadowed by the likes of Art Blakey and Elvin Jones, Tootie's list of recordings clearly shows his role as a top drummer in the hard bop era. Like his brother Percy, Albert has recorded with an amazing number of jazz legends.

Now that you know a little about the brothers, I'll try to retell some the great stories they told…

JAZZ AND THE PIANO

Dizzy Gillespie happened to be at Jimmy's house one night, during the period where Jimmy was making the transition from swing to bebop playing. The brothers had an old upright piano in their house, but they didn't really know how to play anything. Dizzy went over to the piano and showed Jimmy some bebop voicings and progressions. The message was: if you want to learn jazz, you need to learn the piano. Jimmy clarified this a bit, saying it isn't necessary to be a great piano player; you don't need to be able to improvise on the piano or anything like that. But, you'll benefit greatly if you can play the chords for each tune you want to learn. Jimmy credits this early lesson from Dizzy as integral to his growth as a composer (since the piano allows him to play all voicings simultaneously).

THE (UN)IMPORTANCE OF JAZZ THEORY

While Jimmy Heath has a strong knowledge of jazz theory, his brother Percy admits to knowing "none of that." I was really surprised to hear this, as I typically think of bass players as masters of all the complex jazz rules. Percy told us an anecdote that pokes fun at the unnecessary complexity that critics and academics impose (sometimes) upon the jazz artform:

Percy was recording "Blue Haze" with Miles Davis. Miles told him to walk on the intro. The resulting bass line was later transcribed and analyzed in a DownBeat article. Percy laughed about the article, mentioning a part where the author said that Percy used a tritone substitution over a II-V-I, to which Percy burst into laughter as he said "I did?!?" The point was that Percy and many early jazz pioneers had little technical understanding of what it was that they were doing, which makes sense when you think about it. After all, the technical analysis of jazz exists simply to explain things that have already been played. Theory has its place, but I think people get way too caught up in it all. I've seen many posts on the TrumpetHerald's jazz forum where people ask what scales/notes they should play over a particular diminished or altered change. Those posts are typically followed by lots of complicated scale theory. But really, it can get kind of silly. Just play whatever sounds good to you… It worked for guys like Percy!

WYNTON MARSALIS

When asked by an audience member about the future of jazz, Jimmy quickly brought up Wynton Marsalis' name. Jimmy applauded Wynton's efforts with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, which tours all over the world to expose people to jazz music. Jimmy also mentioned the Duke Ellington competition that Wynton started to get high school bands playing Ellington's music. Lastly, he mentioned the upcoming opening of the Columbus Circle jazz facility, the first structure of its kind. It was clear that all of the Heath Brothers support what Wynton is doing. Whether you like Wynton's style or not; whether you agree with his views or not; one thing is clear: he is the most public figure in jazz and he has the greatest ability to ensure its longevity. He needs all of our support.

DEBORAH BROWN

I don't listen to a lot of vocal jazz. I've got a modest collection of Ella, Billie, Nina, and Sarah recordings, but that's about it. So, when Deborah Brown got up to sing with the Heath Brothers after a brief jam session (no, I didn't bring my horn this time), I had no idea what to expect. It was an impromptu performance and it was absolutely amazing. She did a rendition of "The Nearness Of You" that was exquisite. That's the only way I can describe it. I was in tears by the end…

I'D RATHER (NOT) BE FISHING

After several tunes and after many wonderful stories, the Heath Brothers said their goodbyes to the crowd. Percy summed it all up when he said it's the love of playing music with his brothers that keeps him on the road at 81 years of age. In a final statement he said, "if it wasn't for them, I'd be fishing right now." A huge smile came over Jimmy's face as the crowd stood up in applause. You could faintly hear him say, "it's true, it's true…"

CLOSING REMARKS

I'm still overwhelmed by the reality of what happened today. I can't believe I was fortunate enough to spend the afternoon with such legendary jazz artists. They are connected to a past that I feel incredibly passionate about, yet a past which I'll never really know. As great as today was, it saddens me to think that I may never have an experience like this again...

Last night I attended a concert by the Morehouse College Jazz Band, featuring trumpeter Sean Jones! The concert was the final event of the Morehouse College Jazz Festival. This was my first time hearing the Morehouse jazz band, and it DEFINITELY won't be my last.

Like the Nicholas Payton concert (w/ GSU) a few days ago, Sean Jones joined the band during the latter half of the evening's concert. The opening numbers included several popular tunes such as "Green Dolphin Street", "I've Got You Under My Skin", and "April In Paris".

For me, the standout from the first half was "Watermelon Man", by Herbie Hancock. The director, Melvin Jones, mentioned that they were going to be doing a special funky rendition of the tune. As soon as I saw the band put their horns down and lean into their microphones I knew what was coming; they performed the Head Hunters version, including an a-cappella version of the intro! It was a great performance and the audience really got into it. The entire tune was played with just four saxophones (or maybe it was five) a trumpet and the rhythm section.

During the "Watermelon Man" performance, the trombone players (who weren't playing) took off their jackets and started passing them back and forth to each other. The saxophone players did the same thing in a later tune. I'm guessing there is some history to this. Perhaps a famous big band used to do this? Or maybe it's a Morehouse tradition? If anyone knows, please fill me in.

Sean Jones joined the band for "Stolen Moments." Before the performance, the band director mentioned how he and Sean attended Rutgers together. He also announced that Sean had recently accepted the lead trumpet position with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra (apparently Sean turned them down twice before). I had known about Sean joining that band, but I didn't realize he was going to be playing lead. I didn't even know he could play lead. That gap in my knowledge has now been filled. He most definitely CAN play lead!

Sean is a wonderful player and he really knows how to work a crowd. His "Stolen Moments" solo began with a few choruses of laid-back low notes. His tone was very airy, and he lazily played short simple phrases. It went on for so long that I'm sure the audience started to wonder what he was all about. Even I started thinking, "this guy is the new lead player for the LCJO? Did Wynton make a mistake?" But, this was all part of the show. When Sean finally did turn it on, when he showed us what he could do... damn. It was like Godzilla tearing through Tokyo -- unstoppable. Just when I thought he had reached his limits, when I thought he had given it all he had, he kept on going. When he finally did reach his peak, he belted out the most incredible Freddie Hubbard slur/shake lick (the lick Freddie plays in several solos, particularly "Red Clay". Freddie, of course, plays on the original recording of "Stolen Moments" so this was a nice nod). It was so good, you would have thought Freddie himself had just walked on the stage. The crowd loved it, cheering Jones along. Even the trumpet players were jumping up and down, pumping their fists in the air. It was the most fun I've ever had listening to jazz. My eyes even began to tear up a little from the pure exuberance.

On subsequent tunes, Jones proved that he can not only play high and fast, but that he also knows how to put together a musical solo. He also further demonstrated his ability to entertain a crowd (although this was thoroughly proved during "Stolen Moments"!). There were a few times where he'd attempt a seemingly impossible note. He'd miss it a couple times then take a quick break and nail it with ferocity. I'm sure this was intentional, but the audience ate it up. Great showmanship. Sean will be a fantastic addition to the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra.

The last tune of the evening, "Flying Home" was another highlight for the Morehouse jazz band. The band really got into it, waving their horns and moving up and down in sections. The energy carried over to the crowd, which visibly moved to the beat. It was so enjoyable, I didn't want it to end.

COMPARING MOREHOUSE TO GSU

Since I just heard the Georgia State University jazz band a few nights earlier, I naturally found myself making comparisons. For the most part, it would appear that the individual players in the GSU band are more proficient on their instruments. As a group, they are more precise, nailing each entrance and passage. They manage to keep up this high level of playing while performing noticeably more challenging tunes/arrangements.

I still think GSU is a great band, but compared to Morehouse, they sound a bit robotic, as if GSU's main objective is simply to play each tune as precisely as possible. Morehouse, on the other hand, performs as though their main objective is to entertain the crowd and to have fun while doing it. And it works. By the end of the evening, I felt like I had just been to a party. I wish I felt that way after every college big band concert…

Nicholas Payton recently came to Atlanta for a performance with the Georgia State University jazz band. He was also kind enough to give a master class, which I attended. Following are my notes from the class and the concert.

SHORT BIO

Born into a musical family in New Orleans, Nicholas Payton started playing the trumpet at the age of four. Everything he played, he played by ear. He'd listen to local bands and recordings and try to mimic what he heard. In time, he'd learn entire solos by ear.

Nicholas didn't take trumpet lessons until the age of eight. He mentioned that the lessons were tedious and basically drove him away from the horn for a year or two. His interest in playing wouldn't return until the age of ten or eleven, when he started playing in local bands. From that point on, he played everywhere he could, from street corners to cruise ships. BTW: According to the bio on Payton's website, he started gigging at the age of eight. Regardless of the exact dates, it's clear that he was a great player at a very early age.

At some point early on, Wynton Marsalis called Nicholas' house to speak with Payton's father; Nicholas' father was an educator in New Orleans. Nicholas knew Wynton was on the phone, so he picked up his horn and started playing near where his father was talking. Wynton overhead the playing and the rest is history. Wynton would soon introduce Nicholas to other musicians, effectively jumpstarting Nicholas' career (I believe Wynton was responsible for the Elvin Jones introduction, but I might be mistaken).

LEARNING TUNES, PATTERNS, AND THEORY

When learning tunes, Nicholas doesn't use fake books. Instead, he learns tunes by ear, directly from the original recordings. The same goes for patterns and licks. He never used any of the pattern books that so many young players rely upon. If he did learn licks, they all came from listening to recordings.

Also worth mentioning is the fact that he never got into all of the advanced theory taught in most jazz books. He made this point by saying (and I'm paraphrasing) that he couldn't get into Lydian dominant and stuff like that. He did, however, stress the need for players to know their scales well enough to play well in every key.

I must say, having just written about the importance of playing by ear, it felt great to have that message validated by Payton's history and his approach to music.

PRACTICE ROUTINE

Like most trumpet players, Nicholas has a standard practice routine. His routine includes breathing exercises, Cichowicz flow studies, Clarke studies 1&2, Bowman articulation exercises, Arban slurs and articulation exercises, and whisper tones. The whisper tones are basically long tones played at a very low volume.

JAM SESSION?

Aside from a short demonstration of the whisper tone exercises, there wasn't any playing during this master class, either by Nicholas or students. After seeing Randy Brecker and the Heath Brothers, I had sort of expected that every master class has a jam session and/or a demonstration of specific techniques. Earlier that day, Nicholas had been rehearsing with the Georgia State University jazz band for a concert later that night, so perhaps there wasn't a jam session because he wanted to give his chops a break.

THE CONCERT

As mentioned, Nicholas performed with the Georgia State University big band that evening. At first, I was disappointed to learn that he was only joining them during the second of two sets. The disappointment wore off quickly, however, as the GSU big band was so good that I nearly forgot all about Nicholas. When he did finally join them, he sounded incredible (as expected). Every note he played sung with impeccable precision.

FINAL NOTE - GETTING SCHOOLED

At one point during the master class, a GSU student asked Nicholas if he ever practices legit music. With a 'no you di-int' look on his face, Nicholas responded "so Jazz isn't legit?" Ouch!