On Green Dolphin Street

Yes, the jam is happening this Sunday, September 1st. The tune for this week is On Green Dolphin Street. It is important to note we are playing it in Eb. To help with your preparation here are a few links and a video of a famous version by Miles Davis.

Chord charts and free play along: http://www.learnjazzstandards.com/jazz-standards/on-green-dolphin-street-in-eb/

Background info and analysis: http://www.jazzstandards.com/compositions-0/ongreendolphinstreet.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrVnm66joQk


Beautiful Love

The jam returns this Sunday, August 18th and as always we have a strong line-up: David Cooper - trumpet/educator, Paul Hastil - keys, Todd Hammes - drums, and joining us from UW-Whitewater is Brad Townsend on bass.

The tune-of-the-week is Beautiful Love. Beautiful Love gives you a chance to work on both minor and major 2-5-1 progressions. For a long time I found minor 2-5-1 progressions confusing, partly because there seem to be various ways to think about them. It will be educational to hear Dave's approach.

Here is a link to a well-done playalong with a written out sample solo using a guidetone approach. In the video below you can hear sequences, approach notes, and lots of other devices. A tune like this is ripe for many different approaches.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bd0ap9_cJaQ

See you Sunday!


Jammin in the Fountain's front bar

Like I said in the last newsletter, every jam is unique. I had no idea we were going to be in the front bar last Sunday until I walked into the Fountain a bit before four.

Thank you everyone for making do with a bad situation. After all the questions and confusion people settled in and made the best of it. Somehow despite the tiny space and dangerously loud acoustics the jam went well. We had a large turnout of young jammers and lots of terrific music.

The good news is we shouldn't have to deal with this again. I talked with Harold, the owner, and he said if they are short-staffed in the future they will close the front bar instead. Thank you, Harold.