Month: February 2015

Next up is Work Song

Wow, what a jam! I enjoy all the jams but once in a while everything clicks and it is magical. Today was one of those days. I have no idea how many attended but we were packed from beginning to end with a diverse and balanced group of listeners and jammers. The 17 jammers ranged from high students to pro players, including Hanah Jon Taylor. Talk about adding excitement! To top it off we received over $200 in the hat. Thank you!

On March 1st the jam returns with Dan Wallach - saxophone, Paul Hastil - piano, Rob Lundberg - bass, and John Lombardo - drums. The tune-of-the-week is Nat Adderley's, "Work Song." This is a bluesy tune with only a handful of chords. It's easy, fun, and simple enough that memorizing the melody and chord changes is very doable. Once again, your best bet is to listen to the original for the overall feel, and  for solo ideas. Learn Jazz Standards has charts and a playalong.

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

by Michael BB

Next jam: My Little Suede Shoes

In my last post I talked about getting tested. Well, last Sunday we met our match. I don't mean the Super Bowl; we consistently have well attended jams during the Super Bowl. No, eight inches of the fluffy stuff and clogged roads did us in and we had to cancel. Bummer, I hate missing a jam.

Luckily, we always have another jam right around the corner. On Feb 15th the band is Dan Wallach - sax, Johaness Wallmann - piano, John Mesoloras - bass, and Joey Banks - drums. These are all great musicians and educators.

The featured tune on the 15th is Charlie Parker's, "My Little Suede Shoes." This song is not like his others - the melody is simple and accessible and the chord changes are basic.  Maybe the best advice is to listen to Parker to hear how he approaches this tune and then see what ideas you can come up with.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cy6zbSgXd10

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDHOnwHXQ2o

by Michael BB