Convolution!
I’m excited to share a project I worked on over the holidays. It’s called Convolution. I hope you’ll give it a spin. Sure was fun making it. Soundcloud link:…
The Horrors of the Half-Diminished
The pesky root-tritone relationship in the half-diminished chord — min 7 (b5) — adds an annoying constraint to voicings options. Often chordal players will omit it entirely, particularly when…
Luscious Chord Fatness
In the spirit of the previous post, I thought I’d talk about a few more chord tricks. Here the focus is on creating the biggest sound possible, the type…
Ferrante Voicings
The great pianist/composer Russell Ferrante (of the Yellowjackets) has a unique brand of chordal harmony. While much of what he plays is as rich and complex as chocolate cake, it could be argued…
Review: Gretchen Parlato “The Lost and Found”
Gretchen Parlato’s much anticipated third release, The Lost and Found, secures her position as the leading vocalist in New York’s under-40 jazz scene. On this 15-track program, Parlato and producer Robert Glasper…
The Perils of a Jazz Pianist’s Left-Hand
For the modern jazz pianist, the risk of developing disparities between the right and left hand is well-known and rarely discussed. It’s our secret shame. To understand this, try…
Horace Silver Transcription, “Peace”
Horace Silver made his name working alongside Blakey, Rollins, and countless others. But later he would part ways with be-bop to explore the funkier aspects of jazz. His strong…
Phineas Newborn Transcription, Sugar Ray
Phineas Newborn was the pianist’s pianist. He died way too young and only recorded a few albums, all of them gems. I spent some time transcribing the “head” to…
Monk Institute Audition Requirements
The audition recording requirements for The Thelonious Monk Institute. It's a good punch list to take home and practice, audition or no audition.
Benny Green Transcription, Cottontail
Benny Green trading choruses with a guitarist on the Ellington rhythm changes “Cottontail” from the Ray Brown CD Seven Steps To Heaven. Note the tempo — a scorching 300…
Benny Green Transcription, The Song Is You
This is the first chorus of a Benny Green solo on “The Song Is You” from his debut CD Prelude (1989, Criss Cross). The thing that’s impressive about this solo…
Mulgrew Miller Transcription
RIP Mulgrew. What a loss: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/30/arts/music/mulgrew-miller-jazz-pianist-dies-at-57.html Here are three choruses of a Mulgrew Miller piano solo on “If I Should Lose You,” from the album Getting To Know You.…
Review: Cassandra Wilson Closer To You: The Pop Side
A review of Blue Note's upcoming compilation of Cassandra Wilson's pop covers, Closer To You: The Pop Side
