Keepin the Jazz breeze blowin

[choucas09]

through the camp, check out this for one of the finest jams I've seen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JD4ktyEJw2I

[Fourth Feline]

Wow !  Inspirational stuff.  :D

I especially like how the 'event' emphasises the qualities  and methods used to give such a tight yet spontanious collaboration ;  and something very unique to glean from each of them as very different players.    I will be putting that on 'Replay' a few times, both as audio backdrop - and then enjoy going back for the visual 'reveal'.

Having been recently enjoying the more '3D' experience of ( relatively mellow ) round wound strings on my own guitars ; that video also reminds me of the sheer elegance and '" I don't sweat when I play" tonal quality of flatwound strings. A great tutorial, and inspiring reminder that playing the music inside you is a pleasure that is potentially enhanced and not negated by the passing years.

Thanks for posting !  :)

[choucas09]

Well thanks for enjoying. Listen I suggest we keep this thread open for Jazz postings even if it's just me and thee. Here's some dez Wes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MNNox5HeN4

[Fourth Feline]

 :D  :D  :D

If the first clip was 'Interesting' - then that  Wes Montgomery was absolutley gorgeous !

It was just so consistently 'In the pocket' - from his cool kick off, through his smooth tone - and economic / tasteful phrasing. It was the first time I had ever heard him speak - and actually appear like a 'regular guy' - after all the iconic images and tunes that have represented him over the decades.

There were a few of other enjoyable things I wanted to mention too :  

Firstly,  that in the trio setting - and with his style of playing - it helps me demonstrate to others what I mean by saying  the Jazz guitar is a great way of playing piano-esque , if you already love the feel , intimacy and tone of the guitar.  To be as much focused on the melodic and harmonic potential of a small area of fretboard, as if hunched over just two octaves of piano keyboard.

Also, what puts the 'Family size' Archtop / Jazzbox  close to my heart - is that sense that you have to get intimately involved -   to physically / manage and embrace the thing - and play instead of pose , to play clean - and slowly learn to grab a listener's ears by 'teasing with tensions' - instead of baffling with bombast.

I certainly agree the thread should be an ongoing one ; although you certainly appear to have a firmer finger on the pulse of video selection than I !  :)

You have also done me a great favor ( via the brainstorming caused by those two excellent videos ) , by helping me realise in what way my two Archtops will be used tone / style wise.   The Manhattan loaded ( and quite huge ! ) 'Vintage'  to be flat wound , and mostly played through the Phil Jones Acoustic amp  - whilst the AII Stormy Monday loaded Ibanez - to be the 'perky' round wound ready to be played through just about anything.  The Manhattans are in no way limited to the smaller acoustic amp,  but I figure that warm, smooth and intimate go together - whilst the Stormies have enough extra 'zing' / crossover ( and Humbucking ) to also drive a larger amp, and 'Be-Bop' harder, when I eventually start adding single note improvisation disciplines to the foundation of chord melody playing. Especially as I am finding that learning Jazz , is much more fun and manageble, when you take your time over it ; to think in years instead of weeks or months.

Cheers Choucas !  :)

[Keven]

Hooray for wes. thanks for showing me this, i didn't even finish the video, went right for my guitar to dive back into my chord melody voicings then went into joe pass' old straigth 8th note melody exercise.

took the progression i had just learned to harmonize, played it back in my head (for lack of a tape recorder) fired up the metronome for a steady tempo and just played 8th notes according to the chords. very fun. the progression went Fma7 A7 (this is already a fun change to play with, minor third becomes a sharp nine... and i could go on and on with all the different possibilities...) then BbMa7, Gm7. Dm7 G7 Gm7 C7. it's quite a challenge to play something meaningful without any rythmic crutch :D

you should try that as a good single note improvisation routine Fourth Feline, plus it's Joe Pass approved!

All in all. this was a good half hour and it made me feel good. thanks for the video! (I'm sure my enthusiasm is pouring all over this message, haha)

[choucas09]

Good on yer Kev. I just tried that progression, I just love how jazzers can tease so much complexity and suggestion on their harmonic journeys and still remain cooler than a motherf*cker.

[fbloke]

Please may I join your Jazz Club?

Don't know if you've heard any Jimmy Bruno, but I highly recommend a listen. Clip is below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pgxyb9E0YRw

[choucas09]

FB you're in with a bullet with that clip. Bloody wow!

[fbloke]

Thanks!  Bruno's a monster, not as swinging as Wes but for full-blooded passion and chops he's one of the best still alive. If I can recommend some of the lesser known jazz players and my favourite recordings of theirs the list would be as follows:

Jimmy Bruno - Live at Birdland Vol1, Burnin'
Rudy Linka - Always Double Czech (I think this is the best lesser-known jazz guitar album in existence, one tasteful player)
Ron Affif - Ringside (another monster but with a great delicacy about his playing too)

Bruno's already big news Stateside, but I'm on a personal mission to promote Rudy Linka - he's a great player, has the most stunning tone and is a lovely bloke - I tracked him down when I went to New York back in 2001 and had a lesson with him. Mind-boggling. Bearing in mind he had personal lessons with (and is friends with) Jim Hall, John Scofield and John Abercrombie, I think I got about as close to the source as I could.  And guess what?  The message is the same I've heard from every pro - keep it simple, stay in the pocket, nothing wrong with pentatonics, think chord tones more than you think scales, if it's hard just don't play it! 

[Fourth Feline]

"An embarrassment of riches " there chaps . :)

Thanks for the heads up on the Joe Pass inspired idea / chord progression / ideas Keven ; I must grab 'the furniture' when I'm more awake tomorrow - and re-read your post.  I did so enjoy your enthusiasm - and indeed, that is what I love about a lot of folk involved in this beguiling genre : it's the sheer love for the music , the possibilities at the very core- and much less 'The smell of the greasepaint and  the roar of the crowd'.

As for Jimmy Bruno Fbloke , spot on indeed  ;  :D  especially as I had recently bought ( and partially started ) on his excellent tutorial DVD " No Nonsense Jazz Guitar".   I really like how he approaches the melodic improvisation side of playing and teaching, with that same street savvy way that Joe Pass did his own thinking . Even the early demonstrations of II-V-I coverage, just drip with a lovely melodic sensibility - and not just technical acumen. Also, what a character eh?  Sounds like you've hit the main artery in your own personal / musical experiences too ! I will investigate Rudy as well.  :)

The Jimmy Bruno 'You Tube' clip you attached, being a perfect example that even 'at speed' - the spontanious melodies he generates pull you in wonderfully. Having seen that , I am overwhelmingly tempted to allocate a large part of my 'wood shedding' time to the Jimmy Bruno tuition. His online guitar academy comes well recommended  too, but at my novice stage, I would take a very pleasurable year or so to even do justice to the first DVD I own.  The chap I wanted to name check and thank here ( Matt Otten ) is probably 'old hat' on You Tube , but remains one of the people who's tone and relaxed feel  appealed to my sense of the delicate and relaxed - and thus helped fuel the beginning of my own journey into Jazz.  He also responded to an e:mail of mine with great courtesy - and love for the music . I have his Smooth Jazz backing tracks  package ; but more often than not - just ended up listening and chilling instead of jamming. The jamming part  can wait until I can do it more justice .  :lol:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=419azIans2o

Choucas, I think you have started something remarkable here ...  8)

[Fourth Feline]

One more thing : I love the feeling of this one, I found whilst researching the song ; especially after the 2:04 mark:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgUgCAt0pZE&feature=related

Some of Chet's later phrasing , reminds me of the haunting saxophone intro / fills on the title track of the Tom Wait's album 'Small Change' .

I actually wanted to find an attachable version of the Chet Baker Trio : 'Estate'  album's rendition of M.F.V. I heard on 'Spotify' -  because the guitarist ( Philip Catherine ) takes his work on this track  somewhere lovely - and of course the Bassist  ( Jean-Louis Rassinfosse ) is stunning too. However, I am just going to hope that you get to hear that rendition somehow.

I know the Legendary Miles Davies has covered this sort of ground more famously, but Chet Baker has been one of those recent findings for me, who seems to better cover the feel of where I would like to go with my own development.

Smoother than a silk worm's tie...  8)

[choucas09]

 I couldn't find Live At Birdland vol 1 on Spotify though they've got vol 2. Anyway they had Burnin' from the album of that name. Exciting stuff, Jazz with a toe in the Rock n Roll camp. Loved it. Loved the quote too.  " And guess what?  The message is the same I've heard from every pro - keep it simple, stay in the pocket, nothing wrong with pentatonics, think chord tones more than you think scales, if it's hard just don't play it!"

 I'd never heard Matt Olsen before, but that clip was divine. An object lesson in how to be restrained and totally free at the same time.

 And ah Chet baker, that's tone. I liked the bit at 1.58 where he put a bit of growl in it. Also checked the Spotify trio version. He was a talented bugger wasn't he.
 

[choucas09]

How bout some Ella. Some purists used to say she was too joyful for Jazz.     Yeah...., kiss my swingbag.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1DKFGwX1s8

[Fourth Feline]

How bout some Ella. Some purists used to say she was too joyful for Jazz.     Yeah...., kiss my swingbag.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1DKFGwX1s8

Oh Yes ;  :)  there was a woman with both a brake and an accelerator !

Jazz is indeed a ' broad church' - and as you said Choucas ; it's 'high kickin' aspects can get a bad rap from some purists.  Sadly ( and one of the reason I'm not a Jazz forum man ) - the purists, intellectual snobs and cork sniffers can tend to kill it for a lot of people.  I prefer smooth / reflective , because I'm not really built for speed  :lol: - but as with all styles of music , I appreciate those growlin' and snortin' Ferraris amongst us.

I remember once reading that if you wanted to hear the definitive structure / version of any Jazz standard - you were told to check out the eight  Ella Fitgerald "Songbook" albums.  A great talent - and a great heart.  :)

[Keven]

I Myself am quite fond of Mike Stern, while being not too traditional jazz, he's got unmistakable tone and the songs have quite the groove. especially live with extended jams

Jimmy Bruno is a good example of speed and taste. that guy can go in the background for all a tune and at the turn of a tone knob he's a blazing soloist.

I'm happily enjoying my recently restrung jazzbox with 13-56 roundwounds. this guitar was -meant- to have this gauge. I'm more of a rock player and i felt i was bending too much, so i'm practicing all my improvisation on this guitar nowadays... it's a good way to focus on the notes and tying it all togheter. plus i'm also working up my inversions and starting to get into substitutions. i discovered the bV7 sub for a dominant chord that resolves to I. i always heard that trick but i understood it this morning.

the best thing about this, i was getting tired of practicing scales and arps all the time. i was barely practicing, but with all this chord melody stuff and voicings and substitutions, i've clocked in 2 hours yesterday -evening- and one this morning. it's been a while!

thank you jazz :D