#Jazz #Sax - Some of the best resources on the Web

Looking back at previous posts it's been quite a while since I updated links to resource sites for both Saxophone and Jazz. Here are some of the best that I know of at the moment.

www.jazzadvice.com

I love this site and it follows a kind of thinking that I try to apply here. Good old fashioned advice on topics that concern practicing musicians, by musicians themselves. There is so much good stuff here.

www.davidvaldez.blogspot.in/

Still the best Jazz blog around in my opinion. Updated regularly it's got articles on pretty much anything in Jazz. This blog is geared more to advanced players.

www.bestsaxophonewebsiteever.com/

Yes it probably is. A dream come true for saxophone players. Articles on anything sax related by a multitude of great players and teachers.

www.saxontheweb.net/

Founded by Harri Rautianen this has been THE leading resource for saxophone for a long time. It has the worlds largest and best discussion forum.

www.charlesmcneal.com/

Solo transcriptions, pdf books. It's all there. Updated recently there is alot of good material here.

www.learnjazzstandards.com/

I only came across this recently and I prefer it to it's similarly named counterpart. Pick a standard. Play along with the backing track. Watch the greats play the same tune on Youtube. I can't believe it's all in one place.

Tunes that got me listening to Jazz #3 Art Pepper - Softly as in a morning Sunrise

It's been a long time since I thought about this recording, but then I came across it recently as I wanted to go over the changes of this fabulous standard. Art Pepper was one of my first influences on saxophone. I was introduced to him by a friend on a visit to India, and was instantly drawn to his cool soft tone and rhythmic phrasing. Quite unlike some of the alto players I was used to. I had heard him described as a 'man walking on eggshells' and his sound is exactly that. Not a heavy sound, but one that seamlessly weaves his way through the music.

I must admit, though he is one of my favourite saxophonists, I have not enjoyed all of his albums. In his later ones, though his ballads were as good as they ever were, (maybe even better) he had lost some of the edge and freshness in his phrasing, and we were not hearing the abundance of ideas like before. Here though with the famous Miles Davis rhythm section of Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers and Jimmy Cobb he really is at his best. They provide him the perfect platform and his solos are some of the best you will hear.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQ8WsVX6QZs

The History of the Saxophone in 10 minutes

I saw this on Twitter and found it very good. Made by New York based CDZA, this is a video of the history of the saxophone. It's a bit of fun, but also very well done by Saxophonist Ben Flocks, who takes us from the earliest years through, swing and be-bop till now.

There are other 'history of' videos which are also good, but this one I found the best.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Du0XUOEIQ7Y

29 things Micheal Brecker wants you to know - www.bobreynoldsmusic.com

Saxophonist Bob Reynolds http://bobreynoldsmusic.com/ has done us a big favour here and written a nice article on advice Micheal Brecker has given through his 1984 series of interviews at the University of North Texas. I have already posted on these youtube videos before, but this is the first time I'm seeing such a comprehensive and well written guide to the things he had said.

Bob mentions at the end - 'If you know another musician who would benefit from this please pass it along' - well, these are extremely valuable for saxophonists or any student of Jazz. Like the Sonny Rollins videos I posted recently, it is rare to see the greats talk so openly and well about their art, and the practice that goes on privately. These really are a must see.

http://bobreynoldsmusic.com/michael-brecker-on-guitars-drums-transcribing-and-dancing/

Tunes that got me listening to Jazz #2 So What - Miles Davis

Prince of darkness or not, Miles recorded some of the the most stunningly beautiful solos in Jazz history. My first encounter came at around the age of 14 when I bought the cassette 'A Kind of Blue'. I've no idea why I chose it, as I had very little knowledge at that time, but its strange to think that more than 23 years on it remains the album I've listened to most.

It has already been said by countless people, but these are pieces that you can never get tired of. Every time you put it on, something new will come to your ear - and I've listened alot of times! I had this as a permanent fixture in my Walkman for the long walks to and from school until the cassette was finally damaged, and then replaced by a prized limited edition CD.

Though I have probably loved Miles' famous solo on 'So What' more than any other, amusingly it wasn't the trumpet that initially brought me to the tune. It was the Saxophone. The long flowing lines of Coltrane and Cannonball -  to the point that as kids we actually asked ourselves; 'can this other guy really play?'

I'll never tire of this tune or album. later on I listened alot to the 'My Funny Valentine Four and More' concert too but it never got quite the same hold of me as this. 

Konnokol - Deep Rhythmic understanding

Simply put, the best way to learn rhythm. Whichever kind of music you play, whichever instrument you practice, this will lead you to the deepest understanding of rhythm. Used for centuries in Carnatic music, Konnokol is the art of vocalising rhythmic syllables while keeping the basic pulse or meter. In the west it is only in recent decades, partly thanks to work by composer Zoltan Kodaly, that it has been realised that children learn rhythms better through spoken syllables, but in Carnatic music this has been the norm for a long time.

In modern times it has drawn countless musicians to India in order to develop a better understanding of rhythm. Once learnt, the benefits are great and are easily incorporated into your instrument as well as practically any form of music.

A good start would be to watch this video by Asaf Sirkis:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0T5u7Sthi4

Then give these basic exercises a try. They are very well explained by Bruno Tauzin.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwLkEB2r-lI&index=37&list=PLF7DE23FB1FB8E3A5

How I notate Konnakol. I don't know if this is the best way but it works for me.

http://t.co/2GcYWUqOg7


More to follow...

Tunes that got me listening to Jazz #1 Oscar Peterson, Hymn to Freedom

I stumbled upon this recording the other day and it got me thinking about the tunes that got me listening to this great form of music. I remember hearing this tune for the first time like it was yesterday. A GCSE music class in school. Out of nowhere the new music teacher gets out the LP and plays this tune. Coming from a fairly strict school that basically studied all things classical, this was quite a shock. Not only that, at that time my only real introduction to Jazz was hearing the school Dixieland band perform, so this was my introduction to something completely new.

I liked this piece so much I had to have have it. It took me quite some time. Without internet I had to scour the cassettes in the local shop until I found it on a compilation called 'Jazz on a summer's day'. Many other tunes became favorites on that album but this one always stood out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHv1tcv_DoM

Harmonicas - first impressions

Like the Melodica, until recently this was an instrument I knew nothing about. I was totally ignorant. I even had for years 2 very good Hohner harmonicas sitting in my room which I hardly touched.

So, as summer is here and there is a little time on hand I started exploring. In short here are some of the things I found out:

1. It's not that easy to play! It took me a long time to even get a proper single note without spilling sound from the next hole. The first hours I practiced were so dire my girlfriend asked me to stop.

2. Don't buy cheap harmonicas. It's just a waste of time and will add to the time it takes you to learn. I bought a Hohner Silver Star locally and even after a month or so playing, and my limited knowledge I've decided to give it away.

3. Good Harmonicas are not that expensive. I have now a Hohner special 20 and a Hohner Blues Harp both which cost me less than 20 pounds in India.

4. You can bend notes on the 10 hole diatonic harmonica to achieve further notes. Ok, this sounds obvious but I had no clue what this really meant. This adds to the range of the instrument considerably. It is also what gives the harmonica it's bluesy flavour.

5. In the hands of a good player you can play almost anything on the diatonic harmonica. I will post links later but there are some extraordinary players out there young and old.

6. With skill, certain notes can be overblown or bend upwards. This again adds to a further range of notes not originally thought possible.

7. You can fit this instrument in you pocket and play anytime you feel. How good is that!

8. When you play the blues on the harmonica you play what is known as crossharp. If you are playing a harmonica in the key of C you use it to play blues in G. This is also known as second position and basically you are playing the instrument in a different key that it is intended.

9. If you want to start playing right away and your not sure what to buy go for a Hohner special 20. Thousands of top musicians swear by them and they are not expensive. Buy a key of C because alot of books and videos online use this tonality.

I'm going to post more on this topic as I advance. This is just a bit of fun. I will never be a full time harmonica player but I already love this instrument and maybe this post can help ignorant people like me get the most from it.

mattlittlewood.blogspot.in

After a very long time I have corrected the faulty links of my other blog and updated the look a little. I will use this page to keep posts regarding audio, video and pictures of past gigs.

I've added a further track with many more to come.

http://mattlittlewood.blogspot.in/

More foot tapping

Sometime ago I posted on the pros and cons of tapping your foot while playing. Does it help you keep time better? Do you feel rhythm better? Or is it actually a hindrance and distraction from the music you are playing?

After thinking about this carefully over the last weeks while practicing, my take on this matter is that both are valid. I believe that in order to understand some rhythms and to tackle certain rhythmic difficulties it is very necessary to tap your foot. It helps you to feel the rhythm in your body and tapping the pulse gives you the awareness of how the beat is placed in the music and how the phrase you are playing is falling relative to that beat. This is something essential to know, and in the long term builds up a strong sense of rhythm.

Having said that I feel that once you have achieved a good understanding of a certain phrase or rhythm, and how is falls within the music you should stop tapping your foot and simply feel the music through your ears and body - as if you were still tapping your foot. This in my view gives you a  more in depth feeling for that particular rhythm. Your understanding is coming directly to your ear and not first via your foot and in the long term will help you better internalise the rhythm.

Melodicas

Until recently whenever I was to see or hear a melodica I basically thought it was no more than a toy. A plastic piano that you blow? It can't be up to much?

Then around a year ago I started playing in a band where the keyboard player was using one to good effect and my views started to change. Not only did it sound good, but what a useful thing to carry around, especially while travelling. The perfect practice instrument.

A few weeks ago I purchased my own. A very basic but useful Hohner 26 key student model. It comes with a hard case and a couple of mouthpieces.

So far it's turned out to be the perfect addition to my practice gear. I'm too new to the instrument to yet play it in public, but taking it with me wherever I go has turned out to be very useful. Practicing, transcribing, impromptu jamming...you name it. What a find!

I think eventually I would like to set aside some time and learn to play it properly. The student model is not the best in the world and there are better ones available. Below I've put some links to useful sites regarding the melodica and some fun stuff too. There are some great musicians who play.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCz2nUjlwCI  A melodica comparison


http://www.melodicaworld.com/ An excellent site for anything and everything about the melodica including a very good forum.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gqgp5qU1B0Q A great demo of Suzuki melodicas or melodians.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gqgp5qU1B0Q My funny Valentine by Mario Duenas

Temple Rock on Kappa TV

About a year ago I went to record in Kerala with the band Temple Rock. Led by Krishna Kumar on vocals and kanjira, the band plays an exciting and dynamic blend of traditional Carnatic songs, Jazz and Rock. The band also features some of India's best musicians such as Mishko M'Ba on bass, Aman Mahajan on piano, Jay Sithar on guitar and Souri Rajan on percussion. The videos were recorded for Kappa TV a popular music channel in Trivandrum. Below are youtube links to some of the songs.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4VdRzUJqSI Vathapi Ganapathim

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSTCQurV_WA Pa Pa Pa

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vpdst-gGcG4 Nagumomu

Refuge

It's with great pleasure that these last months I have been playing with a band called Refuge. This is a band based in India led by pianist and composer Aman Mahajan. It also features Mishko M'Ba on Bass, Jeoraj George on Drums and myself on Sax. The tunes are all by Aman, and have the perfect twist of Jazz and Indian music incorporated in them. The band has played concerts in Bangalore and Chennai in recent times and is planning an Indian tour later this year.

For the official website and links to news and music check out:


/http://www.refugemusic.in/

Here is one of my favourite tunes "connections" recorded live at Humming Tree Bangalore:

https://soundcloud.com/refuge_music/connections?in=refuge_music/sets/hummingtree

More apps for travelling musicians. I Real B

Most musicians have seen this by now but this is probably the most useful app out there for travelling musicians. Basically with this app you have access to literally tens of thousands of charts which can be transposed on the spot and even played back for practice in different styles and tempos as in programs such as band in a box.

Especially if you play standards or need a tune quickly this is a wonderful tool. A few quick downloads and you have almost every tune your ever going to need. Furthermore with the ability to transpose instantly in a gig or rehearsal it is one of the most useful tools to have.

http://irealpro.com/

Sonny Rollins on Google Hangouts

If you haven't seen these already you really have missed something. Sonny Rollins gives in depth answers to questions from musicians via internet. There are some extremely interesting things here on a variety of topics for any level of playing. Wonderful stuff.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7p6lYTREtU

On the road - useful Android apps for musicians

As I travel quite a bit I like to have things with me to help me practice when on the road. Plus it's a little bit of fun when journeys, especially here, can be extremely long.

Rhythm Sheep

This one looks like a toy but it really has a lot of depth. Listen to the given rhythm and tap it back as accurately as you can. It's not as easy as it looks! The sheep appear on the left if you tap late and on the right if early. A great rhythm and memory tool.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=turskagames.rhythmsheep.free&hl=en

Click Plus

For me this is the best metronome out there. You can pretty much program it to play any time signature and it has the option to add accents, which can also be saved for further practice sessions. Simple and good.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=myapp.metronomy&feature=search_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDEsIm15YXBwLm1ldHJvbm9teSJd

Jazz 2 5 1's

Another simple but very useful app. Pre recorded ii v i's in every key both major and minor versions. It also has two speeds. Sadly the loops are the same in every key, but as a practice tool you can't complain.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=appinventor.ai_colano100dio.Jaz_251z&feature=search_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDEsImFwcGludmVudG9yLmFpX2NvbGFubzEwMGRpby5KYXpfMjUxeiJd

Chord Bot

Frankly I find this better than band in a box. As soon as I downloaded this I paid for the full version. Tons of styles, chord types, time signatures. It's got it all. The only down side is that it is no longer available for older phones.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.chordbot.demo.gui&feature=search_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDEsImNvbS5jaG9yZGJvdC5kZW1vLmd1aSJd

Saxindia: Journal Day 1

Saturday June 1st 2013

Probably my first day of holiday in a very long time. Woke up late, ate, and slept again. Reflecting upon a year in music it's been one full of work and travel but little practice. Fourteen hours to be precise (as I do keep note), simply not enough.

The positive things are that I have performed alot, and that the confidence is there. Strangely it only takes a week or so without a concert and I start to feel twitchy and nervous, even if like now I really need the time off.

Studying Carnatic music in the last year has probably provided the greatest benefit. My ear has really opened up, and I am able to learn longer phrases and rhythmic patterns than before since it is all taught aurally. It still needs alot of work, but it is going in  the right direction. It is like a muscle, it needs regular exercise and practice to keep it fit.

In general rhythmic work has been the basis of almost all of my work in these last years, but now I realise I need to keep working with harmony and chords especially if I'm to play well with bands that have standards or similar material as their base. I have noticed in the last gigs that I have become somewhat stuck in this area as no new real input has come other than through transcribing and listening. I am relying on my ear a little too much now and some new concepts need to be looked at.

First on the agenda are minor ii - v's. I noticed during gigs that when they appear in progressions that do not resolve, odd keys or in chord sequences unrelated to the home key i'm fumbling to find things to play. The ear is not quick enough in these situations, and you simply need a more solid harmonic technique. I will start by simply working out some ideas in various keys, revise my scales and come up with some patterns. Hopefully that will open me up to further ideas and I'll take it from there.

Update

Sadly is been a year since I've worked on this blog. Music has taken me many places in the last year but writing hasn't been on my mind.

In order to make this blog a little more personal I've decided to start publishing extracts from a music diary I keep.

I keep this as a useful exercise for myself as I pursue my path as a professional musician. Hopefully it will provide useful insights for others too.

More to follow...

Sam Newsome: To Play or Not to Play the Soprano

Those who know me, know that i have a special feeling for the soprano saxophone. I love playing tenor but it is with this intrument that I found the direction i was looking for in terms of sound, the moment i picked it up. Despite this i have often doubted whether being exclusively, or at least primarily a soprano player to be a good thing. This article by soprano saxophinist is an interesting read and goes some way to answering some of those questions.

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=33360&pg=1

Jazz Advice

It doesn't get much better than this. http://jazzadvice.com/ is a wonderful site with interesting and in depth articles on practically every aspect of improvisation and jazz. Written by Forest and Eric two musicians that have studied with some of the best, their articles really manage to touch upon why so many of us find improvisation so beautiful and intriguing. This is a must read.