Casa Valdez Studios

The Music of Kurt Rosenwinkel blog- How does he do it?

casavaldez@comcast.net (David Valdez) — Thu, 16 May 2013 11:33:40 PDT

I just saw Kurt when he came to Portland last February for the PDX Jazz festival. He gave a clinic earlier in the day before his show, which was really more of an interview. I was struck by the level of devotion of his young guitar playing devotees. We got a chance to catch up before his concert and he told me about his upcoming show at Madison Square Garden with Eric Clapton and Alan Holdsworth, solidifying his guitar god status if anyone had any doubts. A buddy of mine just forwarded a link to a blog written by a heart-core Rosenwinkel disciple call The Music of Kurt Rosenwinkel (how does he do it?). The blog is a clearing house for all things KR, there are videos, transcriptions, lessons, gear and recordings. This is definitely a player's blog for players and if you love Kurt's playing you need to check this site out.

The Music of Kurt Rosenwinkel- How does he do it?

The Jazz Conception Company

casavaldez@comcast.net (David Valdez) — Thu, 16 May 2013 11:16:28 PDT

Interactive Jazz educational products have come a long way since the first Jamey Aebersold play-alongs. Do any of you remember putting pennies on top of the record player stylus to get the pitch lower? That shows how old I am. I have reviewed several different online and DVD products on this blog in the past and each year more high tech educational products are released. I have used Jim Snidero's play-along etudes and Walt Weiskopf's books with my students for years so I was excited to see that the two of them had collaborated on a multi-media product.

The Jazz Conception Company has put together two series of video lessons that feature Snidero and Weiskopf that you can use with an iPad or a desktop. The first is a 10 lesson Jazz improvisation series (with 19 play-alongs) for all instruments and the second is an 8 lesson Jazz saxophone series (with 8 play-alongs). The production values are top notch and the price point is much lower than many other interactive products, with a year subscription for the improvisation lessons running $49.99 and the saxophone lessons at $39.95. That for about 4 hours of improvisation lessons and two and a half hours of saxophone lessons, plus all of the play-alongs.

Here are the outlines of the lesson series:

Jazz Improvisation Part 1

10 lessons and 19 play alongs
Instructor-Jim Snidero

Ear Training- Part 1
Basic Scales
Basic Chords
Basic Articulation
Ear Training- Part 2
Creating Basic Melodies
Jazz Improvisation- Part 1
Jazz Improvisation- Part 2
The Blues- Part 1
How to Practice

This course is appropriate for any setting- individual study, private lessons, and the classroom- providing hours of valuable instruction, examples, exercises and play alongs on the fundamentals of jazz improvisation.
Though no prior knowledge of jazz improvisation is required, the course has been designed to strengthen and clarify important concepts and techniques for those at a variety of levels of knowledge and experience.
First five lessons cover the basics of ear training, scales, chords, chord/scale relationship and articulation, with an emphasis on practical application. This will give you a solid foundation when improvising.
Second five lessons get down to improvising, using what you’ve learned to create melodies, build vocabulary, play with syncopation and a good swing feel, keep your place in the form, develop a sense of timing and balance, the blues and finally putting it all together in the practice room.
Each lesson has an accompanying play along video, where you can practice material covered along with a top New York rhythm section.
You can select C concert, Bb tenor saxophone, Bb trumpet, Eb alto saxophone or bass clef to view exercises in your key and play along with the video instructor. As is the case with all our jazz instructional video, you can choose to have the music automatically appear when the exercise is about to be played.

Jazz Saxophone-Part 1

6 lessons and 8 play alongs

The Basics- Part 1
The Basics- Part 2
Equipment
Playing ballads
Alto Masters of the 50’s
Tenor Masters of the 50’s

Instructors Jim Snidero (alto saxophone) and Walt Weiskopf (tenor saxophone) provide a treasure trove of information that is applicable to any type of saxophone, but also some specific insight into both the alto and tenor.

Perfect for individual or group lessons.
Only basic knowledge of fingerings and sound production are required.
This course has been designed to cover basic jazz saxophone techniques and concepts that are then used to analyze the music of historical master saxophonists, as well as the art of ballad playing.
Exercises and etudes are used to demonstrate specific techniques of master saxophonists Charlie Parker, Cannonball Adderley, John Coltrane, Hank Mobley and Sonny Stitt. Important aspects of their style, including tone, articulation, phrasing and improvisation concepts are explored.
Exercises to develop good tone, getting the instrument to “sing”, control vibrato, and use proper articulation. Also useful pattern exercises that build technique and provide additional jazz vocabulary.
One of the most in depth looks at jazz saxophone equipment available, including mouthpiece design and construction, reed design and adjusting, horns and adjustments, ligatures and instrument maintenance.
Select which key you want to view examples and exercises in- Bb or Eb. As with all of our jazz instructional videos, you can choose to have the music automatically appear when the exercise is about to be played.
Several lessons include video play along tracks to practice material covered during that particular lesson.

I was a hoping that the lessons were a aimed at towards advanced players, but they are more for beginning and beg-intermediate level players. The play-alongs aren't as challenging as Snidero's play-along books and you won't get the advanced level material that you might see in Weiskopf's improv books. That said, the lessons are very good and the presentation is excellent for a beg-intermediate level player. I have done a lot of video and DVD production in my time and I can say that the production quality is fantastic. You really get a lot for your money compared to other multi-media products and the use of mobile technology is groundbreaking. It looks like the company is planning more lesson series in the future so I really look forward to seeing what direction these more advanced lessons will take, since both Snidero and Weiskopf have a track record of creating some of the best Jazz educational materials on the market.

The Jazz Conception Company

Drop 2 worksheet

casavaldez@comcast.net (David Valdez) — Thu, 02 May 2013 10:48:29 PDT

Thanks to Dan Gaynor for this one

(Click on above graphic for a larger version)

Rafael Navarro Interview

casavaldez@comcast.net (David Valdez) — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 16:17:07 PST

DCV: Tell about where you went to school, who you studied with and which players were major influences for you? This is always something that I'm interested in finding out from MP makers because I like to know what their ideal saxophone sound is.

RN: I went through the school of hard knocks. I never studied music formally. I have a BA in Sociology and moved onto Engineering and have worked as a sales engineer for 14 years. Music started earlier for me. I started singing at 11 and by 15 was already singing with local groups and so on. I picked the horn very late and worked the best I could on my own by listening to records and just being ballsy enough to go to jam sessions. I developed rather quickly, but stopped playing for a living at 33. Sound however; was very easy for me to produce, perhaps due to my singing background. Nonetheless, I’ve listened and still listen to Lester, Getz, Lee Morgan, Clifford Brown, Hank Mobley, Sonny Stitt & Rollins, Phil Woods, Art Pepper, Joe Henderson, Bob Mintzer, Brecker, Malach, Oliver Nelson, Dexter, Stanley Turrentine, Trane & Cannonball and goes on.

To me, the perfect saxophone sound has to have core and great balance of mids, high and lows. Hank Mobley had a great sound in that respect. Joe Henderson also had some of that too. So perhaps, Mobley, Sonny Rollins, Henderson, Trane and Dexter are from where my concepts come from tenor and Stitt and Phil Woods and Cannonball on alto. Mintzer has a lot of that package with a modern vibe, but still he does like the old school and is in his playing.

DCV: I read the story on your site about how you first started working on pieces when tried to save a mouthpiece that you dropped, then later you trained under Pedro then eventually under Ralph Morgan. Can you tell me a bit about how those two masters worked?

RN: Both Pedro and Ralph were pretty knowledgeable craftsmen. Pedro is quite an exceptional minded human being. He can do Jewelry, re-wire an alternator, make his on gold and silver bath’s, make a mouthpiece, fix a horn, restore a horn, rebuild an engine, build houses, you name it. I think Pedro was very influential on the way I approach things. He is very methodical but also practical. He can see point from A to point B before you even knew it. That of course comes with experience but I also think is part of his factory package. Thinking ahead and learn how to use my hands and brains together is what I really learned from him.

DCV: I had a long talk with Ralph and he was a real character. He seemed to have very particular ideas about what a saxophone setup should be. What was it like to work with him and how did his ideas affect your own pieces?

Ralph Morgan

RN: I really had a great time with Ralph. I really never debated his thoughts but just watched him work and asked lots of questions. We spent our time talking about saxophone and mouthpiece making history. He let me opened a file cabinet he had and I started reading and getting to see drawings and all kinds of stuff you can rarely see around. I was like a kid in a candy store. On Sunday, I remembered he picked me up and took me to Church. That was quite an interesting moment for me, because the man took his bible really serious and he did operate on Christian values. It was very interesting for me to see him as a whole package and not just as a mouthpiece maker. I do remember him giving me the Joe Allard SBA prototype to play. Man, it was a great horn. Right then, he saw me putting the neck towards my left side. He basically said, well; I think I should just teach how this thing works. Put the neck towards the lyre …I did so and noticed the sound did changed somewhat, or perhaps was my imagination… As I remember, he thought it was the way the neck was intended to be placed.

DCV: What inspired you to begin making your own pieces, and what type of piece did you first start with?

RN: I think I had it in me for 22 years. I really liked to manufacture things with my own hands and furthermore make it available to people. It is not an easy task but I am trying and will keep on doing it. Pricing on vintage pieces has gotten out of hand. I think we all should try alternatives, and there are so many good ones out there.

DCV: What were some vintage pieces that inspired your own pieces?

RN: On the vintage side, for the metal Maestra the Zimberoff was very big influences, although my pieces do not play like them, the chamber size is really close. I am of course influenced by those great Dukoff Stubbies, FL links and Double Rings. My next two metal Maestras are going to be influenced by those nice short roll baffle Florida Links and the Double Ring. This will happen towards the summer. The prototype is done on and now I am slowly preparing to produce them.

Maestra

As far as rubber tenor pieces, The Maestra was greatly influenced by the Reso Chamber. The body length of my piece is longer, but the chamber is perhaps a hair bigger than a Reso. This is also the case with the original Maestra I. The series has been revised to produce three types of pieces. The first one is already done and it takes after a later clam shell slant sig Link. The other two Maestra rubbers are influenced by a Reso chamber and an early Babbitt with a short step baffle for those who want that type of zing .

Bahia

The Rubber and Metal Bahia's came from a modification I did on a Reso-Chamber by adding a slope baffle. They are more centered and could be bright for some and focussed for others.

The Mintzer is a hybrid of everything I've seen. I of course have played Freddie Gregory's pieces, so in many ways his work influenced the way I finish my pieces, however our work and pieces sound and feel different. Freddie's work is so impeccable and all his pieces reflect the highest quality in work and sound.

DCV: You said that you are getting your rubber from Germany, the same stuff that Zinner blanks are made from. Did you consider resin compounds or other sources of rubber?

RN: Yes, my rubber comes from the same factory Zinner gets his blanks from. It is the oldest and actually the inventor of rubber in collaboration with Goodyear.

DCV: I've talked to different mouthpiece makers about the difference between the old rubber and the stuff that they are making today and have never really gotten a clear answer. Can you tell me more about the manufacturing process?

RN: I spent a great deal of time understanding the process of making rubber. To do that I went to Germany and served as an apprentice at the factory that I get my rubber from. I worked in the factory for 15 days and rotated on every station in order to understand how the rubber is manufactured. Needless to say, it was a great experience, but also let me now how expensive it is to produce rubber. In fact, it cost me more to make a rubber piece than metal (raw materials only.)

I started by getting rubber from NYH in Germany and later found another company nearby who is making the same product only better in the sense that the marble tint is 100% FDA approved and the rubber seems to be as friendly to work as the rubber used on those early pieces. One of the guys that leads the production in NYH, went to this company, so the process was transferred and the quality control improved. I also tried other rubbers from Italy, France, US, China and Japan. None of them, with the exception of the Japanese rubber, were good. The Japanese rubber is good but does not machine, grind and buff the same way the German rubber does.

The rubber I get from Germany is produced the same way they have been doing it for a 100 years. Companies like Vandoren, Bari woodwinds, Selmer, Yanagisawa and Zinner are or had used this rubber for many years. Others like Morgan, use the same rubber dust as the one mentioned above, however the compounding is done here in the US. One of the most important things is to know how to cure the rubber. That is where the German Rubber is different from everyone else.

Morgan factory

Only Morgan cures the rubber in a similar way. You can use the same dust, but if you use other accelerators to cure it, the compound will definitely be different. German rubber is cured with Sulfur while others don't use that... BIG difference in outcome. Sulfur curing takes more hours than other accelerators.

In my case, I machine from rubber bars and I don't compress mold my parts. A rubber bar is simply denser in qualities. But lets keep in mind, that given the chance to mold with the right rubber, I would also do it as it will be a lot more cost effective. It is also equally important to have the right design otherwise, it doesn't matter which material you use, the end result is greatly influenced by the design.

DCV: What are the different pieces that you are making at the moment and how do they play differently?

RN: I am glad you said “at the moment” because there is more to come. I started making traditional sounding pieces, darker than most, yet they still have some of the traditional sounds. The Bahia is brighter but not overly bright to a great extent is like a link with more power and color.

DCV: You recently started working with Bob Mintzer on a Mintzer signature piece, can you tell me how that came about, also how is the Mintzer piece different from your other tenor pieces?

A: The Bebop Special has a unique palette of colors. It is not a bright piece, but rather more lush and velvety sound. It has a lot of buzz to the sound but you can also push it and get some edge from it. It has a great core and centered. It is more centered than all of my other models and I still think is darker to a great extent.

DCV: What are your plans for new mouthpieces?

RN: An alto, bari and soprano will be launched soon. But there are other new models coming towards the fall, hopefully.

Navarro Saxophone Mouthpieces

Intervalic ii-V7 pattern from Bobby Stern

casavaldez@comcast.net (David Valdez) — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 11:34:02 PST

Bobby Stern

This is from saxophonist Bobby Stern's book Slick Licks That Stick!, which I hope to review here soon. Bobby also has a Jazz blog called B Natural.

Intervalic ii-V7 pattern

Playing Over the Bar Line using Pentatonics- Russ Nolan

casavaldez@comcast.net (David Valdez) — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 11:15:30 PST

Russ Nolan has a very interesting post on using pentatonics to play over the bar lines. He uses a tune written by himself and then takes Bergonzi's 8 pentatonic shapes through the changes, illustrating how to play over the bar lines. There is a link at the bottom of Russ' post to download the PDF with the entire exercise.

Playing Over the Bar Line using Pentatonics

How to Produce a Great Sound- Dr.Olando Tognozzi

casavaldez@comcast.net (David Valdez) — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 13:42:25 PST

My buddy Shoehorn sent my a link to a video by his teacher Dr. Olando Tognozzi on how to get a great sound on woodwinds by the use of correct throat position. Tognozzi plays jazz saxophone, flute, sings opera, conducts orchestras and choirs. His credits include New Orleans Symphony, Xavier University in N.O., Tampa Symphony, St.Louis Symphony, Agnes DeMille Dance Company tours, the U.S. Marine Band, and he was a professor at Shasta College in California for several decades. He currently resides in the Sacramento area. He is a legend in N.O., where his students included the late clarinetist Alvin Batiste and alto man Earl Turbinton. Tog, the nickname his students use, will be 86 next month.

How to Produce a Great Sound- Dr.Olando Tognozzi

Russ Nolan's Jazz blog- Joel Frahm transcription

casavaldez@comcast.net (David Valdez) — Sun, 27 Jan 2013 14:50:03 PST

NYC tenor saxophonist/educator recently started writing a blog and he has been posting some nice stuff. Below is a Joel Frahm transcription that Russ did and made into a YouTube video.
Russ Nolan's Jazz educational blog

Complete Approach to Sound for the Modern Saxophonist

casavaldez@comcast.net (David Valdez) — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 10:22:09 PST

Ben Britton, saxophonist/educator/blogger, recently sent me a copy of his Complete Approach to Sound for the Modern Saxophonist book. I was quite impressed with just how thorough the book really was. This is a book that I have started using with my own students at Portland State University. Ben includes a ton of crucial sound production exercises, many that I use with my own students. I really like that Ben focuses on airstream, embouchure, articulation, long tones, overtone exercises, and warm-up exercises, and doesn't really even get into finger technique.

See below for the book's topics from the table of contents:

Ben Britton

Introduction to Air Support, Breathing In, Blowing Hot Air, Up Against the Wall, Introduction to Embouchure , Mouthpiece Test, Mouthpiece Bends, Introduction to Air Stream, Focus, Low vs. High, Focusing the Vocal Tract, Bending Up, Airstream Focus vs. Embouchure, Other Contributing Factors Long Tones on the Mouthpiece, Air Attacks, Low Note Bends, Air Support at Soft Dynamics, Whispering Hot Air, Soft Long Tones, Putting it to Practice, Embouchure Pressure, Sound and Feeling, Wrong Embouchure, Embouchure and Articulation, Interval Jumps, Embouchure Flexibility and Timbre, Roll In, Roll Out, Subtone vs. Full Tone, Looking Forward, Lower Lip, Tongue Bends, Techniques for Executing New or Difficult Overtones, Guiding Principles for Overtone Practice, Types of Overtone Exercises, Long Overtone Variations, Overtones and Altissimo, Multiphonics, Multiphonics with Tongue Bends, Level I- Long Overtones, Level I: Overtone Flexibility, Level II Long Overtones, Level II: Overtone Flexibility, Bugle Calls, Scales Using Multiple Partials, Scales Using a Single Partial, Slurring Up, Articulation Techniques, The Lightest Articulation Possible, Moving Beyond Low Bb, Legato Tongued Scales, Staccato Low Bb, High Register Staccato, Staccato Scales, Real Music, An Approach to Daily Practice, Regularly Recording Yourself, Why Warm Up?, Importance of Long Tones, Warm-up Outline, Descending Long Tones, Part 2: Long Overtones, Part 3: Overtone Flexibility, Part 4: Articulation, Customize Your Warm-Up

Here is a page from the book on techniques for executing new or difficult overtones:


(click above graphic for larger version)

Ben includes audio files of himself playing many of the exercises, often with examples of both the correct and incorrect methods of performance. Here are a few excerpts from the book with audio examples.

A few endorsements for the book :

“Ben’s book covers some of the important concepts of playing saxophone in a well articulated, clear style which can serve both beginners and more advanced players well."-- Dave Liebman

"This is a terrific book on an often neglected yet integral part of saxophone playing. I recommend Ben's book to every serious saxophonist." --Walt Weiskopf

Nice work Ben!

Mulligan/Giuffre Fake Books

casavaldez@comcast.net (David Valdez) — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 12:38:14 PST

These older Sketch-orks books have all of the harmony parts, for your West Coast Swing action.

Yeah baby!

Mulligan/Giuffre Fake Books

Kenny Wheeler Songbook

casavaldez@comcast.net (David Valdez) — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 11:50:23 PST

A longtime Scandinavian reader sent me a PDF of some Kenny Wheeler charts. I played through a lot of these tunes with John Stowell a few weeks ago, some very nice tunes in there.

Kenny Wheeler Songbook

Paul Contos' World of Fourths- etudes & exercises

casavaldez@comcast.net (David Valdez) — Sat, 12 Jan 2013 14:13:08 PST

Last week I attended the Jazz Education Network convention in Atlanta. I presented a panel on Jazz blogging with Earl MacDonald and George Colligan and saw a lot of great clinics and concerts. It was quite educational and entertaining. I plan to post more details about some of the things (mouthpieces, software, books, bands, ect) that I saw at the JEN convention, so stay tuned.

Paul Contos

One of the coolest things about the trip for me was being able to reconnect with my first saxophone teacher Paul Contos, who I hadn't seen in years. I started studying with Paul in seventh grade and studied with him all the up until my freshman year of college, seven years total. He got me started on the Omnibook immediately. We were talking about that last week and Paul said that his strategy was just not to tell his students that it was hard! I started with Bloomdido and eventually learned every note in that book.

Paul is responsible for inspiring a multitude of young musicians to become great Jazz musicians. He recently took over the job of education director for the Monterey Jazz Festival's educational program, which is a huge job because it includes the year round Monterey schools programs, the summer camp, the National Next Gen honor Jazz band, and the Next Gen yearly competition. Paul also runs the San Francisco Jazz Festival's educational program, which includes an honor band as well. Paul also takes the Next Gen band to Japan or across the US and Canada each year. I recently found a Facebook group called Paul Contos Changed My Life, which just shows how big of an impact he has had as an educator.

Paul and I had a chance to catch up and then we both went over to Rafael Navarro's both to try out his pieces, which we had both been hearing a lot about recently. Paul tried the soprano pieces and I played a few alto pieces. We were both hugely impressed with the work that Rafy was doing. The soprano piece that Paul tried seemed like a big step up from the Selmer S80 E that he had been using for years. The core was fat and it put out a ton of sound. I'm planning a full review of the alto pieces that I tried and have asked Rafy to do an interview for this blog. I'll also be adding a banner ad for Navarro mouthpieces very soon. It is worth noting that I only post ads for products that I personally use or recommend to my own students.

Dave Leibman

Paul is so well know as an educator that I think people often overlook the fact that he a burning and unique player as well. He got swept up in the NY tenor wave back in the late 70's and early 80's, but instead of gravitating to Brecker or Grossman, like many saxophonists, he was more drawn to Liebman. Paul has always been very serious about soprano and flute, making Leibman all the more compelling. Paul mentioned that Leibman was the 'underdog' compared to his contemporaries.

The last time I saw Leib was in the late 90's at the Blue Note. I have got to say that I was a bit disappointed. He played a lot of tenor and I wasn't digging his sound or time concepts. The high point of the night for me was his bamboo flute playing. The last performance I saw at JEN last week was the Miami big band with Leibman and it just blew me away. The big band was truly impressive, tighter than any band that I remember playing with at Berklee, but Dave sounded incredible. He played only soprano and his sound was gorgeous. His harmonic and rhythmic concept was killing....so killing. It made a huge impression on me, making me want to get a better idea of what he was doing. As soon as I got home I ordered the Aebersold published Leibman book How to Approach Standards Chromatically- techniques of superimposition.

Paul just emailed me some exercises and etudes that he had written for his students. Paul has always had a very cool approach to utilizing fourths in his playing, something which I never incorporated into my playing much so I was happy to get these new exercises. Playing through these etudes made me make a mental note to hit Paul up for another lesson the next time I'm in the Bay Area. I am sure you will enjoy this stuff.

Here is Paul's explanations for his exercises:

"World of Fourths - first is a Preparatory sheet, to get people into maneuvering around the horn in that way, especially if they've been so 'scale-oriented'...and/or just comfortable w/chord-like maj. & min. 3rd diatonic intervals...breaks them out of that.

Next is World of Fourths part. A, which shows a pattern that can be used on at least 5 or 6 chords...(same can be used on: D7sus; A-7;F maj7; Bb maj7#11; C6/9; others)

Next up in an exercise of a chorus of "All The Things" using the World of Fourths concept, moving thru the changes, w/logical transitions & many 1/2step resolutions, as relates to the how things lay nicely on the horn.

Next is an Ex. of a chorus on "Cherokee" - just straight-ahead at first, to help students get into making some smooth linear movements thru the changes, then the last 'A' section starts utilizing some of the Fourth concept thru the changes…It's also the 1st Alto part of a quartetet version of that chorus of Cherokee…w/Super-sax type harmony"

Paul Contos etudes and execises

Upcoming Gigs!

casavaldez@comcast.net (David Valdez) — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 13:03:53 PST

1/13, 6:30pm-9:00pm
David Valdez/George Colligan duo
Orenco Station
6195 NE Cornell Rd
Hillsboro, OR 97124

2/10, 8:30-11pm
w/Tom Barber, George Colligan, Dan Duvall & Randy Rollofson
Blue Monk
3341 Southeast Belmont Street
Portland, OR 97214

2/15, 11:30pm-1:30am
Hosting late night PDX Jazz festival jam session
Ivories Jazz Lounge
1435 Northwest Flanders Street
Portland, OR 97209

2/16, 11:30pm-1:30am
Hosting late night PDX Jazz festival jam session
Ivories Jazz Lounge
1435 Northwest Flanders Street
Portland, OR 97209

2/17, 8:30-9:30pm
Kerry Politzer Quartet
Blue Monk
3341 Southeast Belmont Street
Portland, OR 97214

2/18, 8:00-11pm
Gerald Wilson w/ the PSU Faculty Ensemble
Jimmy Mak's
221 Northwest 10th Avenue
Portland, OR 97209

2/20, 8:00-11:00pm
David Valdez/Weber Iago Latin-Jazz Project (w/Chris Higgins & Chris Brown)
Ivories Jazz Lounge
1435 Northwest Flanders Street
Portland, OR 97209

2/22, 11:30pm-1:30am
Hosting late night PDX Jazz festival jam session
Ivories Jazz Lounge
1435 Northwest Flanders Street
Portland, OR 97209

2/23, 11:30pm-1:30am
Hosting late night PDX Jazz festival jam session
Ivories Jazz Lounge
1435 Northwest Flanders Street
Portland, OR 97209

22/24, 8:30pm-11:00pm
George Colligan Quartet
Blue Monk
3341 Southeast Belmont Street
Portland, OR 97214

Jazz Education Network Conference 2013

casavaldez@comcast.net (David Valdez) — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 15:54:34 PST

The Jazz Education Network is and organization that rose out of the ashes of IAJE, the International Association of Jazz Educators, when it went down in flames a few years ago. I don't know the real story as far as the reasons for the flame out of IAJE, but I've heard people say that hookers and piles of blow had something to do with it. It's always hookers and blow, isn't it?

This year I'm planning to go to the JEN conference in Atlanta. I have been invited to take part in a panel discussion on Jazz blogging with Earl MacDonald and George Colligan, both of whom have great Jazz blogs. The panel is titled 'Blogging with a Purpose- Educating and Building the Jazz Audience Base' and is with be happening on Saturday, Jan.5th at 1:00pm, at the Learning Center- Atrium Tower, Lower Level 1.

I am looking forward to seeing old friends, checking out new gear and educational materials, seeing some interesting workshops and getting into some soul food. If you happen to be attending the JEN conference this year please stop by and say hello, or email me at: casavaldez@comcast.net if you want to meet for coffee.

The Pedagogy of Jazz Improvisation- Charlie Banacos

casavaldez@comcast.net (David Valdez) — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 09:52:49 PST

Charlie Banacos is once of the most influential Jazz teachers of the 20th century. When I was in school in Boston he was legendary, and had a two year waiting list to study with him. Anders Bostrom, my housemate in Boston, studied with him and I would hear the types of things that Charlie had assigned each week. Everything that Anders was working on was more more advanced than anything that I was getting at Berklee.

For years I have just heard the results of his teaching in the playing of the students that spent time studying with him, but never really had a clear understanding of his pedagogy. Charlie also taught correspondence lessons to students all across the country, and there must be many of his written lessons floating around out there. I have never run across any myself, though not for a lack of trying. I will not even make an attempt to write about the profound effect that this educator had on his students. My good friend and pianist Kerry Politzer studied with Charlie for seven years and if you even mention his name around her she gets visibly upset, reminded of the great loss of his passing. Charlie inspired a such high level of devotion in his students that many of them speak about him more as a father figure or spiritual teacher than a Jazz educator. The influential players/educators who studied with Banacos reads like a who's who of Jazz: Gary Dial (for over 40 years), Randy & Michael Brecker, Mike Stern, Bill Frisell, Joey Calderazzo, Danilo Perez, Jeff Berlin, Kenny Werner, George Garzone and Bill Pierce, and many more.

Regular CV blog reader Stephan van Briel recently sent me a link to a former Bancacos student's (Lefteris Kordis) New England Conservatory doctorate dissertation. The dissertation details much of Charlie's teaching methods and concepts, something that I have been curious about for many years. There is some great material in there that is worthy of serious study for any Jazz educator or student.

From a letter from the Banacos family:

"As we approach what would have been Charlie's 66th birthday next month, his family would like to express their deep gratitude and appreciation to a number of individuals who have kept his legacy alive. There is a newly published dissertation by Lefteris Kordis at the New England Conservatory of Music on Charlie's pedagogy (appropriately named "Top Speed and in All Keys: Charlie Banacos's Pedagogy of Jazz Improvisation"). Lefteris' tireless research - including helpful interviews from dozens of students - resulted in an exciting and wonderfully comprehensive assessment of Charlie's teaching methods. "

Charlie's daughter Barbara still offers correspondence courses, faithfully following Charlie's teaching methods.

Top Speed in all Keys- Pedagogy of Charlie Banacos

Charlie Banacos: Recollections of a Legend (All About Jazz)
Charlie Banacos: The Zen Master of Improvisation
Charlie Banacos Wiki page

Rhythm Changes Matrix- keys of Bb & G (A sections)

casavaldez@comcast.net (David Valdez) — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 15:20:58 PST

Rhythm changes takes a lot of work to master and it seems to me like the only way to play stuff that is really interesting is to devote some time learning different harmonic approaches to the changes. There are many typical sets of reharms that are commonly used and when a soloist starts to go into one of them a good rhythm section will usually follow along. You will end up discovering a few sets of changes that you will favor.

I asked a student of mine to take some of the sets of changes from Jamey Aebersold's Rhythm Changes Vol.47 and put them into Sibelius. He got most of the A sections, the B sections will be posted soon. I suck at Sibelius, so only two keys were done, which are the key of Bb and the key of G.

Rhythm Changes Variations in Bb & G

Richie Beirach compositions & reharms

casavaldez@comcast.net (David Valdez) — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 12:41:22 PST

Regular blog reader Stephan van Briels sent me some nice compositions & reharms by Richie Beirach. Beirach worked with Stan Getz and Chet Baker, his musical partnership with Dave Liebman spanned 30 years and he has recorded 37 albums as a lead. Richie may not be a household name, but his influence on many of today's Jazz pianists is not insignificant. Beirach has a unique harmonic approach and is known for his extensive use of poly-chords.

Richie Beirach compositions & reharms

Richie Beirach's web site
Richie Beirach's published compositions (Advance Music)

Slonimsky exercises for saxophone

casavaldez@comcast.net (David Valdez) — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 12:08:59 PST

Slonimsky's Thesaurus of Scales and Melodic Patterns is the gift that just keeps giving. There is so much great material in this book that can be adapted for Jazz improvisation. It is arguable that there would have never been a Giant Steps or Countdown if it were not for this great book. There is still so much to be learned from the TOSAMP and just about everything in it sounds super hip. Markos has extracted some lines from the TOSAMP and created some nice exercises for saxophone (or other instruments). Thanks Markos!

Slonimsky Exercises

Lee Konitz transcriptions/Downbeat article

casavaldez@comcast.net (David Valdez) — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 12:10:17 PST

More great stuff from Mark Sowlakis, four nice Konitz transcriptions (w/ an analysis of Billie's Bounce) and some scans of a Downbeat feature from 1980. Thanks Markos!

Lee Konitz solo transcriptions and DB article

Triad Pair exercises

casavaldez@comcast.net (David Valdez) — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 11:52:09 PST

Regular Casa Valdez contributor Mark Sowlakis put together this sheet of Triad Pair exercises.

(click the above graphic for a larger version)

Woodwind Proficiencies

casavaldez@comcast.net (David Valdez) — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 12:10:53 PST

I took over the Jazz saxophone professor position at Portland State University a few weeks ago, so I had to design an entire teaching curriculum for undergrads and graduate students in a hurry. One of the components of the curriculum I devised was a graded series of proficiencies. Something that impressed me about Berklee's program was the woodwind department's proficiencies. It wasn't anything revolutionary, just very thorough and well thought out. By the time a Berklee performance woodwind major gets out of school they (at the very least) have a solid gasp on the fundamentals of musicianship (scales, arpeggios,intervals, ect).

I wrote Bill Pierce, the woodwind department chair, to see if I could get a copy of the the woodwind proficiencies and he was kind enough to direct me to the department's web page where they have posted complete documents detailing the different levels. Berklee is on a semester system, so there are eight levels for the four year program. PSU is on a trimester system, so I had to split those eight levels into twelve. I also added a few things to the requirements that I thought were important to know.

These proficiencies would be a good way to to approach practicing the fundamentals for any woodwind student, or for any teachers wishing to be a bit more organized in their teaching practice.

link to a compressed file containing the proficiencies

Break the Mold- podcast and concert series

casavaldez@comcast.net (David Valdez) — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 14:44:20 PST

When I was down in L.A. earlier this year playing at the Blue Whale I met a saxophonist named Alex Sadnik, who runs Break the Mold, what several musicians tell me is the best continuing Jazz concert series in the L.A. area. Alex books highly interesting forward thinking L.A. musicians for his series and has also started interviewing many of these musicians for a podcast series of the same name. So far he has interviewed 33 different players for the series. If you were ever interested about what the real Jazz scene is like for the guys in the trenches playing creative music then you should check out these podcasts. Alex is an intelligent interviewer and he has chosen some great interviewees. I hope to play at Alex's concert series next time I am down south.

Break the Mold Podcast
Break the Mold concert series FB page

Spirit Seeker: John Coltrane's Musical Journey

casavaldez@comcast.net (David Valdez) — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 15:16:15 PDT

I don't have kids, but if I did have kids I would be reading them Gary Golio's new book Spirit Seeker: John Coltrane's Musical Journey. As soon as I saw this book I new I had to have it, even without kids. The illustrations are stunning and fairly psychedelic. The story is about Coltrane's triumph over drug and alcohol addiction and his spiritual journey to create music that would bring happiness and healing to listeners. Golio is also an addiction counselor for teens, so I would guess that he wanted to present young inner city kids with a model for overcoming addiction through art and spirituality. Trane's drug problems are not a major theme in this book for youngsters, but it is worth mentioning.

Here is an excerpt from the afterward:

"Music and religion were the twin forces that shaped John Coltrane's early years. Both of his grandfathers were Methodist ministers, and each of his parents was a skilled musician.

In North Carolina during the 1930s, the church was the center of black community life. At a time when discrimination was widespread, the church offered comfort, hope, and guidance. One way it did this was through music...

Perhaps more than any other jazz musician, John Coltrane let his religious feelings guide and inspire his work. Of his recovery from drug use, he wrote, 'During the year 1957, I experienced, by the grace of God, a spiritual awakening which was to lead me to a richer, fuller, more productive life. At that time, in gratitude, I humbly asked to be given the means and privilege to make others happy through music.'

It was his commitment to sobriety for the last ten years of his life that allowed him to pursue his vision and to create some of the most enduring music in the field of jazz."

Gary Golio

Here is what Gary had to say about his book:

" Sometimes, when you've lost almost everything as a child, a lifeline appears that restores your faith and re-ignites your spirit. For John Coltrane, that lifeline was the saxophone, and the musical dreams it inspired. Spirit Seeker - John Coltrane's Musical Journey (Clarion/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) captures John's struggle from lost boy to musical leader, from darkness to light. In words and images that reflect the depth of John's joy as well as his yearning for inner peace, Spirit Seeker tells the story of how art and spirituality shaped one man's talents and gave him the courage to share those gifts with the world. It's a uniquely American tale that touches on race, jazz, religion and redemption (from addiction), the power of Art, and how John's early difficulties fueled his unique vision of the Divine (A Love Supreme). Like my previous books on Jimi Hendrix (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, NY Times bestseller) and Bob Dylan (Little, Brown), Spirit Seeker is meant to introduce a new generation of listeners to a great musical creator and his story."

I love this book and if you do have kids that you are planning to introduce to Trane's A Love Supreme at some point then you do need to buy this book.

Spirit Seeker: John Coltrane's Musical Journey

ReedGeek Universal Reed Tool

casavaldez@comcast.net (David Valdez) — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 08:34:02 PDT

A few weeks ago Mark Sowlakis, my buddy and regular contributor to this blog, called me and told me about the great results that he and other sax players he knew had been having with a new reed adjusting tool called the ReedGeek. Mark said that he had gone from being able to play just three to four reeds in a box of ten to playing six or seven out of a box. That sounded like a pretty big claim, but I do trust Markos so I figured I would give it a try. I send Mauro at ReedGeek a message and he agreed to send me a few ReedGeek tools in exchange for a banner add on this site.

I usually only can play three or four reeds, if I'm lucky, out of a box of ten. These odds are roughly the same as playing online Bingo. I do have a tendency to enjoy gambling, but if there is any way I can avoid wasting so much bread on little shards of cane then I will jump at the chance to improve my odds. The idea of the tool does make a lot of sense because a warped reed table is one of the most common reed problems and the ReekGeek is a simple solution to warping. Even if a reed starts out playing great, often it will die due to a convex or concave table warp. I learned this from Ray Reed's great book The Saxophone Reed: The Advanced Art of Adjusting Single Reeds. The ReekGeek tool is a perfect way to flatten the reed table without removing too much material, as often happens when using a reed knife for this delicate operation. The tool also is great for adjusting side rails.

I gave up trying to get results with a reed knife years ago, since I usually would end up just killing every reed I would touch with it. So far with the ReekGeek tool I have gotten many reeds to play that would have been destined for the reed boneyard. I have had particularly good luck with tenor reeds that were just too hard and stuffy. I was able to remove a small amount of material from the back of the reed in order to make the entire reed a bit softer. This adjustment strategy for me in the past was done with a tool made by Vandoren, which was small piece of glass mounted with sandpaper. This almost never worked because it was just too hard to manipulate the reed on the sandpaper and I would always end up sanding too much off the bottom of the reed.

So I am not yet getting six or seven playable reeds out of a box of ten from using the ReedGeek tool, but it has definitely proven itself to be a valuable new tool for reed adjustment and it has saved many reeds that were effectively DOA. I plan to experiment more with the rail adjustment feature in the future and I'm sure that in a short amount of time the ReekGeek with save more than enough reeds to pay for it's cost.

Here is what the ReekGeek site says about the tool:

The ReedGeek “Universal”® Reed Tool enhances reed performance by rapidly and accurately flattening reed tables. Within 10 minutes of training to use the tool, players will notice a dramatic improvement in efficiency (ease of sound production), sonic quality and responsiveness in their reeds. Users of the tool will find more “good” reeds in a box and the reeds will perform longer and more consistently over their lifetime.

More than flattening…

The blade at the tip of the tool has a gentle radius that can be used for precision scraping, including balancing the tip, adjusting the heart or other fine adjustments. The radius allows single-point contact for scraping very precise areas of the reed quickly. On each side of the scraper blade, there is a blade designed especially to adjust or modify the rails of the reed. These blades quickly define the desired rail profile.

Getting the best from your mouthpiece…

Most commercial reeds will have or develop lateral warpage of the reed table either from the factory or when the reed comes in contact with moisture. In this defective state, the reed will not seal correctly along the critical area of the mouthpiece. This area extends along the mouthpieces side rails to just below where the mouthpiece window and table meet. When the ReedGeek is properly used in daily reed maintenance and reed preparation, the reed and mouthpiece will perform much more cohesively as a unit. This unit will have the reed positioned snugly against the mouthpieces’ table, side and tip rails creating a temporary vacuum.It is this vacuum and subsequent release (pop) that maximizes the vibration and response of both the reed and mouthpiece, contributing to improved tone quality, articulation, and control.

The ‘Geek can also be used to balance both the rails of the reed and the tip by using the rail blades and the scraper radius. The two main reasons for poorly performing reeds are: 1. Reed Warpage and 2. Imbalances at the tip and side-rails. As you know the ReedGeek is very effective in dealing with the warpage on the bottom of the reed. Again, always address the area of the reed that corresponds with the area of the mouthpiece where the window and table meet.

ReedGeek Website

Quarter Tones- by Don Ellis

casavaldez@comcast.net (David Valdez) — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 21:53:50 PDT

Here is a link to PDF copy of Don Ellis' book on Quarter Tones.