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Re: Jazz and Classical Books

Author: Djudy
Date: 2020-12-03 19:48

Why not just get a Bb Real book from the library and try out the melodies of some of the tunes you know already ? The first thing about jazz is to know the theme or melody and the chart (the harmonic structure or chords) in the appropriate key (if you want to play with a bebop group or a jazz manouche group or with a singer, the same song will often not be in the same key for any of them). Learn it all by heart, throw away the paper and open your ears. Once you know that, you can at least play at the start and the end of a jam even if you don't know how to improvise yet. And the other musiciens will often be happy to leave that task to you so they can go to their solos. Even so, while they play you will be reinforcing your command of the chart (do you know what measure you're in all the time ? You need to !) and filling your ears with ideas, recognizing chord changes, key changes, frequently used cadences (ii V I !) and signature phrases and signals (turn-arounds, to the top for the melody, endings)

After you know those 2 basics (the chords are a MUST, even for the drummer!) you can look into the many youtubes about how to improvise. Beware, there's a lot of hot air out there but a few are jems : I'm fond of Jazz Duets, his "Pizza Blues" recipe is fun and very pedagogic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzWEyHTu_Zc&t=5s
If you can't hack the blues you can't play jazz. Nick also offers a collection of jazz duets for clarinet for beginner, intermediate and avanced (for purchase).

And I've never seen a better job of presenting how to approach All The Things You Are (5 key changes in 32 bars) based on the ideas of Jerry Bergonzi. Nick's solos are just lovely and so clear a reading of the intervals chosen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2X-WsnWCAaA
He uses sax, clarinet, guitar, flute and some piano so this works for just about everybody.

Jazz is a state of mind and being that is quite different from classical playing, but in each setting, listening to the other players is essential and it's probably that communion that most of us are there for.

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