Jazz Improv I

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

(actual song begins around ~2:30)

This is one of the busier renditions of On Green Dolphin Street, but it really showcases the talent of all the musicians. And you can hear that they build from simple things. For example, around 3:30, Chick Corea uses just one note and deviates from it slightly and uses rhythmic patterns to make it interesting. I think Chick Corea’s chord voicings have a very distinctive sound – mostly fourths, I believe. And he does use a lot of pentatonic based licks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynZDm50EgBY

I like the trumpet players solo in this version of the song. I think it embodies a lot of what have focused on in our solo building this semester. He leaves enough space during his solo. He uses the chords to achieve and certain sound and he makes use of note rhythms to build and hold tension.

http://youtu.be/xAWtuxhdUDE

What can I say, it’s Jimi Hendrix. On the song “Red House”, Hendrix demonstrates his effortless soloing ability. This classic blues song shows how blues as an art form can be interpreted in different genres.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WIUqyZp3ak

Another Buddy Rich song. I love jazz waltzes and this one is just amazing. The trumpet solo is beautifully melodic and works so well alongside the rest of the song that it seems seemless.

Not necessarily jazz, but the entire performance is based off improvising over a song. Cory Henry is a master of a lot of things. One of these things is communication with other musicians. You can see him giving a lot of verbal and non-verbal cues to the drummer. Even when I saw him live in concert, when he was playing a melodica solo, he gave cues to the audience to let them know when they could sing and when they should stop. He really breathes music in and out like a language. He’s also really tasteful in choosing when to play the original chords and when to reharmonize. He pulls these melodic and harmonic ideas out at times when people don’t expect it, hence the oohing and ahhing. Some of his most effective moments are when he uses his right and left hands to do call and answer lines. This is something I want to incorporate into my playing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4mZS5i9vv4

I love this song. The horn part is really amazing to listen to. There is a great tenor sax solo in this song but the highlight is Buddy’s solo. It is incredibly long and shows an amazing creativity in using and getting around all parts of his kit. The singles roll he does shows chops that are just insane. I did think it was a little to extended and it really has a different style from melodic instrument solos but I still think it was a great solo.

This is a CLASSIC Jaco Pastorius song. It demonstrates his incredible ability of getting around the bass and skillful use of harmonics. Due to the song’s eclectic nature, it can be hard to listen to if you get lost in the form (or lack of). Solo wise, he uses a lot of non-chord tones and arpeggios to expend the area he covers on the bass. Tell me what you think!

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

Is this blues? I hear a IV chord on the fifth measure, I think. This is really just an excuse for me to post another video with Oscar Peterson in it. But I paid a lot of attention to the saxophone player, thinking about the microtonal music we talked about in class. Since saxophonists can control pitch using their embouchure, they can hit those “in-between” notes that aren’t in the 12-tone scale. The saxophonist does some trills between two half notes, but he also hits some notes just below where I’m used to hearing the pitch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hj2wVxcYZHc

This is the most amazing technical trumpet soloing I have ever seen. I remember my professor showing this back to the class in freshman year and I was blown away then. Now that I understand the level of dedication needed to reach this level of skill with the trumpet I am very impressed. Also they play so high for the trumpet range it’s crazy. Definitely a favorite of mine.

This is a great song. Again, he uses simple ideas and elaborates on them. I like how he is unafraid to rest in between his phrases. Sometimes he takes enough of a break to clap haha. I thought this video was neat because in relation to what we talked about in class on Thursday, you can actually hear him humming along while he’s playing. If Duke Ellington does it, I think it’s a good idea.