I realized the other day that even though I’ve been playing in a jazz rhythm section for over two years, the three other instruments of this section (bass, drums, guitar) are probably the ones that I’m the most unfamiliar with. So I consulted our jazz band’s current bass player, Brandon Canada, for a good bass [...]
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If there’s one jazz instrument that doesn’t get as much attention as it deserves, it’s the trombone. Even though it’s a pretty big instrument, the trombone has a soft, mellow sound; and the fact that it hangs out right in the middle of the standard big band — saxophones in front of them, trumpets behind [...]
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It’s the best feeling ever when I stumble upon jazz completely by accident. Josef and I were driving to CPK to catch some yummy spinach-artichoke dip when we saw a giant neon-yellow sign (you really couldn’t miss it) that said LEXUS OF VALENCIA’S JAZZ & BLUES with some guy tuning up his saxophone right next [...]
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So a lot of things happened this past week: (A) I started school (and I started jazz band, woo!). (B) I reconnected with some HOBY alumni (HOBY.org) at Six Flags Magic Mountain. (C) I drove up (with my family) to see Jazz Through the Generations hosted by Freedom4U. School is fantastic and hectic as always; [...]
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This is going to be a bit short, but I’ll tell you more about it tomorrow — I’m going to be at the Terranea Resort & Spa in Palos Verdes for a free concert called “Jazz Through the Generations” hosted by KKJazz (88.1)’s LeRoy Downs. (be sure to check him out at www.thejazzcat.net) Here’s part [...]
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So the NPR Newport Jazz festival is over, which means NPR’s posted most of the performers online via webcast. (But rrg! I can’t find Tony Bennett anywhere.) This is pretty lame, but I’ve been waiting to listen to the Dave Brubeck Quartet webcast all day. I’m jiggling in my seat from anticipation right now. The [...]
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So I was hanging out in the library the other day and I picked up a copy of Icons in Jazz: A History in Photographs 1900-2000, which pretty much sums up the big names in jazz — everyone from Cannonball Adderley to Lester Young. It’s a pretty great read if you want to get a [...]
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If I were to make an attempt at describing Miles Davis’s sound, it would probably take me ages to even think of the right words. So we’re probably better off with Miles’s description of his own sound: “I prefer a round sound with no attitude in it, like a round voice with not too much tremolo [...]
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It’s pretty difficult to describe who Bill Evans is. Yes, he’s a jazz pianist from the twentieth century; and yes, he’s arguably one of the most influential jazz pianists in the history of jazz itself. But his story is probably one of the most tragic ones despite his success in music. As you can tell [...]
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The Hollywood Bowl has always been an amazing venue since it opened in 1922; it’s been the stage for some of the world’s greatest musicians, including the Beatles, Aretha Franklin, Frank Sinatra, and Igor Stravinsky (think Rite of Spring). The last time I was at the Hollywood Bowl was in August 2008 to see Eric [...]
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