The Middleweight Champion of the Tenor Saxophone!

Hank Mobley!

This is how British born Jazz journalist Leonard Feather, famously described the artistry of Hank Mobley. Many take this as Mobley being a mediocre musician, when in all actuality the complete opposite is true. What Feather meant by this famous quotation is where Mobley’s bop style sat with in the genre at the time. His subtle, melodic playing was not as aggressive as Coltrane’s. Nor was it as mellow as Getz’. He was one of the most underrated bop musicians of the time and it was not until his after his death that connoisseurs really began to appreciate his style. He worked with everyone from Diz, right down to Art Blakey, when he became a prominent member of the acclaimed Jazz Messengers. Along with becoming a leader himself in the 60’s really bringing “Hard Bop” to the forefront of Jazz.

To this I say Happy Birthday Hank!

In doing some research it is nearly impossible to find any videos of Hank live in action. Because of this I will just post a recording of one of my favorite tunes from his album Soul Station. This tune is Remember.

Pomplemoose is an indie music/indie jazz duo from California. This group buys the licensing for the songs they create/arrange and releases them mainly through uploading via Youtube, or Myspace.

The Duo consists of Nataly Dawn and Jack Conte and their formula is simple, you see what you hear. They are very adamant on not lip syncing (voices or instruments) for their videos and at some point during the video you see everything you hear within the song. What sets them apart is the fact that they do all their own stunts. That is, every voice/instrument you hear on their tracks, from drums, piano, accordion, to the finger sliding along a wine glass is/was produced by Conte and Dawn themselves.

I guess I kinda don’t like how there’s such a pedestal for music culture and especially for band culture, it just feels fake; it feels like smoke and mirrors. I feel like music doesn’t have to be like that. It can be something that’s very normal and very accessible.

—Jack Conte

Here are a few examples of their work, some of my favorites thus far. Please check them out. Also check out the extra video I put at the end, Kind of like a surprise.

La Vie en Rose.

Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)
Listen for the Bridge, Hilarious!!!!

My Favorite Things.

September.

3.

Here are a couple of videos that have been sent to me recently. Great stuff!!!

First up is a video of Jackie McLean’s group at the Blue Note Jazz Festival in 1986. Woody Shaw (tpt) Cedar Walton (p) Buster Williams (bs), Billy Higgin (dr).

One of the ‘Big Three’ swing tenor saxophone
players and quite possibly the best ever when it
come to playing a ballad…..
The Brute by Ben Webster

Its rare to find live footage of Chet Baker, one of the great trumpet players well known for his “My Funny Valentine” solo.

Here’s a chance to see him live in action, playing “Softly as in a Morning Sunrise”
Why don’t more trumpet players try to sound like this guy?
Breathtaking!

He was Dave Brubeck’s sax player, and wrote the hit song “Take Five.”
Here he plays the waltz “Emily” by Johnny Mandell performed at the
Monterey Jazz festival in 1975.

Several studies indicate that most blogs are abandoned soon after creation (with 60% to 80% abandoned within one month, depending on whose figures you choose to believe) and that few are regularly updated.

The ‘average blog’ thus has the lifespan of a fruit fly. One cruel reader of this page commented that the average blog also has the intelligence of a fly. I have to agree with this comment only because many “blogs” are not well thought out but there are many out there that are.

I would like to bring some blogs and sites to your attention with the hopes that you check them out and spread the word about them. Just click on the links and it will bring you to them.

First is a great blog about new and old jazz recordings you can even listen to these recordings on the site itself. You are What you Hear

Also check this one out great bootleg videos of jazz greats.

Jazz Bootleg Videos Trade

Next is a newly found site for woodwind players specifically. This has useful information about doubling and just plain playing these instruments. He also includes great info about everyday logistical things such as purchasing instruments and many educational things as well.
Bret Pimentel, woodwinds

This next blog is specifically for my Tampa area based Jazz fans. Its a blog specifically about the scene around the Greater Tampa Bay area.

Tampa Jazz Scene

Here’s one for Florida in general

Jazz & Blues Florida

Those are just a few that I look into on occasion. Like I said before check these out and spread the word about them and if you have any of your own just comment on this post and I will be sure to post them.

Once again I leave you with a video. This one is with Dr. Lonnie Smith on organ (who along with Grant Stewart will be at the UCF/Orlando Jazz Festival March 19th and 20th) and Lou Donaldson alto sax bluesin’ it out. Enjoy!

First of all if you are a Saxophonist, Jazz fan, or just love music you need to check out this cat. His name is Grant Stewart and he is a New York cat with an old sound. From what I have heard thus far he is a straight ahead Bop player whether it is Be or Hard (bop) this guy can swing. Good news to you Florida residents, especially if you live in Central Florida, Grant is coming to the UCF-Orlando Jazz Festival. This year line up includes Grant on Friday March 19th and Dr. Lonnie Smith on Saturday March 20th.

I have recently downloaded the new Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra album titled “Portrait in Seven Shades.” This album features the writing of previous Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra Saxophonist Ted Nash. The writing on this album is remarkable and the playing of the band is, as per usual, great. Nash’s suite consists of seven movements, each inspired by a master of modern art who worked in the century around the apex of jazz: Chagall, Dali, Matisse, Monet, Picasso, Pollock and Van Gogh. This album can also be purchased using itunes.

This first video features Stan Getz eight months before his passing at a Tribute concert for Pete Candoli in October of 1990, Getz passed in June of 1991.  Here Stan performs “Blood Count” by Billy Strayhorn and brings Pete to tears.

The Second Video features Gene Ammons, Dexter Gordon, Stanley Clarke, Nat Adderely, and Cannonball Adderly. This is live at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1973 and I have NEVER heard Cannonball play like this! He plays so out, and I love the way Nat Adderly is dressed. This is ‘Treux Blue, Enjoy!

While teaching these master classes I have had many students ask me about the higher range of the saxophone, commonly referred to as the Altissimo range.

Saxophone altissimo is generally considered to be any note that is higher than written high F# which is considered to be the highest note in the saxophones regular range. Altissimo is produced by the player using various voicing techniques such as air stream, tongue, throat and embouchure variations to disturb the fundamental of a note which results in one of the higher overtones dominating.

I personally do not use Altissimo in my playing very often. Altissimo is something that I have yet to study and I feel that I need to keep on working on playing the notes I know let alone add notes to this range.

I do realize that many of my students do want to know more about this so I told them that I would post some ideas and areas to start looking.

Here’s a great site for fingerings which is half of the battle: http://tamingthesaxophone.com/saxophone-altissimo.html

Be sure to check out the side panel for other great info about common saxophone licks and tricks.

Also: http://www.wfg.woodwind.org/sax/

Overall if you are a Saxophonist at any level and you have not signed up for this site you are surely missing out on a invaluable resource.

Get on it today!

http://www.saxontheweb.net/

If anyone has anything to add please comment and I will be sure to revise or add to this list.

Here is just a small example of Altissimo and Multiphonics in use, enjoy!

This past Tuesday January 19th I auditioned for Chris Vadala the Saxophone professor at the University of Maryland. I want to continue my education in pursuit of a Masters Degree in Jazz Performance. I have three more auditions lined up for the month of February at the University of Northern Colorado, University of Central Florida, and University of South Florida.

Now on to the good stuff. I once again attended the Florida Music Educators Conference in Tampa, Florida and I was pleased with many of the clinics presented. After completing my Internship I feel that I have a deeper understanding as to why some of these concepts are important in a “real world” setting. I attended many more Elementary music clinics than I did in years previous and I felt a much more real connection with the material being presented. There were many more clinics on Jazz, presented by Al Hager, Jack Wilkins, and Don Zentz. Don Zentz has a great site with a lot of great material for beginning jazz educators to advanced educators. Zentz.org

To cap off check out this great video of Miles Davis and Kenny Garrett playing Michael Jackson’s Human Nature great stuff!!!!

WMNF Tropical Heatwave 2009

Lately,  I’ve been on a Trombone kick.

This past weekend I attended the eclectic WMNF Tropical Heatwave music festival in YBOR city. I attended the festival last year and made sure to mark my calendar for this years event. If you have never been to this festival I strongly recommend attending. This festival has music of all genres and you are guaranteed to find something new/ something old that you like.

I was particularly excited for this years event, specifically because of two bands:  Bonerama, and Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue .

I had previously heard of Bonerama, but had never heard of Trombone Shorty; Boy was I in for a treat!

Trombone Shorty and his band of young yet amazing musicians took the stage and left it on fire. I was thoroughly impressed not only with the playing of these musicians but of the music and arrangements they were playing. Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews is very acquainted with the Trombone. He comes from New Orleans and has music in his blood (Some of you might know his cousin Lenny Kravitz).  Not only is he familiar with the Trombone but I was in shock when he picked up a Trumpet. He is just as virtuosic on Trumpet as he is on Trombone. He can go high, he can go low, and he’s got CHOPS!!!! He’s Legit.

Along with his playing I was equally impressed with each one of the members of his band Orleans Avenue. He had a nineteen year old Tenor Saxophonist that was incredible. The Band has many musical style influences including Hip-Hop, Rock, and Funk. They call it Supafunkrock and insist that this high octane style is the future. Click Here to check out the videography. Check this band out you will be pleased!!!!!

Bonerama then took the stage. I was pleased with their performance as well. They are more “straight ahead” rock and their arrangements were a little less involved than that of Trombone Shorty but they were still really good.

Bonerama

My View of Bonerama

For instance I found Chris Potters blog the other day and I really found it interesting. Chris Potter You Are What You Hear

The Bad Plus Blog: Do The Math

Darcy James Argue’s Blog: Secret Society

A Blog about rare and Out of Print Music:Destination Out

Now those are all “serious” blogs that I try to keep up with but there are a few that I read for the shear fun of it.

Mark Titus’s blog: A blog from a Ohio State Buckeye’s bench warmer for the basketball team. Club Trillion

An animal blog: F*** You Penguin EXPLETIVE WARNING!!! but pretty obnoxious

Along with all of these blogs I keep tabs on many of my personal friends blogs. Some are “serious” and some are a place where they can express themselves. Either way it’s a great way to connect and find new things to ponder.

Frank Maganello’s Blog: Son Of Orpheus An old High School friend and his ramblings of everyday life as he goes through the music program at George Mason University.

Rich VanVoorst’s Blog: Rich VanVoorst A very dear friend of mine. He is a Saxophonist and Composer currently in the Tampa Bay Area. He’s the one who really got me started with this whole blogging thing.

Bonnie VanVoorst’s Blog: Bonnie VanVoorst Another dear friend of mine and her ramblings of her life as an artist.

Alex “sometimes Victor” Delgado’s Blog: Delgadofication A percussionist I know that is currently attending Graduate school at Boston Conservatory.

Miguel Benitez Jr’s Blog: Student Apologist An old friend from high school’s thoughts, ideas, and journeys as he tries to figure out “faith”

Matthew Wengerd’s Blog: Matthew Wengerd A bassist and professional from Lakeland Fl.

Check out this Video from his site… ***WARNING: VULGAR**