Christmas Tunes

The thing about Christmas gigs is that you play some of these tunes once or twice a year and then they never see the light of day again until the following year. So my Christmas tunes set list is unpolished.

Nevertheless, here's a reharm (mine) of Silent Night. It's done in a bossa style and I just tried to be delicate with it. I only tried it once so it's quite imperfect. Then again, that's what jazz is all about.

https://bytz.io/prod/soundplayer.php?p=T4AZ548fbe740a1274.26747541

We're doing some of this live at the end of the week so maybe I'll get a live recording version. We'll see what happens.

New Tunes September 2014

Haven't posted in awhile but gigs are pretty regular.

Fee Fi Fo Fum
I've never actually played this tune before at a gig. I did get a chance to learn the head but I can't say I did much practice otherwise. Not an easy tune but it came out ok.

https://app.box.com/s/tbdzt94l9a11nl53z0jj

Afro Blue Jam
A little free jazz/modal something. Hard core.

https://app.box.com/s/2tfygq0h1o3ltq9gft6x

Killer Joe
This is just a snippet of the solo section.

https://app.box.com/s/3g785asv2nd7zdpqrdg6

Piano vs. Organ

I just want to post a comparison between my piano playing and my organ playing (as of this moment). I still think that my capacity to express articulation on the organ is at a baby stage. I'm a little better on piano.

There's obviously a different articulation approach on the organ. I hear the A-List players and they are so expressive. But an organ has a square envelope, as they say. There is no decay. So I haven't found the answer yet.

Articulation, as you get more advanced is about dynamics at each note, and micro-time control at the note level. These are subtle elements that often cannot be heard by beginners. I can do it to some degree on piano now. Now that I'm able to hear it on piano, it's glaringly absent on organ and it is frustrating.

Piano

https://app.box.com/s/aehj7n0v797tx1sxmmt5

Organ

https://app.box.com/s/lxqv582m6zo9cbyaqgl7

I'm thinking though that learning control of the organ articulation may add to development in piano control, at least at the time level (clearly not in dynamics).

Started on Organ!

I just got myself a Nord Electro 4 HP 73, which, in addition to the sounds of my prior Nord Piano 88 (Piano/EP), now has a Hammond Organ sound.

I'm frequently corrected that I'm not on a real organ, but a "clonewheel". But I'm no purist here. It is not likely that I will be bringing some 400 lb beast to my house. I will always have a clone wheel.

Anyway, just to set some sort of starting point here, I recorded a practice session playing Giant Steps.

The first recording is the Piano sound. Then I switch over to Organ. There's so much to think about on organ at this point so it's a bit distracting. I've got to control two feet with some fine motor movement required for the expression pedal. So sometimes I lose track. Anyway, I'm not posting this because it's good. It's simply a marker and then we'll see how long it takes to get better.

Actually, I don't think it will take that long as long as I exclude playing Left Hand or Foot Pedal Bass.

Piano
https://app.box.com/shared/qrrcxaf2uh

Organ
https://app.box.com/s/0jcxjb50ue4jgtq8gkra

(Edit: Here's a recording the next day)
https://app.box.com/files/0/f/0/1/f_17454959445



I'm more comfortable on piano at the moment. But this is an exciting new endeavor. I will try to document the learning process because the instrument is a bit different.

For example, on piano you do the articulation by control of accents and time of attack. On organ, there is no velocity control, but you do have to time your RELEASE exactly as well. Because it's opposite of piano, there's a bit of practice required to play it perfectly. Not so bad though. I realized today that the proper way to articulate this is to play detached rather than staccato (a longer version of staccato but not legato). This allows the percussion effect to be heard.

Anyway, here's my first goal on organ.

1.  Comping. I've practiced this and it's quite doable. Use the expression pedal to control the shape of the comping with more volume on the attack then quickly pulling back as I've heard from Larry Goldings.

2. Being in the pocket is important on organ. Even more critical it seems than piano because the volume of the instrument screams out your errors. So I will focus on it more than ever.

3. Next I will just practice playing a mix of detached and legato playing. Keeping it simple for now. I will not worry about other organ effects.

4. Learn to use expression pedal, Fast Leslie, CV, and percussion to shape a line. This can be planned out in advance.

I will prioritize on these for now. There's a tendency to want to experiment on too many different things but I have to think like I did when practicing piano. Bite in small chunks.

Our Band Sound

I just collected a sample of tunes that probably represent the band's current sound. These are all pretty different. I indicated vocals where applicable.  I've had the luck of hanging with some pretty talented musicians.


Cantaloupe Island (Funk - Sax + Piano)
https://app.box.com/s/r20kne03hyrihl3p1s1x

Afro Blue (Modal - Sax + Piano)
https://app.box.com/s/e4839enrtizibqknjtbo

You Don't Know What Love Is (Ballad - Vocals + Sax)
https://app.box.com/s/s68k3xrdeknkm2h9hknu

Blue Bossa (Bossa - Vocals + Piano)
https://app.box.com/s/gdbt8xjfg3f35uraoxwz

Route 66 (Swing - Vocals + Sax)
https://app.box.com/s/5sxz3ekgvw5bh9bddmy2

Blue Monk (Swing - Sax)
https://app.box.com/s/e0vcjclbey4qyzqf0qvm

Ain't No Sunshine (R&B - Vocals)
https://app.box.com/s/gfphru42fnm4dosd6ymm

Live Trios + Vocals

Some live recordings from last night. I've been doing a lot of Trios now so I'm the only one soloing on these.

There will Never Be Another You
https://app.box.com/s/6sdxsd7owp7emll667jq

Blues
https://app.box.com/s/kvyd8o20uhnq8g0h5gq6

Footprints
https://app.box.com/s/4yjnoy2tvwnf6gcmtnzo

Afro Blue
https://app.box.com/s/sbc3yyl3ssn7598j0sm1

Wave

https://app.box.com/s/3k70rb52wgswerk5ries

Singer Sat In and Gig Stuff

Here's from tonight's gig. Singer sat in. She's pretty amazing and the crowd just loves her. She sat in a couple of times before. Just love it when musicians of this quality just drop by and it shows respect for what we can do as well.

Blue Bossa
https://app.box.com/s/c79on8hqv6m5g8b2ezfy

Here's another singer from another prior gig (June I think) doing Blue Bossa (who would have known that Blue Bossa had lyrics!).

Blue Bossa #2
https://app.box.com/s/fev5umo7zypfzra38k0d

I wonder how people judge these two singers. Both very good in different ways.

Also I should note that this is the first time I've played as a Trio and I was quite comfortable. I wasn't rushing and we pretty much played completely different tunes than on my set list in reaction to the crowd. But I didn't get fazed.

Now I felt stiffer than usual but I didn't feel that it affected anything I was actually doing other than perhaps not smiling much at the audience. Maybe time to learn things outside of music (like professional demeanor).