r/Jazz

Hi There

What’s your favorite contribution from Herbie Hancock on a Miles Davis album?

There’s so many great contributions from Herbie especially on Electric Piano but I love the albums with the Second Great Quintet especially *Sorcerer,Nefertiti,*and Filles de Kilimanjaro.

Current favorites in no particular order are "Prince of Darkness","The Sorcerer",”Madness”,”Riot”,"Tout de Suite" (Right Away),"Filles de Kilimanjaro" (Girls of Kilimanjaro),”Chieftain”,”Rated X”,”Honky Tonk”,and”Right Off”

I played concert alto from 6th-9th grade and picked it back up as an adult about 3 years ago. I’ve been taking Jazz Sax lessons for over 2 years and basically we have only really worked on music theory and trying to master scales and chords. I am confused because my instructor insist that it is what is needed to do anything else AT ALL but I’m pretty sure a high schooler would play an easy jazz tune, and build their theory as they go.

My practice consist of working on major/ Dom/ Minor/ half and full diminished. And then jazzy pop songs I like. I practice 5-6 days out the week and lesson on the last.

I have a Charlie Parker Omni book and have just began following chord changes for the solos.

I would love any outside opinion here. Should I just practice more? Or differently? Should I find someone else? I feel totally isolated and unable to grow as a musician because it’s been just me practicing scales alone for 2 years and I’m confused. All advise welcome.

Me and my friends are trying to start a Jazz Band and currently we are just a rhythm section before we get any winds to join.

I have some experience from when I did jazz band in High school at a trumpet player but I was 2nd chair so my knowledge helped a little but it just doesn't sound as good as it could be considering the players we have. I think we all have pretty good skills it's just harder because we are young and we aren't so good that we can catch all these musical things so it does not really sound like jazz which could also be because of our different playing styles.

We have a guitarist that made it all state that is playing bass guitar.

We have a drummer who is pretty decent and also does percussion and drum line.

I'm the pianist and I know music theory, I'm okay at improv but I just kind of make up licks I don't really know any actual ones, I know a little afro Cuban, blues, bossa nova, etc.

We are pretty decent but we just reached a barrier in todays rehearsal when trying to run through blue bossa because we just quite literally don't know any of like that actual stuff about jazz that's probably important. I think everyone just wants to do really cool fusion songs and we are pretty good technically by ourselves but when it comes together it just isn't that cool.

If anybody has any tips on what to do it would be helpful, whether it's general advice, books, videos, or anything.

Hi folks! I was wondering where to start reading about jazz, jazz fusion, jazz rock and adjacent genres - prog, for example. I'm interested in books about artists/bands, their history, their vision of their music and of music in general, the making of their masterpieces etc. Could you give me some tips?

As both engaged in electric jazz in two completely different ways I’ve been curious and haven’t found anything on how Miles could have thought about his former bandmate’s style in the 70’s

This treads on sacred territory for some. Hear me out before you blast me.

The title tune of Giant Steps is one of the weakest songs in Coltrane's entire catalogue. Three chords are the melody, and it's a weak one. Sing it. It's not melodic at all.

It's not even an interesting harmony. The song modulates in a cycle of three major thirds using II-V turnarounds, the most common chord combination in Jazz. Musicians find it difficult to play because the key changes happen quickly and in unusual places.

The structure might be unusual, but it's more of a clever novelty than a groundbreaking innovation. If anything, the structure is constraining. Maybe someone, somewhere has done something interesting with it, but I've never heard it turned into a moving ballad and attempts at new arrangements sound stale. I have other things to say about A Love Supreme and the Vanguard record with Dolphy, but that'll have to wait. It's all The Emperor's New Clothes.

Coltrane's legacy suffers from guitar hero syndrome. Fans focus on the pyrotechnics of his "sheets of sound" and hsve created a Shaman-like mystique around his eccentric writing. That moves the emphasis away from his beautiful tone, his soulful blues and work as a sideman. That's where his genius was. He was a much better player than composer.

Pockets are important

Every city with an active jazz community has its local heroes. These are musicians who had little to no national or international career, but who are celebrated locally and have played a key role in training and inspiring the next generation.
Who are those musicians in your city or region that you would recommend a visitor discover?
Thank you

I want to take time today, the 250th Anniversary of the United States independence, to intentionally remember the Black Americans who devoted their lives and their full humanity to creating and developing the art that is jazz. It has brought great joy to me and, as a white person, I want to mark their gift to America and to the world.

I know many people of many backgrounds and races have made jazz what it is, but today, when white supremacy is rising in America, I want to thank Black Americans especially. Louis Armstrong, Charlie Parker, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Red Garland, Hank Jones, Barry Harris, Christian McBride, Joshua Redman and so many others: Thank you.

Wishing everyone peace today.

(Feel free to name your favorites in response)

Armstrong transformed jazz from an ensemble format to one that featured soloists. Miles Davis revered his musical genius & the foundation he created but not his role as a Hollywood entertainer.

I can improvise, but it's not very coherent. I always try to learn every day, but I'm too busy with high school and studying and sport. How can I learn to improvise with a short amount of time every day at a high level?