While waiting in the dressing room before a performance, I began improvising as a duo with Slide on “Afternoon In Paris”. We played for several minutes. Slide played counter-lines while I played the melody. We traded 8 bar phrases and eventually found our way to the end of the tune. There […]
Tonight I will attend Dizzy’s Club at J@LC to experience the music of Randy Weston. I have been a fan of Mr. Weston for some years, but have never seen him live. But, the main purpose of my visit will be to celebrate my friendship with legendary trombonist, Benny Powell.
I have […]
One of the most important things I try and do as a musician and a teacher is to be a conveyor of truth. In doing so, I try not to make a performance about me but instead about the music. As an improvisor, I frequently deny my ego its desire to showcase technique and/or vocabulary […]
I remember seeing this as a kid. Amazing to see it as an adult with ears.
PIED PIPER OF BASIN STREET (1945, Lantz)Director: James “Shamus” CulhaneMusic: Jack TeagardenThanks to Kevin Langley for posting this on YouTube.
The cycle of life is such that most of us spend our first 20 or 30 years trying to prove our worth to our parents. Some of us are successful….others flounder forever jumping through hoops….others still aren’t concerned with such things. They’re the lucky ones. Speaking from a masculine perspective, I’ve been […]
I just ran across this clip of Dave Holland’s Big Band. Check out trombonist Josh Roseman in this clip. Beautiful!
click here
Where did the trombone go wrong? Is it just that it’s an awkward looking instrument? I once had a young woman approach me after a performance to tell me how “visually attractive” the trombone was. I had to question either her sanity or sobriety…or both. Nevertheless, I was glad to hear […]
I was reading Bob Bernotas’ book “Top Brass” during my travels over the weekend. The book is a wonderful collection of essays that provide thumbnail sketches of many of the legendary brass players of jazz while also including interviews and a section of “master classes” from the likes of Steve Turre, Art Baron, Conrad […]
Animals just keep getting smarter while humans keep getting dumber.-Bob Belden
note-it made real sense at the time.