Jazzg3 - Zagreb Jazz Festival

I have been telling you about jazz festivals around, but never mentioned anything about jazz in Croatia, so I have decided to tell you about the 3rd Zagreb Jazz Festival! Yes, we have a festival too! This year, third in a row, we have the opportunity to hear great musicians from all over the world. Last year the highlight was the appearance of the jazz legend Wayne Shorter, along with Joe Lovano, James Blood Ulmer, Vernon Reid, Pee Wee Ellis and Brian Blade.

This year, Chick Corea & Bela Fleck who will perform on the 2nd November, Joshua Redman Trio, on the 3rd and Ornette Coleman Quartet on the 4th.

Chick Corea is one of the most important and most popular jazz pianists in the past 40 years, an influential protagonist of fusion jazz and a composer who includes ethno and classical elements into his music. During his career he has received 14 Grammies, two of which were for his album "The Ultimate Adventure" (2007). He will be joined by Bela Fleck, a virtuoso benjo player.

Joshua Redman is a popular tenor sax player of his generation, often compared to older cats like Dexter Dordona i Sonny Rollins. Son of Dewey Redmana, a distinguished tenor sax player who worked with the great Ornette Coleman, an important figure for avant-garde jazz, got his spotlight in the media right after the release of his first album, so in 1993 the Rolling Stone and Down Beat proclaimed him the new artist of the year. His colleagues Pat Metheny and Chick Corea, with whom he performed in the '90s, praise him as well. A decade and a half later, he becomes an equally huge performer and justifies all the compliments he was welcomed with when he entered the scene.

Being the initiator of avant-garde jazz and starting a new chapter in the history of jazz, alt sax player, violinist and a composer, Ornette Coleman, is one of the cultural icons of the 20th century. He got a Pulitzer prize for music, for the first time given to a record, Coleman's concert album "Sound Grammar", as well as a Grammy award for the life achievement.

As you can see, it is worth coming! Hope to see you there from 2nd to 4th November in Zagreb, Croatia!

Who is Mark Levine?

When I started learning jazz I asked my teacher to recommend me some good material to study from, considering I was only classically trained in music, to understand jazz better. She said - Get the Mark Levine book "Jazz Theory"!

I played the piano too, but only classical music, and I asked my teacher - How can I learn this jazz stuff? She said - Get the Mark Levine book "Jazz Piano"!

I started to wonder - who is this Mark Levine character?! Not only my teacher but other musicians and other teachers said the same thing. They even used some material from his books, so I had to check it out. I can now say that I possess all his books and I finally get it.

This guy made it much easier for everyone by writing books that bring jazz closer to people. I simply love the way he starts his Introduction in Jazz Theory:

A great jazz solo consists of:
1% magic

99% stuff that is

Explainable
Analyzable
Categorizeable
Doable

This book is mostly about 99% stuff.

There is no one single, all inclusive "jazz theory". In fact, that's why the subject is called jazz theory rather than jazz truth. The only truth is in the music itself.

Ok, so this sound interesting already. He's honest, and says it the way it is. He says that most of what he has learned is from the masters themselves, by transcribing directly from the recordings. He also learned from musicians that knew it better by spending time with them and learning from experience. I totally agree with this fact. You may study for years in various schools, through various books, but the most valuable experience is really when you learn from someone that has the experience and can show you how to do it.

Mark began playing jazz as a teenager in Daytona Beach, Florida. Continuing his education in Boston and New York, Mark studied with Hall Overton, Herb Pomeroy and Jaki Byard, before moving to California in 1966.

A key phase in Mark's education was a year spent in Woody Shaw's quartet. "Every night was serious school," says Mark.

Mark spent significant time working with Joe Henderson, Blue Mitchell, David Liebman and Harold Land, composing all the while. Joe recorded two of Mark's tunes on "Canyon Lady," the late tenor giant's only Latin jazz album. Mark returned the favor by playing two of Joe's classic compositions, "Inner Urge," and "A Shade Of Jade," on his 2000 release, "Serengeti."

Mark Levine has played/recorded with: Woody Shaw, Mongo Santamaria, Joe Henderson, Willie Bobo, Bobby Hutcherson, Moacir Santos, Freddie Hubbard, Cal Tjader, Wallace Roney, Tito Puente, Milt Jackson, Francisco Aguabella, Harold Land, David Liebman, Blue Mitchell, Pete Escovedo, James Moody, Art Farmer, Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Fortune, Eddie Harris, Stefon Harris, Eddie Henderson, Conrad Herwig, Clark Terry, Ingrid Jensen, Charlie Rouse, Bobby Watson, Chet Baker, Philip Harper, Mark Murphy, Art Pepper, Julian Priester, Bobby Shew, Steve Turre, Madeline Eastman, and Poncho Sanchez. So I can say, let's hear what this guy has to say since many people already seem to have accepted his views anyway.


Check out more info about Mark Levine and his work:

Mark Levine Official website

Music wish

Don't you just love the smarties that come to you asking for music wishes? Yeah, like I know it all! I actually admire those guys who play everything people ask them to. It's incredible how you can have such a vast repertoire and be flexible about it. The other night we played at one fancy banquet and two of the guests came up to us and said that the lady who organized the event had a birthday and they wanted to surprise her with a song. They asked us to play a Tom Jones tune! We say - but we play jazz and bossa nova only! We don't know that kind of stuff! - Uhm. Ok. How about some Billie Holiday tune?
I didn't know what she meant, so I asked - You want one that she herself composed or her interpretation of some tune? I mean, come on! We play jazz standards. Better yet, we play early jazz stuff. She sang those tunes man...

Jazz people, luckily, don't have to take wishes - unless it's a jazz standard of course. But the problem is that people don't really know what jazz standards are. Even jazz cannot be classified as one thing. Jazz varies depending on the time period through which it evolved, so to ask a jazz person to play a tune that you feel like hearing now would be a difficult task. What if the musicians play fusion and you ask them to play Tin Roof Blues? Ok, they might know it but maybe it's just not their thing and they wouldn't want to play it. Every jazzer should know jazz standards but with so many of them, how can you pick a tune? Unless they have a real book or two to play it from! Cause you can't possibly know them all.

I must admit I love the fact that we don't play "covers" and that we are not so flexible. Especially if you are a singer. You can simply say - sorry, it's not in my key. :) If I wanted to be an entertainer who plays all kinds of events (weddings included!) with all sorts of music styles, then I wouldn't be doing jazz.

Anyway, this is the good thing about being a jazz musician.
We don't take wishes - we play jazz! ;)

Rules for sax players at a jam session!

Here are some things you should know about if you're a sax player who is planning on going to a jam session!

King Koeller gives advice to sax players...

1. Don't be a solo hog. Say what you have to say in as few choruses as possible.

2. Don't cut another soloist off by jumping in.

3. If you don't know the tune, don't solo. Nobody wants to hear a person who hasn't paid their dues on their horn make a complete fool of himself by trying to make every one think he knows how to play.

4. Don't tell the leader what to do. It's their Jam. Not yours. You can always get your own jam someday.

5. Know when to play.

6. Know when to sit down and chill out and enjoy the other players.

7. Have respect for the other soloists ideas by not doodling' around on your ax when they are playing.

8. If the other players start to riff behind the soloist, then go ahead and join in, but remember the balance, don't cover the soloist up.

9. Remember the solo order so when fours come up, everybody gets a turn.

10. The Bass doesn't need a solo on every tune.

11. If there is more than one horn present don't all play the melody in unison. Use different harmony parts and chord tones to create interest.

12. When playing a Ballad, split up the choruses in half, so the tune isn't an hour long.

13. Don't insist on staying up on stage all night. Play your 3 or 4 songs and make room for the other soloists who haven't played yet.

14. Never be critical of another person on the bandstand. If you have something to say to someone about their pitch, tone, sense of time, or what ever, wait until the break.

15. Never be a mike hog. Always share.

16. Don't call tunes in order to impress somebody. No one wants to hear Carla Bley Tunes with no Bar Lines performed at the speed of Cherokee. Or Anthony Braxton tunes performed with a polka feel.

17. Learn some tunes that you love, and do them.

18. Don't judge other people's tunes. If you hate the song Stella by Starlight, instead of complaining about it, go sit down and take a break.

19. As a horn player, when the singer sings don't play. It's ok to fill in between their phrases as long as it's done tastefully.

20. Use space. Don't play every Jamie Abersold lick that you know in the first three minutes. Save some ideas for later.

21. Be Mature. A jam is supposed to be about mutual respect for all the players regardless of ability, and not just a cutting contest. There is no room for "Higher, louder, faster," types of players who want to show off.

22. If the person ahead of you just took 8 choruses on the blues, don't try to "better" him by playing more if you have nothing to say.

23. Play in tune with each other. Don't have the attitude that "I'm right, Everyone else is Flat".

24. When ending a tune, look to the Bass or piano player for signs as to which type of ending will be used. Is it the 3 times a charm ending? Or that everybody stops at the same time with tight cut off ending? Is the rhythm section going to put a turn around at the end and vamp for a while ending? Turn on your radar.

If you have more ideas - feel free to share them with us!

What is a jam session?

A jam session is a musical act where musicians gather and play (or "jam") without extensive preparation or arrangements.

The origin of the term jam in this context can be traced back to the 1920s. According to the Online Dictionary of Etymology, the term originally appeared ca. 1929, referring to a "short, free improvised passage performed by the whole band". The derivation of this usage is obscure, but like other novel terms that came into English through jazz music — such as the terms "hip", "hep" and "hepcat" — it is possible that it ultimately derives from the West African Wolof language.

The word 'jam' can be more loosely used to refer to any particularly inspired or improvisational part of a musical performance, especially in rock and jazz music. Jam sessions, however, are generally for the benefit of the performers and not part of a public performance.

Jam sessions are often used to develop new material, find suitable arrangements, or simply as a social gathering and communal practice session. Jam sessions may be based upon existing songs or forms, may be loosely based on an agreed chord progression chart suggested by one participant, or may be wholly improvisational. Jam sessions can range from very loose gatherings of amateurs to sophisticated improvised recording sessions intended to be edited and released to the public.

The New York jazz scene during World War II was famous for its after-hours jam sessions. One of the most famous was the regular after-hours jam at Minton's Playhouse in New York City that ran in the 1940s and early 1950s. The Minton's jams were a fertile meeting place and proving ground for both established soloists like Ben Webster and Lester Young, and the younger jazz musicians who would soon become leading exponents of the bebop movement, including Thelonious Monk (Minton's house pianist), Charlie Parker, and Dizzy Gillespie. The Minton's jams were legendary for their highly competitive "cutting contests", in which soloists would try to keep up with the house band and outdo each other in improvisation skill. In recent years, some restaurants, bars, and clubs have been featuring jam session nights, where either bands come in and play, or soloists play with a band who has already played at the location. "Open mic nights" are common also, which usually feature only a singer, or piano and vocal together.

London Jazz Festival 2007 (16th-25th Nov.)

If you are wondering where to go to listen to some good jazz, I would definitely suggest - London! We all know it's an intercultural city with many different places to see and people from all over the world. It's a blend of different influences, but most importantly - there is plenty of jazz! There are many jazz clubs and places to listen to jazz, as well as many amazing musicians, that you can find even at jam sessions that take place all over the town. Apart from gigs, jams and concerts there are many festivals going on. I would like to dedicate this article to the London Jazz Festival which takes place in November (16th-25th).

This is the 15th year that this festival is held in London, every year bringing exciting new events, that often include important musicians from the jazz scene. Some of the great people that you can see there are Sonny Rollins ("the greatest tenor ever"), Charlie Haden ("the world's greatest jazz bassist"), who will mark the Quartet West's 20th anniversary and Joshua Redman, one of the most vital figures in jazz today. There will also be a special concert dedicated to the music of Ella Fitzgerald on the 90th anniversary of her birth. ‘We All Love Ella’ brings together some of the worlds greatest vocalists and the BBC Concert Orchestra in a homage to the life and music of the first lady of jazz.

Chick Corea’s collaboration with virtuoso banjo player Bela Fleck makes for an unusual and eclectic pairing, Fred Hersch Trio perform music from their new album and Scotland’s Brian Kellock performs at the Floral Hall in the Royal Opera House.

We will also have the opportunity to hear Cape Verde's amazing singer Cesaria Evora, performing music from her new album, alongside Robert Plant’s guitarist Justin Adams, a Latin jazz night at the Roundhouse from the Fania All-Stars and a performance from legendary flamenco guitarist Paco de Lucia.

Apart from the main program there will also be plenty of concerts and additional events in various clubs throughout the city. Be sure to check them out!

As you can see, plenty of great musicians in one place make this an event that should be on your to-do list!

More information about the festival:
London Jazz Festival 2007

Latin Jazz

What is Latin Jazz really? We know about Latin music and we know about Jazz, but the mix of the two? It's actually a wonderful mix of the two styles, as the name suggests it.

Latin jazz is the general term given to music that combines rhythms from African and Latin American countries with jazz and classical harmonies from Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe and United States.

The two main categories of Latin Jazz are Brazilian and Afro-Cuban.

• Brazilian Latin Jazz includes bossa nova
• Afro-Cuban Latin Jazz includes salsa, merengue, songo, son, mambo, Timba, bolero, charanga and cha cha cha.

One of the contribution of Latins (Latinos in Spanish) to America, Latin jazz was further popularized in the late 1940s. Dizzy Gillespie and Stan Kenton began to combine the rhythm section and structure of Afro-Cuban music, exemplified by Machito and His Afro-Cubans, whose musical director Mario Bauza created the first Latin jazz composition "Tanga" on May 31, 1943, with jazz instruments and solo improvisational ideas. On March 31, 1946, Stan Kenton recorded "Machito," written by his collaborator/ arranger Pete Rugalo, which is considered by many to be the first Latin jazz recording by American jazz musicians.The Kenton band was augmented by Ivan Lopez on bongos and Eugenio Reyes on maracas. Later, on December 6th of the same year, Stan Kenton recorded an arrangement of the Afro-Cuban tune The Peanut Vendor with members of Machito's rhythm section. In September of 1947, Dizzy Gillespie collaborated with Machito conga player Chano Pozo to perform the "Afro-Cuban Drums Suite" at Carnegie Hall. This was the first concert to feature an American band playing Afro-Cuban jazz and Pozo remained in Gillespie's Orchestra to produce "Cubana Be, Cubana Bop" among others.

In comparison with traditional jazz, Latin jazz employs straight rhythm, rather than swung rhythm. Latin jazz rarely employs a backbeat, using a form of the clave instead. The conga, timbale, güiro, and claves are percussion instruments which often contribute to a Latin sound.

Samba originated from nineteenth century Afro-Brazilian music such as the Lundu. It employs a modified form of the clave. Bossa Nova is a hybrid music based on the samba rhythm, but influenced by European and American music from Debussy to US jazz. Bossa Nova originated in the 1960s, largely from the efforts of Brazilians Antonio Carlos Jobim and João Gilberto, and American Stan Getz. Its most famous song is arguably The Girl from Ipanema sung by Gilberto and his wife, Astrud Gilberto.

Latin jazz music, like most types of jazz music, can be played in small or large groups. Small groups, or combos, often use the Be-bop format made popular in the 1950s in America, where the musicians play a standard melody, many of the musicians play an improvised solo, and then everyone plays the melody again. In Latin jazz bands, percussion often takes a center stage during a solo, and a conga or timbale can add a melodic line to any performance.

(resources used - wikipedia)

Learn more about Latin Jazz:

Latin Jazz Network

Latin Jazz Online Radio

Latin Jazz Club

Jazz Festival Sarajevo 2007

Considering the fact that I live in Croatia I would like to inform the world about jazz happenings in this area. The festival that I would like to recommend is not in Croatia but is nearby. I'm talking about the Jazz Festival in Sarajevo. The festival has proven to be a high quality event with amazing musicians that have already taken part in it, and still we can be sure we will not be disappointed. There is something for every taste. You can find traditional jazz, modern jazz, funky, acid jazz, traditional music, world music...it's a blend of styles with taste and great sound.

It all started in 1997 with only 8 performers and this year is the 10 year anniversary where we will have the opportunity to see and hear 13 groups/musicians from all over the world. In the past we can mention some names that might be familiar to you like John Scofield Trio, Ravi Coltrane Group, Al Foster Quartet, Dennis Rollins, Maria João & Mario Laginha, etc. This year there will be musicians from different parts of the world, such as Aziza Mustafa Zadeh (Azerbaijan), Joshua Redman Trio (USA), Maria João (Portugal), Sidsel Endresen (Norway), Mercan Dede & Secret Tribe (Canada/Turkey), etc. Find out more about the program on this page - http://www.jazzfest.ba/

This year the festival will be held from 31st October to 4th November on various locations in the city. This is an opportunity not only to listen to great music, but also to visit Sarajevo which is an amazing city with unique culture and friendly people. You can only enjoy while you're there and if you like to eat well too, you will be pleasantly surprised!

SEE?
There is jazz in the Balkans too! :)

More about SARAJEVO

Sound system

So here I was, wondering about my next topic and couldn't decide what to write about. Then I realized I could share one story with you. Here's a little something that happened to me quite recently. I have a trio and we have one regular gig at the moment. Just the other day we were asked to perform without a sound system! Uhm. Ok. Meaning, to play in a restaurant where people are talking and the waiters are giving and taking orders, carrying stuff around. Just to say this is not a quiet place. As you know jazz is pretty difficult to play, especially if you have a jazz guitar that really needs to be plugged into some amp or a sound system, otherwise you wouldn't hear a thing. It's like asking an electric guitar player to play acoustic! And try playing jazz on an acoustic guitar. It can happen but it's not the same. Not to mention the idiotic idea to sing without the mic. Especially when you sing bossa nova or really soft tunes... anyway, what to do?? It's an incredible situation which had never happened to me before and I was pretty stunned to see it happen. And how to prove that this is not possible?

Thankfully, we signed a certain contract which states what the performance includes. It's very important to make a contract that you will sign when you perform regularly somewhere. Then you know what are your rights and what can and cannot be done.

Be sure to include sections where you state what the performance includes, how much you get paid, when you get paid, what should happen in case of unpredictable situations, how to deal with conflicts, etc.

And it's always good to be a member of some musicians' association that protects your rights as a performer that will advise you in these situations and many others that might occur.

Just a little tip for everyone that I can give from this experience!

How jazz came to be...

After checking out the poll, the results showed that your most favorable type of jazz was the New Orleans Jazz. What is really New Orleans Jazz? The fact is that New Orleans is definitely the birth place of jazz in general. Jazz is an original American musical art form that developed around the start of the 20th century in New Orleans, rooted in a confluence of numerous American music traditions.Or this is how they say in wikipedia. So how did this happen? We can say it all started in the late 19th century when public dance halls, clubs and tea rooms started to open in the cities. The music between whites and blacks had already started to interact, African dance moves had already been adopted by the whites (like the shimmy, turkey trot, buzzard lope, etc.) after seeing them in vaudeville shows. The popular music at the time was blues-ragtime.This kind of music was vibrant, enthusiastic and in the early stages was in the format of marches, waltzes and other traditional forms of music but with one constant figure - syncopation.

New Orleans was the musical center in the region which had the greatest number of free people of color. The early jazz style that was developed in that area was called Dixieland (New Orleans Jazz). They used more intricate rhythmic improvisation than ragtime, and incorporated "blues" style elements including "bent" and "blue" notes, and using the European instruments in novel ways. The band which was credited with starting the jazz revolution was the Original Dixieland Jass Band, who arguably made the first recordings of jazz in April of 1917; in mid 1917, the band respelled "Jass" as "Jazz."


And that's how the Dixie was born. More about the history of jazz - click here!