Enter the rich and exciting world of jazz harmony. This fascinating piano lesson from one of the greats in contemporary jazz is packed with musical insights, invaluable advice and detailed keyboard technique for players who are starting out in this idiom. All you need is a basic knowledge of the keyboard, and before long you’ll be comping evocative jazz chords and creating lush improvisations.
Jazz is the most colorful and varied art form in the world and it was born in one of the most colorful and varied cities, New Orleans. From the seed first planted by slave dances held in Congo Square and nurtured by early ensembles led by Buddy Belden and Joe "King" Oliver, jazz began its long winding odyssey across America and around the world, giving flower to a thousand different forms–swing, bebop, cool jazz, jazz-rock fusion–and a thousand great musicians. …
This series of live discs mark the first recordings of what became the regular working quintet of the criminally underrated saxophonist, composer and bandleader Billy Harper. With bassist Louie Spears the new addition to the line-up, three distinct concerts were recorded on Harper's spring, 1991 tour of the Far East and released separately without any duplication of material. Volume One comes from Pusan, Korea on April 27 and while the sound isn't the best – the bass and drums are muted and lack crispness – the extremely high quality of the music and interaction between the players more than compensates.
The two reunite for Insight, with Peacock's name first on the marquee, though it's likely nothing more than the egalitarian nature of this duo that his name is first, since Copland's was the lead on What It Says. It's another set of deeply connected music—a mix of Copland and Peacock originals, free improvisations and well-known but instinctively personal covers.
Last year, the Verve Jazz Ensemble burst onto the jazz scene with their debut release, It’s About Time, soaring up the jazz radio charts to the #5 slot and earning considerable critical kudos along the way. East End Sojourn, the band’s follow up to their debut album, will be released on April 8, 2014, and will again feature the signature, classic swinging sound that has earned the VJE an increasingly large and loyal US and International following. This time out, the band has broadened its musical roster with special guest guitarist Peter Bernstein, who joins on three tunes, together with the VJE’s Blanck (tenor sax), Tatum Greenblatt (trumpet), Matt Ostereicher (Piano),…
Masters Of American Music The Story Of Jazz may be the most concise informative documentary on jazz to date. Five discs consisting of six and a half hours of material is presented in concise, informative segments. Comparisons to Ken Burns Jazz are inevitable, but unnecessary. This documentary combines extremely rare footage of performances and interviews to analyze the evolution of jazz and highlight four of its icons. Originally a television 'mini-series', the release of this limited edition digitally re-mastered set is good news for the world of jazz.