Free Jazz Education and Music
Over the years I consistently hear from my students, “I know all my triads” and, “I know all my major scales”. After closer examination, it turns out that, for many developing sax players and musicians, this often means root position
The Trio “Joe-Less Shoe” featuring Jamie Rosenn (Guitar), Jason Harnell (Drums) and my self Matt Otto (tenor sax/octaver) have released our second album entitled “Outsole” on the Jazz Collective Records Label. We did the recording in one day at Nolan
The second volume of Modern Jazz Vocabulary is finally done. I made some changes in the books format based on a lot of the feedback I got from people about vol. 1. This book is bigger in size but should
This is an exercise I came up with since I have carpal tunnel syndrome and can’t play as much as I’d like to. I either sing along with this mp3 or I do long tones on the root while listening
This exercise is a (second) example of using a harmonic minor scale to create a melody over a minor ii-V-i progression. To do this we use the harmonic minor scale of the i chord. For example in a D-7b5 (ii),
This exercise is an example of using a harmonic minor scale to create a melody over a minor ii-V-i progression. To do this we use the harmonic minor scale of the i chord. For example in a D-7b5 (ii), G7b9,b13
Here’s a simple ‘cliche’ bebop melody that uses an altered scale (the 7th mode of melodic minor) over and altered dominant (#11, #9, b9, #5). In the video, the line is played around the circle of 4ths starting on concert
Using odd rhythmic groupings when improvising can be challenging. How many times have you tried to play a seemingly innocent group of 3, 5 or 7 while improvising over a song in 4/4 only to find that you’ve gotten turned
From their name to their instrumentation to their imaginative, sonic landscapes, JoE-LeSs shOe brings the unconventional to the Los Angeles jazz scene. Formed in 2002, the trio consists of Matt Otto on sax, Jamie Rosenn on guitar and Jason Harnell
Here’s another beautiful melody from the Bach 2 part inversions that comes from the harmonic minor scale. In this lesson I sing the phrase in one key (concert Ab minor) and then play it through all 12 keys. I really
In lesson 31 we’ll take a small melodic fragment from the Bach 2 part inversions and both play it and sing it through the diatonic chords found in concert Eb major. I enjoy taking a small phrase from any number
Since I developed carpal tunnel syndrome in 1990, I began to sing as a way of practicing the saxophone without using my hands. After my operation, I could not use my hands to play the sax for 4 months so
