July 14

Listening

Did some practicing today but, mostly listened to music all day/evening. I'm listening to a lot of things that I studied in the past with Marc Copland. Started listening to a T. Monk tune called We See. Repeated listening and singing the melody. I'll "put it on the horn" tomorrow.

Sample of my listening today:
Tom Harrell - Look to The Sky Cd
Studied most of these solos before so I'm
just starting to sing them again. Love
Kenny BArron's playing on this album.

Tom Harrell/Bill Evans
We'll Be Together Again CD
(Again, reviewing a lot of solos)

Bartok for Children

Clark Terry
Havin' Fun CD

Tribute to Strayhorn CD
Singing melodies and bass lines
A number of these tunes I want to start doing on gigs.

Keith Jarrett
Poinciana
Just In Time
All of You

Miles Davis
Round Midnight CD
reviewing a lot of solos (singing)

Miles Davis
Someday My Prince Will Come CD
reviewing solos especially Hank Mobley's on
Old Folks (one of my very favorite solos ever!)

Gary Bartz
My Shining Hour
(Love his vocabulary)

Booker Ervin
The In Between
The first "jazz" lp I ever owned. I love Booker's playing as
much as ever.....reviewing/singing his solos. Also, Richard Williams is
playing great trumpet on this album. One of my favorite players. I remember hearing
him live with Clark Terry when I was in junior high school.

Chet Baker
Once Upon A Summertime CD
Maybe my favorite Chet recording. His solo on A Song Is You is a classic.
Also, I've been a huge fan of Greg Herbert (tenor sax) since first hearing this
recording. Sadly, Herbert died young. It was obvious that he listened to a lot of Trane and Dexter but unlike most of the young cats out of that school, he didn't over play. He really exercised some restraint. Beautiful player....

The Best Thing For You
Some great playing by Chet, Kenny Barron and Paul Desmond

Dexter Gordon
Doin Alright CD
Reviewed/Sang a lot of Dexter's solos and Freddie Hubbard's solos

1955 CD
Singing solos

Coltrane
Stardust Sessions
Love Trane and Wilbur Harden's solos on this album. I mention Wilbur Harden when people ask me my favorite players. Everybody says, "Who?"

Freddie Hubbard
Byrdlike
One of my favorite Freddie recordings.

Kenny Dorham
Quiet Kenny
reviewing/singing solos

Lee Morgan
Memorial Album
This album "rocked my world" around 1978-79

Was really a great day of listening. When I was studying with Copland, I was always learning new solos. Had to walk into the lessons and sing the solos with the recordings. It was a great way to absorb the jazz language. Since living in Japan, I've gotten away from doing some of those things. As a result of doing this blog everyday, I'm feeling the urge to get back to those things that I used to do daily to help creativity.