So, kid, you think you can play the guitar?

From Grant Green to B.B. King to T-Bone Walker

An interesting article titled From Grant Green to B.B. King to T-Bone Walker, Consistent Approaches to the Blues, by Andrew Scott.

"Despite his fame as Blue Note Records' "house guitarist," Grant Green (1931-1979) has not been awarded his rightful place as one of the outstanding jazz musicians of the twentieth century. This may be attributed to the commercial sidesteps Green made in his later career. However, as Andrew Scott shows in a musicological analysis of three Green improvisations, Green's marginalized "commercial" has much in common with his earlier more celebrated performances. The dismissal of Green's late era career by jazz historians seems not to be an issue of music, but of artifice." . . . [click here to continue reading]

Barry Galbraith Chord Melody Books

I've found these two books of guitar solos (the image is the cover of Volume I) to be marvelous music, superbly transcribed and performed on a companion CD. If you want to learn chord melody by practicing actual tunes, you can't do better.

More on Galbraith here.

The Famous Django - Hot Club Video is Back

Tuck Andress on How to Pick a Guitar

I've always been amazed, fascinated and intimidated by this 1999 treatise by Tuck Andress. Who knew holding a guitar pick could be so complicated?

Bill Frisell

A rare clip of Bill Frisell

Jazz Icons

Just became aware of this. From this press release:

"A major event is about to take place in the world of Jazz—the release of the Jazz Icons™ DVD Series featuring filmed concerts by the most pivotal and influential jazz artists of the 20th century. Filmed in Europe between 1957 and 1978, the Jazz Icons™ DVDs feature the greatest legends of jazz captured in their prime and accompanied by some of the most legendary side-musicians of the day. Lost in the vaults of European television studios (in some cases for nearly 50 years!), Reelin’ In The Years Productions and TDK Recording Media Europe S.A. are proud to announce the September 26, 2006 release of the first nine titles of the illustrious series featuring 60-90 minute performances by Thelonious Monk, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie, Quincy Jones, Count Basie, Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers, Buddy Rich and Chet Baker. All nine Jazz Icons™ DVD titles are distributed by Naxos Of America and sold separately."

"Each of the nine Jazz Icons™ DVDs features one or more concerts filmed live in television studios and concert halls throughout Europe during one of the most creative periods in jazz history (the majority of the material being filmed between 1957 and 1966). None of these performances has ever been officially released, and in many cases, the material was never originally broadcast. In addition, every performance in the Jazz Icons™ DVD series has been re-transferred and re-mastered from the best-quality, original masters yielding excellent sound and video. As with last year’s phenomenal discovery of the Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane At Carnegie Hall concert, which went on to sell over 200,000 CDs, this series is also a major find and treasure to the world of recorded and filmed jazz music. To quote noted jazz writer and historian Ira Gitler (author of The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz), “These nine historic DVDs are among the most important visual/aural documents to be discovered in the history of Jazz. Now, most importantly, they are available to the entire world.

I Sing the Blues Evey Night

Pat Martino

Mike's "Master Classes" Now Archived For Downloading

Until now, Mike Gellar's "Master Classes" were available only in real time (as the lessons were given). Now, they are archived and downloadable from the site. To date, the site includes lessons by Sheryl Bailey, Paul Bollenback, Tony DeCaprio, Steve Heberman, Barry Greene, Sid Jacobs, Jack Penazelli and Chris McNulty. The classes tend to run about 2 hours and cost around $40.00.

Another amazing Jack Wilkins video

Jack Wilkins

Keith Jarrett

An amazing and wonderful performance by Jarrett

Lennon, Richards, Clapton

Keith Jarrett Inteview - Carnegie Hall

Click here

Martino - Lord Zero

Monk, Round Midnight

Pat Martino - Welcome to a Prayer

This YouTube thing just keeps getting better and better ....

Emily Remler (two videos)

Can't embed this first one (embedding disabled by the YouTube poster), but here is the great Emily Remler:

Blues for Herb

I can, howeve, embed this one:

Rene Thomas Tribute Site

Another labor of love

Freddy Warren Jazz Photos

Freddy Warren's Jazz Photos

Joni

The guys who created this site must really love Joni Mitchell.

Jack Wilkins - Moonlight in Vermont

Another great guitarist flying under the rader.

Young Lenny Breau, 1961 - Georgia On My Mind

Dexter Gordon, 1971 - Those Were the Days

[Update: this video has been taken down]

An exquisite performance by Dexter Gordon (sax), with Kenny Drew (piano), Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen (bass) and Makaya Ntshoko (drums). Live in Copenhagen, Denmark

The YouTube poster didn't permit this video to be embedded in other sites, so to view it you'll have to click here. Highly recommended.

Dylan

You just gotta love this. Sends chills up my spine, massages my nervous system. Outtakes from Don't Look Back.

Tal Farlow - Misty

Child Prodigy ....

Jimmy Rosenberg

Tal Farlow - Autumn in New York

Joe Pass, All The Things You Are

Wes Montgomery, Full House

Wes Montgomery
Uploaded by alternativa

Wes Montgomery, Round Midnight

Wes Montgomery
Uploaded by alternativa

Wes Montgomery, Yesterdays

Wes.Montgomery
Uploaded by alternativa

Keith Jarrett, Umbria Jazz Festival, 1974

This man has muscles in his hands where other people have only tendons and bones

Chordbook.com

If you love guitar chords -- and what jazz guitarist doesn't? -- this is the site for you. To quote from the site:

Virtual Guitar & Chordbook is our main application, this features a flash modelled guitar, over 1300 guitar chords and inversions. You can save chords to your chordbank (mychords).

On the guitar you can do all the normal stuff, like put on a capo go up and down the frets, drag and drop the finger markers to make your own guitar chords.

Chord Sequencer: you can sequence your guitar chords and play them back in the mychords area!

Learn to play scales and improve your lead solos, with the guitar scales generator. Quick tune your guitar using the guitar tuner and try out alternative tunings.

Jessica Williams

A superb pianist whose music I have been enjoying greatly as of late. Highly recommended to jazz piano afficionados. Her music is available on Emusic and Rhapsody.
JessicaWilliams.com


Ms. Williams maintains a very personal (but infrequent) blog here.

Frank Gambale

2006 Pat Martino Interview

Part 1: The Martino-Montgomery Connection (25:10)
Pat reminisces, discusses and plays the music of Wes Montgomery

Part 2: Remember: The CD (21:23)
Pat talks about the production of Remember

Gypsy Jazz Videos

Click here for a spectacular collections of videos, including Bireli Lagrene, Jimmy Rosenberg and many, many others.

John Froehlich, Jazz Artist

Click here to view this amazing site.

European Guitarists Don't Get Enough Respect

For some reason, the great European jazz guitarists don't get a lot of exposure in the U.S. Not suprising, I suppose, since even the great U.S. jazz guitarists don't get enough attention.

A lot of Europoean jazz guitarists are amazing virtuosos. Their technique is nothing short of astounding. Two high quality videos, linked below, feature Bireli Lagrene and Joscho Stephan.

Brad Mehldau & Pat Metheny To Collaborate

[Update:] The recording has been released. Here is a link to it on Amazon.com

From Glide Magazine:

Pianist Brad Mehldau and guitarist Pat Metheny have teamed for a collaborative album, "Metheny Mehldau," due Sept. 12 via Nonesuch. The 10-track set features a blend of each artist's material, including some tracks recorded with Mehldau's trio of bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jeff Ballard.

Mehldau and Metheny had never played together before hitting a New York studio last December. "Those days in December were some of the most creatively satisfying days I have ever had as a musician," Metheny enthuses. "When it was all done and it was time to listen back to everything, I was taken aback by what I heard. It seemed like we always played together."

Continue reading ....

Barney Kessel Video, 1969 - Lady Be Good

Tal Farlow - Body and Soul

This is special .....

Two More Lagrene Google Videos

Here and here.

The first is a short solo by Birini. The second a 50 minute concert of Birini and friends.

The $6 Million Guitar

Don't know how long this site will be available, but here it is.

Click here for details, and don't forget to do your due dilegence on this one.

Bireli Lagrene Concert

A one hour concert by the one-time child prodigy, and now adult, French gypsy guitarist. On Google Video here.

For some amazing solo music by Lagrene jump to the 52 minute mark. However, the entire concert is sublime.

John Stowell Video Podcast

Yet another superb jazz artist that flies largely under the radar. This man has clearly done some serious finger stretching exercises to hit some of these chords! Link here

Jazz Guitar Master Classes

by artists like Tony DeCaprio, Sid Jacobs, Steve Heberman, Sheryl Bailey and Jack Wilkins, live and online over the web.

Organized and hosted by Mike Gellar.

Click here for more information.

"My Jazz Guitar Journey" Blog

here . Very nice jazz blog by Steven Rosenberg, in Van Nuys, CA.

Becker and Fagan

really pissed off or, more likely (I hope), displaying their bizarre sense of humor.

60 Weeks of "No Idle Frets"

Nick Carver has released the 60th issue of his superb podcast, No Idle Frets. This fantastic resource for jazz guitar lovers is not to be missed.

Relaxin' at Camarillo

An excellent jazz guitar blog, dedicated in large part to technical matters of guitar mastery (as well as some great anecdotes, photos and videos. [link here]

I particularly like this video from the 1940s (requires Quicktime).

Tommy Emmanuel - Guitar Boogie

Sorry, I know that everyone has seen this many times, but I just couldn't resist.

Jazz Guitar Life

A great web site, that I had failed to stumble on until recently. Extensive interviews, reviews, educational materials and links. Very highly recommended.

Eric Alexander / Peter Bernstein Group, live at the Ballard Jazz Festival

Sorry, not on YouTube, so you'll have to click-through to see the great guitarist, Peter Bernstein. This video may get pushed down on the Origin Records page, as they add newer topics to the top of the page, so you'll have to scroll down to find it.

My Favorite Things

My Favorite Things

Comblain-La-Tour, Belgium, August 1st 1965

John Coltrane - Soprano Sax
McCoy Tyner - Piano
Jimmy Garrison - Bass
Elvin Jones - Drums

Coltrane died two years later, at the age of 40. If you're interested in learning more about him, click here.

Everybody Digs Brad Mehldau

Brad Mehldau Trio
"House on Hill"
(Nonesuch)


Released yesterday.



I love this pianist's music. He may be the Bill Evans of his generation. Or the Keith Jarrett, sans the humming and moaning.

The New York Times (subscription needed) writes:

Last year the pianist Brad Mehldau replaced the longtime drummer in his trio, Jorge Rossy, with a much more loamy percussionist, Jeff Ballard. The results, as heard in performance by the new trio and on Mr. Mehldau's last Nonesuch album, were salutary, like drawing the curtains to let the daylight in. Still, Mr. Mehldau's original trio, with Mr. Rossy and the bassist Larry Grenadier, was a joy throughout its 10-year run. And it bowed out on a high note, with the exceptional standards album "Anything Goes," in 2004.

Mr. Mehldau had recorded a partner album of original material, but his label, Warner Brothers, imploded its jazz division before it could be released. That phantom material has now materialized in the form of "House on Hill" on Nonesuch, a Warner Music Group company. The album is a marvel of collective self-assurance, worth hearing not only for Mr. Rossy's weightless time feel but also for Mr. Mehldau's thoughtful compositions.

"loamy percussionist"? .....

The Jazz Guitar Fakebook Project

Josh Sager writes:

The Jazz Guitar Fakebook Project

In early 2006, several members of the rec.music.makers.guitar.jazz Usenet group decided to create a fakebook project in an effort to bring more exposure to the many talented jazz guitar players out there who aren't necessarily signed to the "major" labels.

We are currently accepting submissions for the project, which has been titled From Jazz Guitarists Only — an International Anthology of Compositions by Jazz Guitarists. If you are interested in submitting songs to this fakebook project, please read the terms, fill out the form, and submit the form.

Bireli Lagrene and John McLaughlin Improvising

Joshua Breakstone

A guitarist that I've really enjoyed listening to recently is Joshua Breakstone. Here is an exensive and interesting interview with him in Jazz Guitar Life.

Lenny Breau

Visions, a Personal Tribute to Jazz Guitarist Lenny Breau, by Stephen D. Anderson

Martin Taylor Interview

An extensive interview with Martin Taylor, the remarkable British jazz guitarist.

Wes Montgomery - West Coast Blues - 1965

[Update:] The copyright owner must have complained, and Youtube took this video down. What a shame, this was SO GOOD. Even though the video is no longer on YouTube, this image remains, so I'll leave it here as a memory of this performance. June 1, 2006.

(p.s. in Firefox you'll see the first image from this video; in Explorer you may not)

Pat Martino

talking jazz guitar with some of his fans. [link]

More Jeff Beck

What really amazes me is that not only doesn't Jeff Beck use a pick, but he picks with his thumb and fingers.

YouTube

When I started this blog I didn't expect it to be dominated by videos from YouTube.com and similar video sites. In fact, I don't think I was even aware of YouTube when I made my first posting on December 14, 2005. YouTube was barely eleven months old at that time, and the flood of jazz videos that was soon to engulf it hadn't begun.

Nevertheless, as so often is true on the Internet, YouTube experienced astonishing growth, going from almost nothing to one of the top 20 web sites in the last six months. In fact, a graph of YouTube's traffic on Alexa.com shows that it took off in December 2005, the same month I started this blog. Once I began to realize how much that had been inaccessible to the world was being uploaded onto YouTube, this blog took a sharp turn toward videos rather than text. I get references to many of the videos by reading jazz discussion sites where members provide links to the videos. Don't ask me where they find them!

I know that many of the videos I post are copyrighted, but the owners of the copyrights can monitor YouTube and demand that YouTube take down a video that is copyrighted. If a video link in my blog doesn't work, you can reasonably assume that that's why. However, many copyright owners may chose not to interfere. After all, this is a form of advertising for the artists, and who is to say that viewers would have purchased the videos (assuming they even are available) if they didn't have access to them on YouTube?

If you want to learn more about YouTube, click here.

John Pizzarelli . . .

. . . performing I Got Rythm on a seven string guitar. Watch him snatch the guitar pick out of his mouth 29 seconds into the video. He was singing with it in his mouth until that point!

Joe Pass: Blues for Sitges

Joe Pass would write "Blues for ..." songs for many of his friends and acquaintances, and sometimes even for locations. Sitges is a city near Barcelona in Spain.

Russell Malone on Fire

Malone is unbelievable in this video

Kenny Burrell - Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most

Barney Kessel Performing Black Orpheus

Freddie Green

A web site devoted to Freddie Green [link]

Who was Freddie Green? To quote from his obituary in Downbeat:

Freddie Green, guitarist with the Count Basie Orchestra for half a century, died March 1 in Las Vegas of an apparent heart attack. He was 75. Green was the last surviving member of Basie's "All-American Rhythm Section" which included Basie on piano, Walter Page on bass, and Joe Jones on drums. Born in Charleston, South Carolina, Green was introduced to Basie by record producer John Hammond, who had discovered the guitarist playing in a Greenwich Village nightclub. Green was not the Basie band's first guitarist, but he remained with the orchestra far longer than anyone else after joining it in March 1937. He rarely took solos, concentrating instead on rhythmic accompaniment. His playing, in the words of music critic George T. Simon, was "wonderfully light yet propulsive". Green also recorded several albums under his own name, as well as with Billie Holiday, Benny Goodman, Benny Carter, Lionel Hampton, and many others.

And another bio

Johnny Smith [link]

A Talmage Bio

[link]

Tal Farlow

This website [link] contains some wonderful videos from the film, Talmage Farlow.



In addition to interview segments and bits of live performance, there are some great scenes with the legendary Lenny Breau [link].

youtube, googlevideo, dailymotion, zippyvideos

All of these sites are allowing people to upload vintage music performance videos. That this is copyright infringement there is no doubt, but in the meantime (assuming the copyright holders can ever get it together to shut all this stuff down), there's a lot of music to enjoy that people otherwise would never see.



A short video of Grant Green [link] on fire in a short jazzy blues solo.

Joe Pass 55:14

A 55:14 video documentary [link] of the making of the album Roy Clark & Joe Pass Play Hank Williams [link]. The recording itself appears to be out of print. I believe that this is the last recording made by Joe Pass before he passed away.

Rick Stone Performing "My Funny Valentine"

My Funny Valentine [link]

Wes Montgomery Video

Wes Montogomery clip of Full House [link] Right click to download.

Robert Conti Interview

Here's an interesting interview [link] with the somewhat controversial Robert Conti.

pandora.com

An interesting new site, pandora.com is an online radio station. You enter the names of artists you like, and pandora plays tunes by these artists, as well as tunes by artists that pandora's staff has characterized similarly as part of the music genome project. The result is to expose you to artists you might like, but may have never even heard of. In fact, many of the musical selections appear to be by non-mainstream artists.

One guitarist (who's music is not available on amazon and who has no listing in allmusic.com), is Jeffrey Burr. His guitar playing sounds just wonderful, and it seems that the only place you can hear it (short of buying his CDs), is on pandora.

Some other artists that pandora as exposed me to are the Todd Gustavson Trio, John Lewis, Enrico Pieranunzi and Brian Bromburg.

Jimmy Bruno

Jimmy Bruno, one of the greatest living jazz guitarists, has announced that he has bi-lateral carpal tunnel syndrome, and is ceasing all touring.

Cliffs of Dover

OK, not jazz guitar, but as Shaw said, a "foolish consistency . . .," and this is too good to pass up.

Eric Johnson (broadband only)