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Ok, so we studied chords and harmony. I sure hope some of you guys got some stuff out of all that. There was a ton to learn and study!

So I figured before we had back to tunes we should officially study the other side of all this and that's the line... the solo, the melody.

I still believe that for all of us, the line should be first thing. The most important thing.

Back home after a 3-hour trio gig (vibes, bass, drums). Man, I am exhausted!

Tom P.

Let's not forget Stephen Hambright and Marie (our queen). Without them we really would NOT have a vibe site like this!

Without Stephen Hambright it would have crashed and I would have left it dead! I don't know enough. Actually I know enough to be dangerous!

Without John Daly, Tjaco and Harvey Price, we would not have workshops.

Without Mike Pinto we'd have no store.

Without some of the pros who put up lessons on a regular basis you'd be only listening to my crap all year long!!

Hello everyone,

Barryk sent me a musser on Craig's list for $1000 dollars. It was for sale in Pennsylvania, my home state. I went to scoop it up. It needed some work the ad said. Ok, I'd buy it and fix it up and then work something out with a great student of mine. My goal was not to make a profit, but just have an instrument for when a student needed one. I have one student that's now looking for an instrument.

So I emailed the guy, told him I promised it would go into good hands and be put to good use. If he cared about the instrument than I was the guy to sell it to.

If you're driving to Holland for the workshop this February, put your vibes in the car and put them in your hotel room. Then you can practice at night for a bit. even if you have to play quietly.

I imagine February will be a slow time for the hotel, so maybe they can put us all together. Then practicing won't matter.

Just thinking ahead. If there were a few sets of vibes there then maybe they could be passed around a little bit from room to room. that is if we are close together.

Vince Lardere, a great local alto player came to University of the Arts and did a workshop on the bebop scale that the students LOVED. So I asked Vince to come over so I can video the workshop. This was great stuff. So maybe we should start a little series on 'Lines and Licks'.

One Thing I admire about Tony is that he is relentlessly here on the site creating blogs, lessons, giving feedback etc. From what I can tell he practices what he preaches and practices hard all the time. That's such a huge thing that I try to get across to all my students. You cant work hard 50% of the time and expect to be a master of your instrument.

It's been a miserable month but there's light at the end of the tunnel. Vibe gig at the rest home is put off, replaced by an organist! But the Christmas show at church is moving along. Working on a duet with guitarist John Hill on Sleigh Bells by Leroy Anderson. Got skeletal sheet music for A and B sections, and transcribed the C section from a Boston Pops performance. Built a whip. We'll trade off soloing/comping A section which keeps coming back, and I'll handle the short B and C sections.

I caught Gary and Chick last night at the Blue Note. Also with them was the Harlem String Quartet. What a heavy concert.

First of all Gary and Chick were made for each other. They play so well together. Gary's solos were really incredible. I kept admiring how fluid he is on the instrument. He comps so well with Chick also. I think for most part vibe players shouldn't comp with the piano player. Meaning most of the time i hear that I don't like it. But those guys sound so great together!