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I started working on a solo version of "Spring is Here". I am finding it very difficult. I can't think of much to make it sound interesting or good. Any ideas?

I am arpeggiating with mallet 1 2 3 and melody in 4. I am also using drop 2 voicings on the ascending lines. Nothing cohesive yet. Just working on ideas.

It's originally a ballad. What do you think of making it a Bossa Nova or other style?

Ok, I know Barry is a sentimentalist. So I'm going to try and crank out a drop 2 arrangement of 'Oh, Danny Boy'.

Then we should all work on that, solo on it and post it for Jon Daly and Ireland.

Maybe then we need to have a vibe hang with Pints. Although In my house I might have to do Non Alcoholic beer, but I'll still act drunk if you want.

Hopefully tonight I can crank Out Danny Boy in Finale.

Anyway let's see what kind of arrangements we come up with.

I exchanged a couple nice emails with Gary Burton. He was suprised to see his video of Chega. I would imagine that that would be pretty heavy if you didn't know it existed and saw it after all this years. That's the 60's?

I'm a Gary fan from way back. When I first heard Chega, I almost cried and died. I had never thought it was possible to do that on the instrument. I'm not alone am I?

Joe's off in Idaho or somewhere playing a tribute to Lionel Hampton. I told him he better smile and grunt alot. Any other advice for Joe. I hope he plays Stardust. I know one of his solos is a transcribed Lionel solo!! I would LOVE to hear Joe copping a Lionel solo.

Here is a great analysis of the Steely Dan "Mu Major" chord.

http://jmdl.com/howard/steelydan/mu-major.html

I just tried it on the vibes and it sounds cool.

Barry

I just received a gift in the mail - a CD of Ed Saindon in concert @ the University of
New Hampshire, w/ Dave Liebman, Matt Wilson and David Clark. Beautiful concert, replete with
gorgeous originals("The Last Goodbye", "Hope", "The Healing") and re-imagings of standards
("Moon River", "Green Dolphin Street"). There's a solo/duet version of "Black Orpheus" which really shows how the grown-ups do it ... intense listening going on between Ed and

When I did my arrangement of White Christmas, I used an open voicing on the Cmaj7. Turns out that it was a Drop 2 of a Major 7th (Closed G B C E -> Drop 2: C G B E). Now I can put a cool name to that voicing.

Since St. Patty's Day is coming up, I started working on Drop 2 voicings for "Danny Boy". I am starting out with a closed voice arrangement. I will use that for the first repeat. On the second repeat, I will play the tune again with the open Drop 2 voicing. It is starting to sound really nice.

Barry

Lennie Tristano, George Shearing... 2 masters of drop 2 voicings. (Was Shearing?) I'm going to listen to more Lennie, but I played on the piano today and I thought of him immediately.

I've been really shedding all this. A couple points I'm thinking.

Don't take those scales and voicings literal. Any sideways movement of chords can have drop 2s.

Make up a simple line in a key or mode. Harmonize the melody in closed position (move the chords sideways), then do drop 2.

I was playing the C6, Fdim chords (with the various inversions) in Dana's drop 2 lesson. As I was playing, I heard the song, "Once in a While", and thought it might be a good tune to apply the Drop 2 voicing for chord melody.

I would like a little guidance on the application of the lesson. I understand the example of playing the C Maj Bebop scale with the C6 or the diminished chord underneath, but I am not sure about applying chords to an arbitrary melody.

Hi everyone!

A.I.R Percussion Quartet (percussion geeks group) just got a MySpace page. Please stop by and check us out! This is the link:

www.myspace.com/airpercussionquartet