Rafael Meinhart is a student of David Friedman's. He wanted to work on technical things and asked what he should practice. David said write your own studies. So Rafael did. Check this one out. It's great!

I just did a simple lesson on this and here's this cat taking it to the extreme.

Check out David Friedman's new piece 'Bettina Dreams of the Garden of Elves'. It's an epic piece and we'll be selling it Feb. 1, 2010 in our new store www.store.jazzimprovonline.com.

And especially check out David's student Julius Heise. He's a great young player with a GREAT teacher!

Are you guys familiar with Lenny Tristano? He's the head of this whole subculture in music. A really interesting bop player. A monster! His lines were incredible.

He's a guy worth checking out although there's not a ton out by him.

A few guys were in that 'school' of thought and one was Warne Marsh. Here's a Warne Marsh excercise.

Just a reminder not to spend an inordinate amount of time on technique, and to think of musical ways to practice technique. After all the goal is to make music. That should be part of your practice routine! There are ways to incorporate technical practice in a musical way!

Photos and more

All the weblinks are here.

You have to see this to believe it. Like some strange mutant instrument from Dr. Seuss and Star Wars. This instrument knocked me out!

Here is the second and last part of this tribute to Lionel Hampton dated December 1992.

Now Milt himself, and Gary join the party! The three of them 'under the same roof': wow!

Gary? If you read this, any memory of this moment?

Enjoy!

- M

Vibist Les Blachut posted this link on facebook: in December 1992 a great tribute was made to Lionel Hampton, some 10 years before he left us.

Apart from this tribute (Hankock and Franklin wow!) and the joy of the man round the end of his life, what I enjoyed is this visual biography (I had not seen any before) and the emphasis on those first examples of music at last shared between black and white communities of musicians: cool!

Here's to you Mister Hamp!

- M

Joe Locke's Percussion Discussion Live at JazzBaltica 2009 "Domino City" feat: Joe Locke, Johnathan Blake, Nils Wülker, Martin Wind, Daniel Sadownick and tap dancer Maurice Chestnut

Cool stuff!