I took a tiny break, but I'm working on Friedman's whole book again. Number 7!

This one was kind of just for fun and is a little unpolished. But I've been practicing Tony's stride stuff and it seemed applicable to Art Blakey's shuffle feel in Moanin'. I put in a "bass solo," and I'm working on my block chords. I'm realizing my block chord blues vocabulary is limited in minor, so I will work on that.

"All The Things You Are" with comping/solo playing: working with a student yesterday on comping/solo playing. We were working on various voicing techniques and concepts including closed, open voicings, voicings in 4rths, pentatonic voicings, 4-7 note voicings with upper structure triads, clusters, textural voicings and symmetrical diminished voicings. We also focused on how connecting the voicings with inner voices or an upper melodic line, breaking up the voicings and interspersing melodic fragments can lead to solo playing. That's how Gary developed many of his solo arrangements.

"Wichita Lineman" composed by Jimmy Webb and sung by Glen Campbell. One of the hippest and harmonically interesting pop tune that I think was ever written. A challenge to do it justice while maintaining the mood and not hit any clams. Ha!Ha!

Playing some sound in my head, if you have time please leave comments! Thanks!

Great Episode!!!

Our pop-up class for VW subscribers will take place June 3rd - 2pm EDT

We will study 'Have You Met Miss Jones'.

The follow up class we will stream and some of you guys will play the tune in 'Virtual Public'.

If you don't do that I would like for you to record something and post it on Vibesworkshop. Just to make us do a final goal!

You have to be a subscriber to take this class.

To register just click here and send me an email.

This is a shortened version of David F's beautiful arrangement (I left out his solo in the middle). My goal was to have it sing with expression and still stay in time. I wanted a faster tempo, but this was what I could manage for now. It's been a fabulous lesson in pedaling/dampening and making good use of all 4 sticks. I studied David's Youtube video quite a bit in the process of memorizing it phrase by phrase.