[Dixielandjazz] Improvising

Wed Feb 27 17:47:11 PST 2008

There is absolutely nothing wrong with working with the Aebersole books / 
CD's.  I guess it just depends on what you do with them.

I'm not sure where memorization leaves off and improv starts except one is 
simply mirroring back and the other is an original composition that is 
unique to you.  I suppose they can be interchangeable to a point.  Lots of 
guys learn licks and then put them together into something.  That sort of 
drives me up  a wall sometimes but I suppose a lot of musicians do it and 
some are really good at it.  I suppose too that licks become a part of your 
interpretation and can be put in like you would add a spice to something you 
are cooking.

When I was in the fifth grade my dad took me to a music store and bought me 
a couple of sheets and I played through them about as well as any second 
year player could.  I wanted them really bad because the old guy that gave 
us lessons in school forbad any tunes of any kind.  This was the old school 
Italian way.  I started playing them and almost instantly I started changing 
the tunes around.  This was only a couple of passing tones and a couple of 
upper and lower neighbors in a different rhythm.   What I was playing wasn't 
on the printed page and it was original.  It wasn't memorized and at the 
same time I wasn't copying from anyone.  Even though it was a beginners 
effort it was jazz by just about any definition I have ever heard.

I have never been able to stay 100% in the lines since then.  Ah sin can be 
so satisfying.  It's been down hill ever since.  The road to hell is paved 
with good intentions.
Larry
StL
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <JDut953944 at aol.com>
To: "Larry Walton" <larrys.bands at charter.net>
Cc: "Dixieland Jazz Mailing List" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Monday, February 25, 2008 8:01 PM
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Improvising

> How did you first learn to improvise?  Was it by listening to records  or 
> the
> radio?  I didn't know I could improvise or where to start.  At  the advice 
> of
> a friend, I got Jamey Aebersole's book AVALON, that came with a  CD.  The
> melody was written out in a very simple fashion with a nice rhythm 
> background.
> Then there was a page that said, Play song 6 times.  (NO  music).  After a 
> few
> peeps and squeaks, I finally got the hang of it and  took off, with this 
> very
> nice rhythm group not laughing at me.  Let's see,  it's five years later - 
> I
> still play that version of Avalon for my first song  when I practice, but 
> I've
> gone way beyond that and my thanks to the fellow in  Marin County who told 
> me
> he used the books quite frequently.  I also got  Aebersole's INDIANA, and 
> a
> few others.  Avalon is also the first song  my band plays when we get 
> gigs.
> Duet, trio, or six pieces.  The  audience always remembers Avalon.
>
> Carol, Clarinet
> Carol's Jazz Cats
>
>
>
>
>
> **************Ideas to please picky eaters. Watch video on AOL Living.
> (http://living.aol.com/video/how-to-please-your-picky-eater/rachel-campos-duffy/
> 2050827?NCID=aolcmp00300000002598)
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