Education News

Thanks for a Jazzman Relentlessly Spreading the Music

Source: Michael Ricci
February 14, 2009

MARK MORGANELLI began building a legacy in the 1970s, booking big- time shows for his college jazz band. Today, he is among Westchester’s most prolific presenters, regularly staging concerts in major halls and jazz-starved communities alike. At the same time, he maintains a career as a trumpeter dedicated to broadening Westchester’s cultural palate.

Little wonder that in April, ArtsWestchester (formerly the Westchester Arts Council) will honor the organization he founded, Jazz Forum Arts, with its 2009 Arts Award in the ...

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NEW on JazzPianoOnline.com: FREE Wynton Kelly Blues Lick

Source: All About Jazz
February 11, 2009

FREE Wynton Kelly Blues Lick

A frequent collaborator of Hank Mobley, Wynton Kelly is almost synonomous with hard bop. Here is a flexible blues lick that you can use over a dominant chord. Listen to it at 5:10 on the tune Greasin' Easy on Hank Mobley's 1961 Blue Note release Workout.

Check out the “What's NEW" page to see the lick in notation and don't miss the archive of licks by jazz greats like Bill Evans and Benny Green.

What ...

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New Play Along Tracks from PlayJazzNow.com

Source: PlayJazzNow PR
February 11, 2009

In its ongoing efforts to help bring jazz education into the 21st Century, PlayJazzNow has just released several new batches of play along tracks. The website offers downloadable backing tracks for jazz musicians of all skill levels, providing beginners as well as seasoned pros opportunities to grow in a fun, creative way. PlayJazzNow's recent additions include Trane Trax, a set of play alongs that help unlock the secrets of Coltrane's seminal harmonic innovations. Giant Steps, for instance, is presented at ...

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Jazz Violinist Randy Sabien Joins McNally Smith College of Music

Source: Pat Courtemanche
February 10, 2009

Jazz Violin Great Randy Sabien to Head New String Department at McNally Smith College of Music The St. Paul music college welcomes new department head at its Open House on Saturday, February 21 at 10:00 a.m.

St. Paul, MN - McNally Smith College of Music President Harry Chalmiers announced today that prominent violinist Randy Sabien will head up a new String Department that will begin offering courses during the schools September 2009 fall semester. Sabien has been garnering attention in ...

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Marc Copland to Give Master Class on Thursday, February 12

Source: St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman
February 9, 2009

In addition to performing in concert at the 560 Music Center this coming Friday, February 13, jazz pianist Marc Copland also will give a master class while he's in St. Louis. The master class, which is free and open to the public, begins at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, February 12 in Tietjens Rehearsal Hall, 6500 Forsyth on the Washington University campus.If you're coming from off campus to attend, you should be aware that there's not much visitor parking ...

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3-Day Charles Mingus Tribute at Manhattan School of Music, February 20-22

Source: All About Jazz
February 4, 2009

A 3-day tribute to Charles Mingus will take place at Manhattan School of Music, Feb. 20 - 22. It begins on Friday, Feb. 20, with a keynote address to be given by Gunther Schuller, followed by a panel discussion on Mingus and his music--panelists moderated by Justin DiCioccio, will include musicians who performed with Mingus, as well as Gunther Schuller and Sue Mingus; and on Saturday and Sunday performances by Manhattan School jazz ensembles as well as the Mingus Dynasty ...

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Carolina Jazz Connection with Larry Reni Thomas at Jazz Speaks at UNCW

Source: All About Jazz
February 4, 2009

Jazz Speaks at UNCW (The University of North Carolina at Wilmington), a lecture series conducted by distinguished professor and master musician Joe Chambers, continues, with its second installment, February 15, 2009, at 7:30 p.m., at Beckwith Hall, in The Cultural Arts Building, at UNCW. The lecture will deal with jazz as social history and will cover the jazz experience of the 1940s and 1950s up to today s scene. The lecture will also include an added attraction with a scholarly ...

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New on JazzPianoOnline.com: Improv Drill: Chord Tones

Source: All About Jazz
February 2, 2009

NEW on JazzPianoOnline.com: Improv Drill: Chord Tones Improv Drill: Chord Tones

Through an analysis of a transcription of Hank Mobley's solo over the changes to the tune Remember, from his 1960 recording Soul Station, watch how this master of bebop improvisation uses chord tones on strong beats as a foundation for his strong and logical improvised line over the changes to this Irving Berlin classic. Then learn an extensive series of drills to gain control of these notes over this ...

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