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Genius Guide to Jazz

Join Jeff Fitzgerald, The Dean of American Jazz Humorists©®, on a hilarious romp through the history of jazz.

20

How To Bring Millennials to Jazz

Read "How To Bring Millennials to Jazz" reviewed by Jeff Fitzgerald, Genius


Fifty-two Augusts ago this year, Your Own Personal Genius was born to a pair of West Virginia hillbillies squarely at the onset of what would become known several decades later as Generation X. True to form, I have long embodied that curious mix of ennui and incredulity for which we Gen Xers are known. I have a deep-seated distrust of authority figures, an occasional lack of direction, and an abiding crush on Winona Ryder. I'm a card-carrying member of the ...

9

Anniversary

Read "Anniversary" reviewed by Jeff Fitzgerald, Genius


2019, among other things, marks the 100th anniversary of the infamous Chicago Black Sox scandal, wherein the White Sox deliberately threw the World Series against the Cincinnati Reds for the benefit of gamblers and six or seven of the players (depending on who you ask). As a longtime student of the affair, I believe that Shoeless “Joe" Jackson did not take the gamblers' money and did nothing to negatively affect the outcome of the Series yet was banned anyway. Third ...

8

Call Me the Breeze: Dave Douglas and Donny McCaslin Play Lynyrd Skynyrd

Read "Call Me the Breeze: Dave Douglas and Donny McCaslin Play Lynyrd Skynyrd" reviewed by Jeff Fitzgerald, Genius


"Play some Skynyrd." Anyone who has ever performed anywhere south of the Mason-Dixon line has heard these words, usually yelled towards the stage by someone whose blood alcohol content is approaching whole numbers, no matter what kind of music they play or where they may be performing. When the inevitable happened recently to Dave Douglas and Donny McCaslin, who were playing a gig in Tallahassee, Florida, they both thought, “Yeah, why not?" Call Me the Breeze ...

8

My Guitar

Read "My Guitar" reviewed by Jeff Fitzgerald, Genius


This Christmas marked a very important anniversary in the history of Your Own Personal Genius. Thirty years ago, I received a gift that would change the course of my life forever: a Korean-made Starforce Strat-copy guitar, along with a small Fender practice amp. I got with it a small book of basic blues scales, plus 12-bar and 8-bar blues structures. It was all I needed to start me on an adventure that has lasted three decades and counting. The only ...

9

Jazz in 1's and 0's

Read "Jazz in 1's and 0's" reviewed by Jeff Fitzgerald, Genius


If one were to happen by the GeniusDome, providing you could navigate the gauntlet of traps and snares leading to the door and pass muster by my parakeet Al Neri, you'd be greeted warmly and welcomed into my inner sanctum. You'd notice a veritable forest of guitars, an inexplicable collection of hot sauces and Barbecue sauces, empty Coke Zero bottles, and racks upon racks of DVDs. You'd see the vaunted Magic Chair, where Your Own Personal Genius relaxes when away ...

10

2018 Gift Guide

Read "2018 Gift Guide" reviewed by Jeff Fitzgerald, Genius


With the holidays just around the corner (not that corner, the next one, past the bank), you may find yourself in the midst of a panic. There's so much to be done, from decorating to cooking to shopping, when will you find time for it all? Don't panic. While we here at All About Jazz might not be able to supply all the answers, we can certainly help with some of the load. Like what to get your Jazz-loving friends--or ...

22

Top 10 Moments in Jazz History

Read "Top 10 Moments in Jazz History" reviewed by Jeff Fitzgerald, Genius


10. In 1956, while in the throes of kicking his heroin addiction and late for a gig, Miles Davis picks up a small black snake that had wandered into his Missouri home and--thinking it is just a hallucination--mistakes for a clip-on tie. He completed the gig wearing the snake, which started a trend of Jazz musicians wearing skinny black ties that continues to this day. 9. The Buddie Petit New Orleans Jazz Band are performing in a poorly ...

9

Rising Stars: Wondrous Woman

Read "Rising Stars: Wondrous Woman" reviewed by Jeff Fitzgerald, Genius


For those of you who may not be aware, Your Own Personal Genius was once a fresh-faced music major at Mars Hill University in North Carolina. My principal instrument was euphonium (I also had a minor in trombone). Later, I left to study Jazz with Ellis Marsalis during his residency at Virginia Commonwealth University. As a double-threat Classical euphoniumnist/Jazz trombonist, I discovered two things early on: 1) There was virtually no demand for my talents, which is why I ended ...

17

A Day at AAJ

Read "A Day at AAJ" reviewed by Jeff Fitzgerald, Genius


One of the main benefits of being the Dean of American Jazz Humorists©, besides a free Orange Julius whenever I want one (at participating locations) and 2-for-1 Redbox rentals, is my unfettered access to the inner workings of the entire Jazz universe. As a member of AAJ's Inner Sanctum, I am no more than three degrees of separation from anyone involved in Jazz. Anyone. From legendary artists to the bartender at the Village Vanguard. Of course, I could ...

7

Rising Stars: The Beginning of the Han Dynasty

Read "Rising Stars: The Beginning of the Han Dynasty" reviewed by Jeff Fitzgerald, Genius


As I write this, there is a government shutdown in effect due to a budget impasse. What that means to you, kids, is that I am free to do whatever the hell I want without the constrictive Federal Jazz Commission telling me what is and isn't appropriate material for this column. If I wanted to write an entire article about Art Tatum's left hand, for example, there'd be no one to stop me. I can finally stretch my legs as ...


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