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Jazz Focus

  • The Street – A Brief History

    Lee Evans | August 20, 2023In the early 1960s, my group, The Lee Evans Trio (piano, bass, drums), played a roughly six-month gig atop the oval bar at Manhattan’s 52nd Street’s steak house The Hickory House, co-founded and run for its entire existence by Lithuanian-born John Popkin. Years earlier, The Hickory House was one of the earliest spots on 52nd […] Read More...
  • Virginia Arts Festival and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis

    SBO Staff | July 16, 2023For many in the packed house at Norfolk Virginia’s Chrysler Hall on February 25, it was a great concert with the legendary Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis. But for the young jazz players on the stage that night, it was an experience they’ll never forget. The evening marked the culmination of a […] Read More...
  • A Music Business Primer for Songwriters and Composers

    Harvey Rachlin | May 11, 2023As a music educator your passion for music is obvious, but what works and composers ignited a flame in you to teach and pass on to others your love of music? Was it the stirring melodies and rhythms of classical music or the infectious tunes and witty lyrics from the Great American Songbook or the […] Read More...
  • The Lies I Told Myself

    Larry Panella | May 11, 2023Self – talk is something we all do. We can be in denial about things we need to do differently, or we might even have an overly high view of ourselves. Sometimes it fills in the gaps in our perceptions with worst case scenarios and we can end up becoming paralyzed with anxiety. Often, it […] Read More...
  • Jazz Festivals Can Supercharge Your Teaching

    Thomas Palmatier | May 11, 2023Great locations, terrific music, and heck, you may be able to write it off as professional development (repeat LOUDLY after me, Tom is not a tax advisor, he’s just a tuba player). Here’s a list of upcoming jazz festivals along with pertinent information. New Orleans Jazz Festival, April 28-May 7, 2023 The list of performers […] Read More...
  • Teaching the Craft of Musical Composition

    Mike Lawson | March 13, 2023Have you ever had a piano student who wanted to learn how to compose music and asked you the best way to go about it? Musical composition is not only the product of creative inspiration, but also of craft. It is the latter issue I’ll address. Composing music, to a great degree, involves learning to […] Read More...
  • The Jazz Saxophonist: An Introduction to the Altissimo Register

    Mike Lawson | January 15, 2023The ability to play notes in the altissimo register is a highly desirable skill for most jazz saxophonists. This skill allows performers to play more exciting, expressive solos by extending the upper range of saxophone by one octave or more. However, learning this skill can be very frustrating since many saxophonists simply look up the […] Read More...
  • Jazz in China: The Book, The Documentary, The Journey

    Dr. Eugene Marlow | November 13, 2022SBO+: Eugene Marlow’s work in documenting jazz in China is an important look into music in a country that is sadly becoming less accessible to most Americans. As leader and commander of The United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own,” I had the privilege of touring in China in 2012 which resulted in a documentary, In […] Read More...
  • The Jazz Saxophonist Learning to Slap Tongue and Flutter Tongue

    Tracy Heavner | October 13, 2022Slap tonguing is an extended technique used by saxophonists that produces a unique popping sound when articulating notes in a pizzicato style. This effect, sometimes called for in contemporary saxophone literature, is notated either by an “x” note head or by placing a “+” sign above or below the note along with the words “slap […] Read More...
  • Learning to Play Ghosted Notes, the Cannonball Trill, and the Texas Wobble to Enhance Jazz Saxophone Performance

    Tracy Heavner | October 9, 2021When playing in the jazz style, performing with correct notes, rhythms and using authentic jazz articulations are necessary requirements for creating a great improvised solo. However, in addition to these requirements, many jazz saxophonists also use other special techniques which add a great deal of expressiveness and excitement to their performance. Some of these techniques […] Read More...
  • How to Make a Good Band Sound Better

    Dr. Jared Sims | October 9, 2021Many of our students are drawn to jazz because of the complex rhythms and the excitement of the live performance experience. Beyond the aesthetic level, the performance of jazz requires a keen ear and balancing a musical intuition with knowledge of theory and an ability to play an instrument well. Jazz occupies a unique place […] Read More...
  • The Art of Jazz Festival Performing

    Tom Lizotte | October 9, 2021The success or failure of your students’ jazz festival performances and experience is inextricably dependent on the quality of your programming. In many cases, a group’s fate is determined before a note is taught or performed. The music performed is the curriculum the director provides. Quality curriculum makes the enterprise educationally valid and gives an […] Read More...
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