Welcome to Jazz in Perspective, a blog dedicated to looking at jazz in a new way and challenging our perception of this somewhat traditional form of music.Below are this week’s posts! Enjoy and feel free to share and comment!
Featured Post
Gregory Porter, “Water”
Recently, I watched the Jazz Journalist Association Awards—an annual, highly anticipated awards show that honors the top musicians of the year as well as the top journalists of the year. Included in this awards ceremony were concerts from some of … Continue reading
Week 2: Listening Study, Sonny Rollins- “Strode Rode”
A powerhouse on the saxophone and a pioneer in jazz describes Sonny Rollins, a musician who has played with Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, Clifford Brown, Max Roach, McCoy Tyner, Kenny Dorham, and many other monumental jazz artists. This acclaimed musician, still … Continue reading
Recent Posts
Word from the Wise: Joshua Redman, A True Jazz Musician
4
photo courtesy of Michael Wilson
Trying to strive to become a better true musician has always been my goal as a jazz artist. I am continuously searching to how I can approach jazz and improvisation whether it be through looking at it from a different perspective or trying to view it from a more abstract understanding. The question that seems to question many musicians is how do we develop our own perspective and own style. As a musician who does not focus solely on the technical aspect of my playing, I find developing my own style and approach to jazz has been influenced by studying how other people perceive music. Two months ago, Joshua Redman, the 2011 artist-in-residence for the Monterey Jazz Festival, gave a clinic at the annual Next Generation Jazz Festival—a jazz festival that gathers the top junior high school, high school, and college big band, combos, and vocal ensembles from around the world to play and compete. Since 2004, this festival has brought musicians like Dianna Reeves, Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Orchestra, Christian Mcbride, Terence Blanchard, Kurt Elling, Branford Marsalis, and Regina Carter. As an artist-in-residence, Redman will act as a clinician, mentor, and featured performer at the 54th Monterey Jazz Festival. He will also perform with the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra—an auditioned ensemble consisting of the top high school musicians—in September.
Jazz in Perspective 