Hi All,
DSax here, pleased to register on the site, it really stands out as an excellent resource and community also Pete seems like a jolly nice bloke!
A little history about myself:
I've played soprano, alto and tenor; I favour the tenor these days, it just fits me best for size and sound.
I'm not a professional, never been to music college, largely self-taught and the periods of time when I've put in a decent amount of practice or have been actively playing have been sporadic over the last (blimey) 25 years.
Got my first sax when I was around 14/15 years old and since that time always wanted to learn Jazz but never could find the right teacher or book. I remember buying the Charlie Parker Omnibook which I tried to work through but didn't have a clue apart from on an intuitive level what he was doing. Played the material with Jazz groups in my teens, looking back I wonder how I got through the solos I was truly "using the force". That was around the time when Courtney Pine was just starting and a little later Andy Shepherd. I went to see the two and it was like a religious experience, totally blown away by the sound, skill and creativity. Actually the first ever Sax concert I went to was Grover Washington at the Albert Hall for my sixteenth birthday, I've loved Jazz Funk and Fusion ever since.
So my experience is small Jazz groups in teenage years, small amount of big band a bit later on, a few years in a pop band, about 5 years of 60's soul function band (weddings, parties etc). Highlights were playing at the Palladium (for a charity variety concert) and having a large crowd of drunk people jumping around to my soul solos at the Woking Beer Festival!
Really trying to learn Jazz now and realising how far off I am and wondering if I can meet it half way in Jazz Funk, I like a good groove. I would say my Jazz ability is nascent.
My ears are poor although improving very slowly, I have ideas that appear in my head but apart from short licks have to sit and work through them for a minute or so, some way off of the split second reactions of an improvised performance.
I have found Mark Levine's Jazz Theory book a God send and a jumping off point into other books and resources.
Who do I listen to?
I try to make my listening as broad as possible, YouTube is great for finding tracks, looking at my recent playlist I've got all sorts:
I'm quite happy to listen to any music if it's good! Classical, pop, I was listening to film soundtracks for several hours the other day.
I'm not in a group at the moment, it's awkward as I'm hopping between the UK and Spain where, I've been spending quite a bit of time with my Spanish girlfriend.
Anyway that gives you some idea, I look forward to exchangning ideas.
Cheers,
DSax
DSax here, pleased to register on the site, it really stands out as an excellent resource and community also Pete seems like a jolly nice bloke!
A little history about myself:
I've played soprano, alto and tenor; I favour the tenor these days, it just fits me best for size and sound.
I'm not a professional, never been to music college, largely self-taught and the periods of time when I've put in a decent amount of practice or have been actively playing have been sporadic over the last (blimey) 25 years.
Got my first sax when I was around 14/15 years old and since that time always wanted to learn Jazz but never could find the right teacher or book. I remember buying the Charlie Parker Omnibook which I tried to work through but didn't have a clue apart from on an intuitive level what he was doing. Played the material with Jazz groups in my teens, looking back I wonder how I got through the solos I was truly "using the force". That was around the time when Courtney Pine was just starting and a little later Andy Shepherd. I went to see the two and it was like a religious experience, totally blown away by the sound, skill and creativity. Actually the first ever Sax concert I went to was Grover Washington at the Albert Hall for my sixteenth birthday, I've loved Jazz Funk and Fusion ever since.
So my experience is small Jazz groups in teenage years, small amount of big band a bit later on, a few years in a pop band, about 5 years of 60's soul function band (weddings, parties etc). Highlights were playing at the Palladium (for a charity variety concert) and having a large crowd of drunk people jumping around to my soul solos at the Woking Beer Festival!
Really trying to learn Jazz now and realising how far off I am and wondering if I can meet it half way in Jazz Funk, I like a good groove. I would say my Jazz ability is nascent.
My ears are poor although improving very slowly, I have ideas that appear in my head but apart from short licks have to sit and work through them for a minute or so, some way off of the split second reactions of an improvised performance.
I have found Mark Levine's Jazz Theory book a God send and a jumping off point into other books and resources.
Who do I listen to?
I try to make my listening as broad as possible, YouTube is great for finding tracks, looking at my recent playlist I've got all sorts:
- Joshua Redman
- David Sanborn
- Miles Davis
- Cannonball Adderley
- Lizz Wright
- Hank Mobley
- Paolo Fresu & Uri Caine
- Coltrane
- Ernie Watts
- Brecker
- Crusaders
- Bob Sands
I'm quite happy to listen to any music if it's good! Classical, pop, I was listening to film soundtracks for several hours the other day.
I'm not in a group at the moment, it's awkward as I'm hopping between the UK and Spain where, I've been spending quite a bit of time with my Spanish girlfriend.
Anyway that gives you some idea, I look forward to exchangning ideas.
Cheers,
DSax
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