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Skip the 5ths as in the double-stop that your bassist plays. It throws the flow.
End the bass line on the minor third, your bassist plays a double-stop (a 5th).



Well, I prefer to follow in Wayne's footsteps
The bassline (during the head) Cm: C G C Eb > Fm: C F Bb Eb is sheer beauty in it's complex simplicity. Wayne knew what he was doing.
It's like the head in All Blues: Miles meant it to be: first chord G7 (I), second chord (the IV) is Gm7 and not C7 as many do tend to play it. Though during solos on both these tunes, its up to the bassist to play whatever fits with the soloist

Jazzwee, just listening to your gig recordings. Overall, good stuff. You're playing is improving! I'm hearing more development and direction and less "wandering" .

What happened with the sax in Take Five? Sounds like they need to work on getting the feel for five. Playing in odd times is tough but it's good you guys are taking a crack at it. I generally just try to avoid it, too much stress .

On All Blues I dig that you're trying to do something different with the comping during the head. Just seems a bit too out there and aggressive at times. Maybe just be a little more subtle with the placement of things. Nice solo here though!

On Don't Explain I think you're comping is good, but I agree with Chris that you could leave a little more space and hold on to some things every now and then. It also sounds like maybe you could learn some new voicings for some of the chords in this tune. What key are you playing it in?

On Footprints I think the fifths in the bass are cool and I don't have a problem with going to the F on the F minor... Sorry Chris! . As an ensemble I think this is one of the best tracks and your solo is one of the best I've heard you play!

Sounded like there was some confusion about whether Stella was going to be swing or bossa at the start .

I think I'm starting to get where you're heading with your sound. Not sure if that makes any sense but it's intended as a compliment... I'm hearing some artistry developing... something recognizable as you . Keep it up!

Haven't been around the computer...had to deal with medical issues...

Thanks for your comments Scott. It's pretty right on with my self-evaluation.

BTW I do tend to disagree with Chris too about the bass on footprints. The bass player (the most experienced person in the band actually) has that as his signature sound and Footprints is one of the tunes where I let him get some freedom (the other is his other favorite, Mr. PC).

In general, I'm a bit frustrated by what I hear in live recordings. I seem to have a more definite direction melodically now (no 'wandering') when I'm not playing live. But I'm at 50% level when I perform live. A lot of what I played would have taken better shape (particularly Stella), if I just gave it some space. It's a panic of the moment. I don't panic necessarily while I play live, but let's say I'm distracted.

I'm also frustrated at the articulation, which suffers from the same reduction in performance when playing live. I suppose at some point it's all subconscious and will resolve itself shortly.

The comping was a little aggressive. And I was too focused on matching the rhythm section and matching their dynamics and patterns. I wasn't thinking about playing against that for variety.

BTW - Someone in the audience just told me today that the piano wasn't loud at all till later on and it was my active comping that got them in the groove. But I agree that I kept some patterns way longer than I should have.

On Don't Explain -- it's a new tune to me. Never played it before. The key was odd too (B minor) so I just played regular rootless. Didn't want to risk anything on a first play...

Stella- I think Chris is right here. A Two-feel would swing better. It's just the way the melody goes. Drummer is reverting to non-swinging style I think. I may have to just emphasize the SWING next time.

I think you're right that my voice is coming out. I figure that a year from now, I'll have the guts to play at the big time jam sessions

Everytime we discuss all this and I become aware, often there's an immediate effect at the next gig so I appreciate the detailed comments!

In case we all forgot about Very Early, which we promised to work on again, I just found a new version.

Alan Pasqua has a new album called "Twin Bill", which is like Bill Evans's 'Conversation with Myself' (two piano recording) and Very Early is one of the featured tunes. It has other Evans tunes on it like Waltz for Debby, Nardis, Time Remembered,...

I wouldn't bank on that. I certainly recognise that syndrome and I am pretty sure everyone does to some degree. Hopefully you will find ways to minimise it but I doubt it will go away, at least it never has with me, not entirely. Partly I think it is based on an illusion - the illusion that in practise things sound much better. We have a tendency to think we can play something if we did it well in practise a few times, but really this is just not enough. In order to really play it well at the gig we have to be able to nail it virtually everytime we play it. Our perceptions of how we play are based on how well we can play occasionally when we are at our best, but the reality is normally we are functioning on say 70%. In order to get 100% at the gig we need to be at 130% in practice, which is difficult!
It is always good to develop some strategies to improve concentration, at the gig or at home.

So Beeboss, if you're doing a Youtube recording, how is that compared to live playing?

I suppose that's the problem with Jazz. The masters can hit a high level of consistency and they have higher abilities to focus as professionals, even if they're not necessarily feeling very creative (at least that's what Bill Evans said in his interview).

I'm at a point where I'm still improving and it shows up even in comparison to things I just recorded a month before. So that's my basis for assuming that some things get resolved. Things like space and articulation are easily solvable I think.

As far as melodic content goes, I think that if I play "less" live, then I don't have to focus as much. That accounts for not having to worry about being at 130% (I think it's more 150% myself ) to cover for anxiety issues.

I think being even more conscious about adding more space in a live performance gives the brain more time to digest, and also synch the time better. I'm beginning to see that time seems to accelerate (my perception of space is undersized) when playing live. So perhaps the more extreme I practice it, the better everything will balance out in a live situation.

If I mess up I can start over, there is not that luxury on a gig. Mind you even with this luxury I still have yet to play any entire piece that I am completely happy with. Sometimes I get a whole chorus of good stuff but that is the exception. But over time the standard of the bad bits gets better, mostly.



I also can improve in a month, also I can get worse in a month.
Sure you will get better at these 'problems' but the better they get the more detail you will be able to see remaining difficulties in. I believe it is an illusion that there ever comes a point that there really are resolutions to these difficulties. The problems of playing melodically and with maximum focus, emotion, meaning and with the best best possible time feel are not really solvable, not by us mortals at least.



If you hear the music as needing more space then that is what you should give it. If you are giving more space just because that is the easiest thing to do (to lighten the load on your overstretched resources) then that is maybe not so good.
To really be able to play in the moment we need to be able to play any conceivable thing and that includes lots of notes as well as just a few. Of course this is an ideal but there is a time for stretching our comfort zone and another for playing within it.

Wow -- this is such an annoying truth. Maybe that's why to me, I hear all these "problem bits" and I hear it more and more.

But you have to admit though that there are levels to problems where the casual listener can no longer gauge exactly. They just know you don't sound like Keith Jarrett but don't know exactly why.

If one aims for some technical perfection, then perhaps it is not achievable except for a few in the world. However, does musicality hold to the same standard? Plenty of beautiful jazz music didn't require more complexity than what I'm able to play. That's certainly encouraging and could be reachable.

Maybe I understand now where my teacher is leading me. It's more about making a musical statement than about chops.

That is good isn't it? It means your hearing is getting more acute. To improve at your weak points first you need to recognise where they are.




I am sure that is true. As players though we are involved in the music on an entirely different level than any member of the audience.





Technical perfection may be extremely difficult even for something pretty simple but it at least possible, to a degree. Musical perfection on the other hand, what does it even mean? How can we even begin to evaluate musical perfection? There is no objective scale for it.





It is certainly true that there is plenty of beautiful simple music around. It is not easy to play simple music though. Just try playing the simplest piece of Mozart perfectly. Music that is not really complex may be easier to play on a technical level but musically it is still a challenge. But we do what we can. Sometimes it feels to me like walking towards a mirage though, when you get closer the goal disappears only to be replaced with another one further on.

Hear, hear.

I find it frustrating AND incredibly fascinating at the same time.
It's one of the reasons that keeps me going.
It's not about reaching a goal, but walking the path and working on one's craft.
We all have a part to play in the history of music. We just have to find which one it is.

And.

Keep going.

That is it exactly, to enjoy the journey.

So profound Beeboss. It's so true. Playing just for an audience, most don't hear anything wrong with what I play. But yes, it would make me tremenduously unhappy to just ignore and say "it's good enough".

I just practiced for a bit just now just solo piano, and I might say that I'm actually liking what I'm hearing now. Not sure I ever did before. I'm sure if I recorded myself I would find those "bits" you're talking about. But in general, I don't feel so far away in the journey.

However, my live playing lags significantly still from my practice level. I know that because when I'm practicing I'm conscious of a list of issues that I cross check against. This check list must not yet be at the subconscious level.

Since this is a journey, then, I just have to get this done so I can migrate to a new list...

What this shows is that you have a different mental approach while practicing than you do at the gig. If you think having a mental checklist helps you play better in practice then try using the same mental checklist at the gig. It is worth a go.

But you know that would just cause anxiety. They always say, practice when you are practicing, when perfoming, just play (and forget about rules).

There's so much going on at a gig and you're basically just trying to fit your performance in a small window in between everything else going on. It's actually amazing that it's even possible to make a musical statement. Maybe in a trio there's more opportunity.

That's why I'm thinking the only rule may be to "simplify". Then let everything else evolve from that.

Well whatever works I guess is the best thing to use.

If the reason you think you are not playing well on the gig is that you are distracted then that is the thing you need to tackle. Playing simpler may help some but what you really need is to develop more concentration. Easier said than done I know.

Well as I implied in the original post, practicing with "concentration" hopefully transfers to a live performance and where at that point, concentration/focus is done subconsciously. But perhaps it doesn't work like that.

Or maybe it's just a habit of always in concentration that causes one to increase their capability. Reminds me of a gig I saw with Ron Carter. He STOPPED in the middle of a tune because he pointed to an audience member and said his tapping was distracting. And his forehead showed extreme concentration while he played. Seemed extreme though.

Someone actually told me at a jam session that my serious look doesn't fit and this person ran up to me, shook my shoulders and said, "relax, be happy, this is jazz."

I told that to my teacher and he said that guy was Full of sh.t and I should adopt whatever features I choose. Certainly seems like Bill Evan's way or even KJ really.

In any case, what I'm saying is that whatever I do, I hope it gets sunk in at practice time and so I don't have to be conscious of it at a gig. I suppose because it is jazz, some consciousness has to always be at the upper levels to improvise. Such a difficult genre...

Lately, I've been more aware of advanced piano articulations with soloing. Typically jazz soloing is at a fixed dynamic level and articulation is limited to swing. But playing more delicate tunes like Body and Soul reveal that finesse is a good thing.

So I've been developing my finger articulation a little better. I just bought a book recommended by Hal Galper (Contemporary Piano Technique) where some Russian techniques promoted by Madame Chaloff are discussed. Interesting how the first part of it focuses on (a) Velocity, (b) Finger movements, (c) Connection with breathing. Madame Chaloff of course is known as the teacher of many famous jazz pianists from KJ, Herbie, Kenny Werner, Hal Galper and even my teacher).

In the past, I've considered finger articulation to be unimportant to jazz since we seldom deal with pianissimo dynamics but it's becoming apparent to me that fast and light playing relies a lot on this.

I think a lot of Chick Corea's articulation is finger based.

So what do you think? Is finger articulation important to you?

Jazzwee: I disagree with your teacher a bit. I think when we play a gig we are there to entertain the audience, and the audience wants to see that you are having fun. Yeah, if I go see Keith Jarrett, I don't care what he looks like, but we're not at the concert level. An audience can pick up on the vibe in a band more than the details of what's going on. My bass player occassionaly gets upset if someone gets off form or enters at the wrong part. I always remind him we're doing this for fun and need to laugh about that stuff, not scowl. (he agrees) I know audience members enjoy the playing a lot more if they sense the band is having a good time, and then we enjoy it more.

>> "relax, be happy, this is jazz."
I thought west coast jazz was all about being serious


Maybe the guy was from New Orleans or something...

I agree with the teacher, let the guy have the attitude he wants.

Let him smile, hum, frown, tap his foot, on 1, on 2, on whatever. Let him stand, or sit still. Not everybody's gonna look like Hampton or Garner.