Yorktown Central Jazz

1..2..1..2..3..4..

2011-10-08T21:58:00.000-04:00

This is Jamey Aebersold! Did you ever wonder what that guy looked like - the one who counts off all those play-a-long albums? Well here is on the saxamaphone with guitarist Dave Stryker at a masterclass. Outside of that, I think you'll like what Dave has to say, he's great at breaking everything down so you can understand what's up. Rhythm section, please listen to this, and take some mental notes.

Bad, Badder, Baddest!!

2011-10-08T21:43:00.001-04:00

This is Clifford Brown people! This clip is from a live jam session in Philly, and is possibly his last recording. The story from Max Roach goes like this...

On a rain swept, early morning in June, 1956, onthe Pennsylvania Turnpike, Clifford Brown, along with pianistRichie Powell, and Richie's wife, Nancy, who was driving, waskilled when their automobile hurtled over an embankment.

Various persons close to Brown can think of reasons why the accidentnever should have happened. Like most tragedies, this one is encasedin "if's." Roach recalls vividly the minute detailsof incidents leading up to the accident-and away from it.

"The whole thing just never should have happened," Roachsaid.

"Instrument manufacturers had been after us for some timeto use their instruments. We never consented before. Every oncein a while, Brownie would bring a new horn on the job, but healways went back to his old one. Well, this time, we had threedays off between jobs, and Clifford and Richie went home to Philly,and I came to New York. We were supposed to open in Chicago'sBlue Note that following Wednesday. I called Brownie from NewYork to tell him what time and where to meet me on the turnpike,and we could come on into Chicago together. He said no, he haddecided to go get a new horn."

Max paused a second. Then he said, "If he hadn't decidedto get that horn . . . Anyway, we agreed to meet in Chicago. Iwas going to go on so I could get some sleep before working, soI left in time to arrive in Chicago around 3 in the morning. Brownieleft Philadelphia in time to get to Elkhart, Ind., around 9 toget the horn and come on in to Chicago. The girl was driving.It was raining, and they were killed."

It should be noted that Clifford Brown was just 25 years old.

I know the recording quality is not hot, but just sit back and soak in the content. This is a tune called "A Night in Tunisia" originally made famous by the Charlie Parker quintet.

Senor Blues

2011-10-08T21:22:00.002-04:00

This clip is loaded with goodies, but I'd pay special attention to Horace Silver's piano solo starting at 4:10. It's a masterpiece in motific playing. Listen to how each new idea gets reworked and rediscovered. I like the little quote from Charlie Parker's tune "Ornithology" in there. Also that hip line at 4:38. When I listen to this tune, I'm reminded of how fun it is to play jazz, and how cool it has always been, and will continue to be with you on the scene. Get out your Aebersold's people, and start experimenting.

The Power of Music

2011-10-08T21:07:00.001-04:00

I feel bad, I have left you with that elevator music post since June 16th. That said, I hope you enjoyed it and have a new appreciation for that kind of thing. OK...so I'm back, and to kick things off appropriately, I'm going to come at you hard with a true tale about the power of music.

The Joy of Easy Listening

2011-06-16T17:08:00.001-04:00

The BBC has done it again. This is the first clip of a documentary on that music we all know and love called "easy listening." As you'll discover, it has a lot to do with the arranger bringing out the best in a hook. This short will bring you back to the days of the record player and other electronic gadgets you've never heard of, like tuning knobs on televisions.

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Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Check out John McLaughlin on Cherokee

2011-06-14T09:44:00.000-04:00

Most people don't think of John McLaughlin as this kind of player, because they are familiar with a lot of his other work that is modern, but here he is burning up "Cherokee" - a jazz standard which is required repetiore for a bebopper. It just shows you once again how important it is to be, rather than appear to be - esse quam videri. Don't be a poser, learn your stuff, hit the practice room, so that you can be a jazz musician, and not a fraud. Tell me, do you think after checking out this clip, that John McLaughlin spent some time in the shed? The rest of the band isn't too shabby either.

Computer generated improvisation?

2011-06-14T09:37:00.000-04:00

So you've learned your licks, you've figured out what scales work on what chord, you've got your voice leading down. How is it any different if a computer does the same? Is a computer capable of playing soulful sounding improvisation? Is it possible for a computer to react to jazz changes and improvise, given some fancy programming code?

Below is a computer generated solo using George Garzone's Triadic Chromatic approach - you can look back a few posts and find more on the concept. I've also used the band in a box program and heard some computer generated Joe Hendersen-esque soloing. Honestly...it wasn't that bad. I even stole a lick - shhh, it might be listening. So listen to this...

Very Superstitious!

2011-05-24T14:56:00.000-04:00

Young jazzers, dig this, many of jazz's rising young talents in one room...

Gig with Jamey Aebersold

2011-05-24T14:51:00.000-04:00

Listen to this guy, he's on his "gig" with Jamey Aebersold. Even though jazz band is over, you can still gig with the best of them right there in the comfort of your own room. This is a tune called Moments Notice by John Coltrane. It's got a lot of II-V chord progressions in there, and it moves along quickly. I like Brandon Lee's lines and phrasing, he's really got the hard bop style down pat.

Stevie Wonder fans, dig this!

2011-04-08T15:25:00.000-04:00

I've had Esperanza on here before, and she deserves a second look if you missed the first clip. This performance is just...WOW! She might even be more deserving than the Bieber of her Best New Artist Grammy award. Notice the key changes happening, notice the impecable tuning on the bass, notice her ability to get in the moment in front of Stevie Wonder and the LEADER OF THE FREE WORLD!!! There is a bass player you know who needs to see this immediately - even the hair fits!

Pat Metheny (and his hair)

2011-04-04T14:27:00.000-04:00

This is some nice playing right here. Just sit back and look out the window (or stare at his hair) as you take this one in.

You should try and create beautiful melodies like Pat has every time you play. Please don't emulate his hair.

Flutes....In......Space!!!

2011-04-04T14:11:00.001-04:00

Jamming in space near the end of this video. It's almost a blues scale! I hope the neighbors don't mind. On a side note, a baseball cap might be a good investment.

Picard isn't too shabby either... shmaltzy perhaps, but not shabby.

April Fools prank!

2011-04-01T13:11:00.000-04:00

I enjoyed this one, and I'm a blog, so I can only imagine what you will think of it...

FYI, the orchestra teacher and the first violinist are in on it, don't be frightened.

Phoa Constrictor!

2011-03-25T15:12:00.000-04:00

Click HERE to dig the latest and greatest.

Swing Dancing!

2011-03-25T15:07:00.000-04:00

"If dancing were any easier it would be called football." ~anonymous
While this clip is older than dirt, you will love the swing dancing at the end (2:42). It features Slam Stewart playing some bass and Slim Gaillard at the piano. You can't go wrong with Slim AND Slam in your rhythm section.

The Grammy Band

2011-01-24T23:27:00.000-05:00

This is a little clip of last year's Grammy band.
These are some of the best young jazz musicians in the country. If you were impressed like I was with Josh Shpaks audition performance, give the trumpet solo at 4:39 a listen - Adam O'Farrill was this year's 3rd chair (the jazz improv chair) trumpet player, and I think you'll see why. Click HERE for the complete roster.

What is that guy playing?

2011-01-24T22:36:00.001-05:00

Have you ever listened to a jazz musician and wondered, what is that guy playing? I, your blog, have. Look at this one, it's the lead sheet (the unembellished melody with chord changes) at the bottom and what the musician actually plays at the top, with captions! Take a look, it might give you some insight on what to do.

Louis Armstrong, simply the best!

2011-01-24T22:29:00.001-05:00

This clip is unreal. It's also mandatory viewing for all high school hipsters.

The Chromatic Triadic Approach...a.k.a. the what?!

2011-01-24T22:24:00.000-05:00

If you are a theory monster who eats scales and chords for breakfast, then you might want to spend your lifetime mastering this concept, it's all the rage. Click HERE to be redirected to a little pamphlet explaining tenor player George Garzone's Triadic Chromatic Approach to jazz improvisation.

This is the core concept as it is explained in the pamphlet...

Core Concept: For the soloist to outline the changes at the same time as the
rhythm section is redundant! Lines generated by the "chromatic approach"
provide a harmonic "carpet" that enhance the rhythm section, rather than
repeating it.
The combination of the triadic and chromatic approaches enables the
improvisor to move away from thinking solely about specific notes and
towards about contour and overall sound. For instance, lines derived from
the major triad exercise will generate a sound very distinct to lines derived
from minor triads, even if at first it might sound like random notes!

Here is George in action...

You aren't going to find a more spontaneous improviser than George.

Dizzy!!!

2011-01-24T22:05:00.000-05:00

Dizzy Gillespie is more than big cheeks and a funky looking trumpet. Dig it...

The New Thing

2011-01-24T21:59:00.000-05:00

These two clips of the Robert Glasper Experiment taped at a Berklee demo kind of blew my mind when I saw them. It's very free, and I wouldn't say entirely polished, but there are some really brilliant musical moments in there. The first is mellow, the second is crazy. You might want to start with the second for a real wow, and then work backwards, I did. Check them out, this is very representative of today's sound...

Someone to check out...Gregory Porter

2011-01-24T21:52:00.000-05:00

Gregory Porter warms up the room with his sound. I'm once again reminded of how important your tone is. What Mr. Porter has (aside from a great musical feel, pitch, a hip hat and a bunch of other really good stuff) is a unique voice. You need that too. Do you like this guy? If you do, why not leave a comment?

Didgeradoo, or didn't you?

2011-01-24T21:43:00.000-05:00

I'm not going to draw any jazz parallels here, this is just plain cool. Crank up the sound for a real treat.

Free jazz, for life!

2011-01-24T21:40:00.000-05:00

First check out a youngish Charles Lloyd with his quartet featuring Keith Jarret on piano. This clip happened in 1968! This is some beautiful music making right here, close your eyes and listen.

Now check out a more recent Charles Lloyd working it out with drummer Billy Higgins. How cool would it be to be that age and still have that kind of playing experience with friends and fellow musicians?

"Why Your Music is Important"

2011-01-19T15:14:00.000-05:00

"Sweet" Sue Terry has some valuable insight she'd like to share. She is a wonderful alto saxophonist, and an inspiration to musicians everywhere, hopefully her words will inspire you.

Compliment the soloist

2011-01-05T22:08:00.000-05:00

Hey, you look nice in those pants!
While that may or may not be true, that is not the kind of compliment I was referring to in the title of this post. I was referring to the magnificent drumming by Greg Hutchinson. He is responding to everything he hears and setting up soloist Joshua Redman beautifully all while maintaining the groove and feel of the song. He is complimenting the soloist through his subtle touch, and strong interest in what he is playing. This is performance at a very high level, and a level you should all strive to attain.

What is your motive?!

2011-01-05T21:59:00.000-05:00

This rendition of Charlie Parker's bebop head "Perhaps" by the Aaron Goldberg trio is great for a lot of reasons, but the reason I want to highlight is for it's clear cut example of motific playing on the piano. Listen carefully to the the first couple of phrases at the very beginning of Aaron's solo (I'm calling him Aaron like I know him, although I am a blog, whatever that is, and I do not). There...good, did you catch that first phrase? Now listen to how he moves that little phrase snippet all around over the piano. He is elaborating on that first phrase, and at the same time reinforcing the weight and the meaning of it. He stretches it sometimes, he messes with it's rhythm, he changes it's pitch and it's shape. This is how a solo can happen...it's not the only way, but it is a nice way. He is telling a story with that first phrase and he does it beautifully.

Would you like to play at the Grammys?

2010-12-23T08:14:00.001-05:00

Josh Shpak is playing at the Grammy Awards this year, and he is in his high school jazz band just like you. Here is his audition video for the Grammy band. Pretty cool, eh? I love his flow of ideas, and how he makes the most of every phrase. He's got that Lee Morgan-esque punchy articulation when he wants to pop it in there, and best of all, he is interactive with the rhythm section. He's listening to them, they are listening to him, and they are feeding off of eachother. You can do this! It just takes a lot of practice, a lot of experimentation, and group of friends who are as excited about making music as you are.

Who knew Mr. Bean could conduct?!

2010-12-23T08:03:00.001-05:00

Happy Holidays everyone! As I prepare in the darkness of my band room to embark on another "secret mission" I just want to quickly pass along how very proud I am of each of you. You've come a long way musically to be accepted in the group, and you continue to prove at each rehearsal that you deserve to be there. Now...if you can follow my conducting like this brass band follows Mr. Bean then we will be all set. This is classic...

"Jazz is an accident...glad to have happened"

2010-12-20T21:55:00.000-05:00

If you follow one piece of advice on this blog, it's to go rent the movie "This Is Spinal Tap." It's satirical awesomeness.

Your jazz prescription...transcription.

2010-12-17T12:22:00.000-05:00

Dear Blog,
Will reading a transcription mess me up by forcing me to play someone elses idea, effectively eliminating my creativity?

No. Not more than watching Tony Hawk riding a skateboard limits your creativity at the skate park, or reading books limits your ability to write.

Look at it another way...these transcriptions are from musicians who have dedicated their lives to play at a certain level. They would all like to leave their mark on the world musically and in turn, they all bring something to the table...some new harmonic idea, some rhythmic concept, some melodic change, a feeling, their culture, whatever it may be. If you can pick up on that, and maybe set your sight in a new direction, or expand on what you heard, you are on your way to doing your own thing. What makes you unique? You are unique, you know...just ask your mom.

Check out this site HERE. It has tons of transcriptions, the recording AND the analysis so you can break it, break it, break it on down and see what each musician is up to.

Caravan...not your mom's car

2010-12-14T23:13:00.000-05:00

This post is about the song "Caravan" by Juan Tizol and Duke Ellington (jazz's greatest composer). I've always dug this tune. It has that mystical middle eastern vibe thing happening. Even my own mother, who drove a Caravan, can identify this as being jazz. It's exotic. It's spicy. It makes you want to sit cross legged on the floor of your tent and dip bread into some hummus or roast a lamb or something. Check it out HERE.
Someone pointed out one time that Duke wrote for the musicians in the band, rather than just writing for some fictional band. In other words, he played to the strengths of the people he was working with. Look at this score HERE, he even has nicknames penciled in there - Tricky, Cooty...what's yours?

Esperanza Spalding...Letterman's "coolest guest"

2010-12-05T22:52:00.000-05:00

I know what you are thinking...can you, my favorite blog, provide me, the viewer a.k.a. me, with a 23 year old female jazz/soul singing bass player? How about a guy on a keyboard with a blowtube to back her up?

You know I can!

"You fear jazz."

2010-12-01T20:21:00.002-05:00

Ladies Home Journal 1921..."Does Jazz Put the Sin in Syncopation?"

2010-11-30T23:09:00.000-05:00

Read this article HERE. It was published in 1921 by Anne Shaw Faulkner, head of the Music Department of the General Federation of Women's Clubs in the Ladies Home Journal magazine. It's fair to say that she wasn't a fan of the new music of the time - jazz. Take this quote for example...

"But 'jazz' is an unmitigated cacophony, a combination of disagreeable sounds in complicated discords, a willful ugliness and a deliberate vulgarity."

A wee bit harsh, no?

You have been replaced...meet Jazzbot.

2010-11-30T22:46:00.000-05:00

OK, so "Jazzbot" is not going to replace you anytime soon. However, scientists in the Takanishi Lab in Japan are working on it. That is right, "Jazzbot" is capable of learning to play hip little jazz lines. Check it out HERE! You better start practicing, Jazzbot is coming for you, and he/she is stainless steel baby!

Nintendo Jazz?

2010-11-30T22:34:00.000-05:00

If you are worth your salt, you have checked out the classic Miles Davis album "Kind of Blue" by now. If you haven't, there is no hope for you. The end. Only joking of course, but this post will be much more enjoyable if you are familiar with the original recording. Check it out... type it in the google... it will come up in many ways. (I like calling it "the google". It's very 1975.) Some guy with too much time on his hands duplicated the album note for note as an 8 bit recording. This is the "So What" cut. If you play video games more than you play jazz you'll still enjoy this one, but you should maybe take a break and practice once in a while. I'm just sayin'.

Your Brain on Jazz.

2010-11-30T22:24:00.001-05:00

"Scientists have discovered that when jazz musicians improvise, areas of their brains associated with inhibition quiet down, and those involved with self-expression heat up."

While this isn't a major shock to jazz musicians, the way this was discovered was quite interesting. Check out how they put together the experiment HERE. and even better, check it out HERE, there are pictures and everything!

The Bloop!

2010-11-29T18:51:00.000-05:00

Turn up your speakers and kick back as you take in the jazzness of the Bloop! You see... even the earth (or whatever is living down there) wants to add some tensions in there.
''The Bloop is the name given to an ultra-low frequency and extremely powerful underwater sound detected by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) several times during 1997. According to the NOAA description, it "rises rapidly in frequency over about one minute and was of sufficient amplitude to be heard on multiple sensors, at a range of over 5,000 km. The source of the sound remains unknown...''

''Scientists determined that its wave pattern indicates it was made by an animal, and not a giant electromagnet sucking a plane out of the sky, as the creators of Lost were no doubt hoping.''

''While the audio profile of the bloop does resemble that of a living creature, the system identified it as unknown because it was far too loud for that to have been the case: it was several times louder than the loudest known biological sound.''

''There is no animal big enough or loud enough to make that kind of noise, not by a long shot. Not a blue whale, not a howler monkey, not a startled teenage girl.''

Cold Duck Time!

2010-11-03T00:20:00.000-04:00

If you're thinking about those long necked orange things hanging in the windows in Chinatown, erase that thought. This is the Eddie Harris jazz classic "Cold Duck Time." Lets start with a video of some guy's hands (the hands belong to the oddly named Volvoxburger) doing their funky best to duplicate the legendary pianist Les McCann . There is a transcription of what Volvoxburger's hands are doing if you click HERE.

Next dig some Les McCann and Eddie Harris doing what they do best live. Mr. Holober recommends this one, and that's about as good a recommendation as you are going to get.

Jazz at Lincoln Center! a.k.a. JALC

2010-10-16T00:21:00.000-04:00

Some very hip stuff in HERE, all available for free for your listening pleasure. Shhh...don't tell anyone, but listening to these shows will make you more WORLDLY, and people will be attracted to the chemistry of your character. I just traveled "Beyond the Spanish Tinge."

I Get Misty...

2010-10-15T23:49:00.000-04:00

Ella Fitzgerald. This is a singer.

Jazz Play-a-long tracks for the Bb Blues and F Blues

2010-10-15T23:44:00.000-04:00

My new favorite site for jazz karaoke is Grooveshark. I plug in the search for "Aebersold" and instantly I have like 100 play-a-long back up rhythm section tracks for a wide array of jazz standards.

Here is your assignment...Go to the Vol. 54 Maiden Voyage album and play with F Blues and Bb Blues. Remember, the more you play along, the more comfortable it's going to be. Before you know it, you'll have a goatee and call your girlfriend "man," as you lay down the heavy bebop.

Ridiculous!

2010-10-15T23:33:00.001-04:00

I don't know how much time you put in on your 3rd grade recorder skills in music class. It's safe to say however that it is not as much time as this guy. In addition to having a cool name (Benoit Suave), Mr. Sauve has mastered transcription at a level I don't think I've ever seen before. Transcribing a solo is a great way to get inside the head of a master improviser, and it helps all aspects of your playing in the process. Here is a great way to get started with your first transcription. Step one - find a solo you like. Step 2 - set yourself up really close to the rewind button (dating myself, but you get the idea). Step three - play along until you have it down. Step 4 - Put it down on paper. I found that last step to be the hardest one as a beginner. Keep at it, it will get easier with time. Miles Davis's "So What" solo is a great place to start if you are looking for inspiration.

Don't start with this solo. It's another solo over "Skunk Funk" from Michael Brecker. This one won a Grammy Award for best improvised solo in 2007. It's also amazing. Michael Brecker is a hugely influential jazz musician, and really took the whole post-Coltrane sound in a different direction.

My Way

2010-05-14T00:37:00.000-04:00

Learn what you will from this clip, it's a really good one...

Tom Harrell - One of the greats!

2010-05-11T00:18:00.000-04:00

Are you a trumpet player? Then you need to give this a listen. Mr. Harrell has an interesting story.

It's not Kenny G, but they might consider working him in there somehow.

2010-05-11T00:06:00.000-04:00

OK...so this is not jazz. Listen, the nice boys in Metallica are such good sports about the pirated music and all that I thought this clip deserved some attention. I really like what they've done with Enter Sandman.

This is it!

2010-05-10T23:55:00.001-04:00

So on this clip you've got Cannonball Adderley on the alto sax, his brother Nat Adderley on trumpet, Yusef Lateef on tenor sax and flute, Joe Zawinul on the piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums. This is one of my favorite live groups. Listen to how hip the rhythm section is, the background lines, the soloists. This is everything jazz can be.

Groove, you are born with it.

2010-05-10T23:36:00.000-04:00

I feel for this thing - click HERE. It just wants to lay down some jams. It's hard being a robot in this cold, impersonal world we live in.

Larry McKenna, he's bad!

2010-05-10T23:28:00.000-04:00

This guy Larry McKenna is one of those dudes who seems to have magic fingers when it comes to playing hip inside, tasty lines. Dig this clip of him playing "Groovin' High" and check out the transcription too while you are listening. He's got a lot of gems in there you can emulate. Outside of Sonny Stitt, I don't think I've ever heard anyone put bebop lines together so fluently. HERE is the link to both the recorded solo and the transcription. HERE is the transcription only.

This is a special animal

2010-05-10T23:14:00.000-04:00

This is not your run of the mill pooper scooper dog scat. Yeah, it turns out scat has dual meaning. This dog has skills. Kudos to his trainer and vocal coach.

Stormy Weather

2010-05-10T23:06:00.002-04:00

Sorry for the lack of posts lately, I've been going through some stormy weather of my own, but don't you worry, I won't leave you out there in the rain to find jazz for yourself.
This is Lena Horne, who just passed away today at age 92. Lena was a great jazz vocalist and a civil rights leader. She battled all sorts of persecution in her lifetime, but remained strong willed and steadfast in her convictions. This is a clip of her performing the song "Stormy Weather." It's a jazz standard, aren't they all? Dig in particular the dramatic window-blowing-in music...poor conductor.

Solid Potato Salad!

2010-02-14T10:52:00.000-05:00

Not sure what this has to do with jazz, but you will like it. First the abridged HD version...

Next the low def, but equally entertaining clip...

Virtuosity

2010-02-12T22:47:00.001-05:00

Sometimes as I eat pistachios, I think about what it takes to make it as a musician. If it's money you're after, then you need to get hooked up with the right management, look the part, and play what your management asks you to play. I know what you are thinking...hey, could that be conceived as "selling out?" Maybe, but it's nice to live in a house and eat, isn't it?! Still, I keep thinking that it would be more satisfying if you could play what you want to play, and at a level where every idea in your head could make it's way onto your instrument. I hope there is always a market for that, I guess we'll see. Here is a guy who can throw it down like that...Loren Stillman is up with this thing:

Veritable Flabby Preludes (for a Dog)

2010-02-11T13:58:00.002-05:00

Five Grins or Mona Lisa's Moustache

Sketches and Exasperations of A Big Boob Made of Wood

Menus for Childish Purposes

All are titles by the classical composer Eric Satie (1866-1925). Is he a little eccentric? Yes! THIS ARTICLE makes a pretty good case for Satie as the first modern composer. He's using modes, working the tritones, chord planing, he even has a cool nickname..."The Velvet Gentleman". A lot of this stuff sounds modern even today, almost 100 years later. If you haven't checked him out, he's a guy that influenced a lot of jazz musicians when he was semi rediscovered in the 60's by guys like Bill Evans and John Cage. CLICK HERE for a summary of Satie, the man and his music, there are even some sound clip on there for you to hip yourself to.

How do I know if I'm practicing enough?

2010-01-28T00:50:00.002-05:00

I can't tell you if you are practicing enough, because I think you probably have the answer to that stored deep down in places you don't talk about at parties (Jack Nicholson - "A Few Good Men") .    For what it's worth, I found out that in a conservatory college, the really successful kids practiced on average about 2 to 4 hours a day. That might seem like a lot to you, and in High School, that's pretty much undo-able. So lets say you have a half hour to an hour to work with, you are going to need to make the most of it, right?
If you split it up into...
1) Long tones for 5-10 minutes (pick a scale and hold the notes as long as you can while still making them sound round and full and unwavering). That way you get a scale down, and your sound worked out in one foul swoop. Or is it a fowl swoop? Do I care?
2) Next, really practice something that is giving you trouble reading wise - slow it down if you have to, and if I know you like you know you, you probably do. Work out the fingerings, the rhythms and the articulations for about 15 - 20 minutes. Don't play the parts you already know, play the hard parts.
3)  Then try to write out, or just figure out, on your instrument, some familiar tune you already know by ear for about 10 -20 minutes, or take a lick and work it out in every key. This will develop your ears and help you play in weird keys without too much difficulty.
4) Lastly, let loose and play something - either a piece of written literature, or improvise with an Aebersold if that's what you are working on, for the remainder of the time. The goal for this part of your practice session is just to clear your mind and let your subconscious take over your fingers and playing. Yeah, it's like you are a Zen master instrumentalist or something. Don't think! Do!
That's one plan, but you can make your own. Just try and get some reading, some listening/ear training, and some focused work in there. Then you'll be groovy, and not just look groovy. Berklee's motto : Esse Quam Videri - meaning "To be, rather than to seem to be."

Time went by fast didn't it? ...So as you ponder how much time you are putting in, and how you are going to split it up, you should check out this video. It is of blind pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii (born September 13, 1988). It's fair to say he practices the full amount.

Haiti, a Musical Melting Pot

2010-01-27T13:37:00.005-05:00

With the globalism of jazz (I'll explain more about this in a later post), you as a musician need to explore and expand your mind as you listen to the folk music, tonalities, instruments and sounds of other cultures. While most colleges, sadly even MUSIC colleges, stick solely to teaching the practice of what I would call "European theory", there is a WHOLE WORLD of different music out there that has nothing to do with our scales, chords, notation system, instruments or rhythmic subdivisions. In fact, if you dig deep, you'll see that many cultures are more advanced rhythmically, harmonically and melodically than we are. Open up your ears young bald monkey person.

Now regretably, I your blog, am not an expert on Haitian music, but that doesn't mean I can't share with you a little shnipplet of good stuff. Here's a little conceptual stuff from Wikipedia, so that you understand where the music is coming from...
The music of Haiti is influenced mostly by European colonial ties and African migration through slavery. In the case of European colonization, musical influence has derived primarily from the French, however Haitian music has been influenced to a significant extent by its Spanish-speaking neighbors, Cuba and the bordering Dominican Republic, whose Spanish-infused music has contributed much to the country's musical genres as well. Styles of music unique to the nation of Haiti include music derived from vodou ceremonical traditions and the wildly popular Compas.
So that gives you an idea of all the cultural influences that go into making the music so rich. I hope that as you keep Haiti in your heart, you will explore musically all that it has to offer. CLICK HERE to visit a site about a musician named Nemours Jean Baptiste. He was a saxophonist and popular band leader who is credited with inventing Compas, Haiti's most popular music style. It's kind of a light merengue. Merengue as we've discussed before has a clave, or rhythmic pulse, derived from the dance of the same name. It's not pie, but tastes as just as sweet.

La Strada!

2010-01-04T01:50:00.001-05:00

A little while back, I mentioned a band called "La Strada." They are not playing what you'd call jazz, or even the dreaded jazzy, but they are wonderful musicians and songwriters. Two of the band members were former YHS jazz band students - Ted Lattis on the beard, and Devon Press on the hat. You should check them out. It's hard for me not to get all weepy listening to this here.

It turns out they have an album coming out in the spring. I'm first in line, if there were still lines. Fortunately, there is still spring, but with a little global warming we can fix that too. Here's a little making of video, looks promising.

Big Band Arranging

2010-01-02T22:33:00.000-05:00

Ever wonder how someone writes a big band chart? It's labor intensive, but rewarding, and best of all, it is something you can do if you have the inclination. This guy, Jim Martin, is a great arranger, and is willing to share some information on the magic behind the writing. CLICK HERE...he'll break down how to voice a simple little snippet. BTW...if you have a ska band, or any kind of thing with a horn section, it works the same way.

Take A Train

2010-01-02T22:12:00.001-05:00

OK...So by now, all the hipsters following the blog know that most of what we call the "modern" tenor players came out of Joe Henderson, but have you had a chance to dig the master himself? Here is a little reworking of the classic "Take the A Train" by Duke Ellington. I put this up here so you can hear what can done with an old classic a.k.a. a standard.

A standard is a tune that has been played many, many times by many, many different musicians over many, many years. That's a lot of "manys" in there to deal with. Eventually, if enough musicians learn the song, and memorize the melody and the changes, it becomes a standard. One could say that it is a testament to how well these songs were written that they still get played today. If you listen to classic rock, there is a good chance you're going to hear "Hotel California." It's the same thing in the jazz world. Good music holds up.

Top 5 Christmas Jazz Recordings

2009-12-19T12:33:00.003-05:00

Tis the season to check out new stuff, and you probably are making your wish list for your parents as we speak, so how about digging some of this action...

1. Miles Davis and Bob Dorough "Merry X-Mas (To Whom It May Concern)" While not a particular uplifting song (check the lyrics below), it's brilliant. That tenor solo - wow! Bob Dorough the singer was the guy who did "Schoolhouse Rock."   This is my favorite of all time, for any holiday. lol It truly needs nothing else, but the snapshots of garbage floating in Greece and other depressing clips don't detract from the cut. In fact, with repeated viewing they will grow on you somehow.

Blue Xmas

Merry Christmas
I hope you have a white one, but for me it's blue
Blue Christmas, that's the way you see it when you're feeling blue
Blue Xmas, when you're blue at Christmastime
you see right through,
All the waste, all the sham, all the haste
and plain old bad taste

Sidewalk Santy Clauses are much, much, much too thin
They're wearing fancy rented costumes, false beards and big fat phony grins
And nearly everybody's standing round holding out their empty hand or tin cup
Gimme gimme gimme gimme, gimme gimme gimme
Fill my stocking up
All the way up
It's a time when the greedy give a dime to the needy
Blue Christmas, all the paper, tinsel and the fal-de-ral
Blue Xmas, people trading gifts that matter not at all
What I call
Fal-de-ral
Bitter gall.......Fal-de-ral

Lots of hungry, homeless children in your own backyards
While you're very, very busy addressing
Twenty zillion Christmas cards
Now, Yuletide is the season to receive and oh, to give and ahh, to share
But all you December do-gooders rush around and rant and rave and loudly blare
Merry Christmas
I hope yours is a bright one, but for me it bleeds

2.   The Ramsey Lewis Trio "Merry Christmas Baby." The tempo is slow enough to warm you up without a fire. This whole album is amazing, and will put you in the spirit.



3. Ella Fitgerald "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas". Nobody can swing a classic like Ella. She's the quintessential (nod to Mr. Levy) jazz singer.

4. Duke Ellington "Sugar Rum Cherry" from the Nutcracker Suite. You'll recognize it as a jazzed up version of The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies.

5. Ray Charles and Betty Carter "Baby, It's Cold Outside" It's THE love song for the season, how can you go wrong with that? Listen to the way Betty Carter shapes her notes and phrases. I don't think I've ever heard anyone but maybe Billie Holliday do it with that kind of mastery. I'm going to try to capture some of that when I play a melody, you should too.

How to save jazz, a simple explanation.

2009-11-17T16:14:00.005-05:00

Can you shuffle your cheeks and/or jowls. Not in Pittsburgh in 1920. CLICK HERE and keep that "cheek and jowl shuffle" behind closed doors. I don't know what fascinates me so much with these old articles. I guess I like the fact that jazz was so counter culture back then. Why do you think it was so popular? It was exciting.

On that note, throughout history, jazz has always pushed the limits. With declining jazz record sales, it would be wise for the industry to promote that kind of jazz - the edgy, exciting, boundary pushing kind, instead of pushing the soothing background music for your wine and cheese party type of jazz. I can take a little of that, and completely respect people like Diana Krall who do it beautifully, but it's just not cool to anyone under 30.

I think a younger audience would be way more into jazz if they recognized it as the music of rebellion. Music that is made in contrast to the mainstream mediocre garbage that is pumped into your head without abandon. It's bananas, b a n a n a s. Wake up people! You are being manipulated by "music industry professionals" a.k.a. uncreative old guys making money off of you, into a sugary dumbed down world of boring, repetitive, overproduced, overhyped fluff for simpletons.

Look at this video, wait until about 1:10 in, and you'll see how exciting new jazz is.

Theremin...not a swine flu drug.

2009-11-15T23:46:00.000-05:00

If you are wondering what this Theremin thing is, you are not alone. However, it does, like all odd stuff, have it's own little fan club. Hey, while I'm on it...don't forget that you are unique, just like everyone else. I'm not even sure you got that, but I had a nice chuckle. So back to the Theremin, simply put it is an electronic instrument played by proximity. It's also the oldest electronic instrument currently played. If you are wondering what to make me for Christmas, and you have skills with a soldering gun, this is it.

The subject is...Jazz!

2009-11-02T21:42:00.001-05:00

I am heavy on George Russell these days, so I'd like to share this with you. It's funny listening to this because I feel like a lot of what you hear on this would be considered "modern" today. Start listening at 6:10, and dig the groove. To say George Russell the arranger and composer was ahead of his time is a major understatement. If you like this, seek out "George Russell - Jazz Workshop." I'm listening to this non-stop these days. Even if you don't like the songs on the album, you've got Bill Evans on Piano, Barry Galbraith on Guitar, Paul Motian on drums, Milt Hinton on bass, Art Farmer on Trumpet, Hal McKusick on sax. I especially like how George Russell says at 11:10 that tonally it is an unadventurous piece. His book "Lydian Chromatic Concepts of Tonal Organization" changed the landscape of jazz. Tonal Gravity! He gives a brief explanation of that here at 11:30.

What is on your i-pod playlist?

2009-10-28T22:38:00.002-04:00

Apparently we have formed some pretty strong stereotypes that link people to the music they listen to. HERE is the full study out of Cambridge University. It's a hard read so you should probably just skip to this thing HERE. It's a video clip and summary of the article. Another study out of Heriot-Watt University adds to the mix. Check it out and give a listen to it's author HERE.

"Mom, I want to grow up and be a jazz musician."
"Now son, you have to pick one or the other, you can't do both."

A classic!

2009-10-27T23:56:00.001-04:00

This is a classic tune, and one of the all time best selling songs of jazz. It's called "Take Five" because it's written in 5/4 time. It is the title track from the album of the same name. If you don't own it, you should.
The song was written and made famous by the Dave Brubeck Quartet. Dave is on piano, Joe Morello is the drummer (and he plays one of the most famous drum solos in the history of jazz on the album), Paul Desmond is on alto sax and Eugene Wright is on bass. JAZZ GIG TIP #67: If you want to clear a dance floor, play something in 5!

Monkey Business

2009-10-27T23:44:00.001-04:00

Apparently monkeys don't go for music, unless it's made for them. Click HERE to take an auditory journey like no other.

Which do you prefer...happy or fearful monkey music? I know you're probably asked that a lot, but indulge us after you check out the snippets.

The left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing.

2009-10-27T23:36:00.000-04:00

The left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing. Maybe it's better that way? This is a clip of a guy named Phineas Newborn Jr. doing some left hand blues.

GO HERE NOW!

2009-10-27T23:26:00.000-04:00

How do I, your blog, get you to to click HERE now? This is the best. This is what the internet was invented for. Well, for this and other stuff. I'm guessing this link probably only works in the evening when the jazz set is under way.

PROJECT IDEA #1: For added fun, rearrange the living room furniture to face the computer, invite your friends over, dim the lights, have your friends wear their shades and make comments to each other in between songs like "they should take this uptown, where the bread is at."

Some thoughts on learning the trombone in 1878

2009-10-27T23:06:00.003-04:00

We here at the blog like to keep it old school. Click HERE to view this article. It's from the NY Times in 1878. It starts about halfway down the page on the left and then continues into a second column. Why? Why not? Below are two excerpts that might raise your eyebrows...

"Of all of the various brass instruments which have been devised by musical or malevolent ingenuity, there is none which in it's capacity for inflicting both torture and delight is comparable to the trombone."

Agree or disagree? Here is another...

"Central Africa is clearly the place designed by nature for students of the trombone. There alone they can practice in safety, and there alone will their brazen discords aid the march of civilization."

"...lets see what we can do here."

2009-10-11T02:58:00.000-04:00

Ingrid Jensen is a trumpeter you should check out. As a musician, she lives in the moment and interacts with what she hears, which is what you should strive to do. She also has a pleasant, down to earth attitude. Let her show you the way.

I'll bring it to you.

2009-10-11T02:35:00.001-04:00

Click HERE for the Smalls jazz club live video feed. It's pretty much the coolest thing since sliced bread. The best part is you won't miss the last train home.

Now play me some blues!

2009-10-04T01:04:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure it's accurate, but I like this quote from Bleeding Gums Murphy on the Simpsons as he was teaching Lisa to play..."The blues isn't about feeling better. It's about making other people feel WORSE, and making a few bucks while you're at it."

Click HERE to tryout a slow blues in F

Click HERE to live dangerously with a fast blues in F

Ears...more than odd looking skin flaps on the side of your head.

2009-09-23T23:05:00.000-04:00

So I was thinking, which is beyond what a computer can do BTW, but I was thinking... these ears of yours need growth, and I don't mean in a Dr. Spockish way. I mean it would be nice to do more with those things up there than hang glasses, accessorize them and pump in the latest singles.

I am loving THIS SITE right now. Here's the game plan for your ears...step 1 - go set up your instrument, step 2 - go to the LINK, step 3 - click on melodies and choose 3 notes (or 5 notes if your feeling frisky), step 4 - hit play and then robotically play those notes back to the computer. It's at least as entertaining as Simon, isn't it? Do that until it's old, and then move on to the rhythm section tab...Select all progressions and jazz lick mode under call and response with short phrases to start. In no time you'll be calling your girlfriend "man."

The only video of Clifford Brown

2009-09-18T23:02:00.002-04:00

The great trumpeter Clifford Brown a.k.a. "Brownie" was 25 when this clip was made. Listen to his clear articulation and dazzling lines. He was a young master who's life was tragically cut short in a car crash in Pennsylvania.

Mr. Fred Wesley!

2009-09-18T22:18:00.004-04:00

James Brown's right hand man Fred Wesley keeps it funky on this clip. Notice how he plays call and response with himself. He shoots out a little rhythmic phrase, then answers it. Back and forth, back and forth. Then look what it does to people, like that lady at :53 seconds in...

Don't choke the reed!

2009-09-18T21:40:00.002-04:00

Reeds aren't always cooperative, but maybe if you choke them less, they'll work with you. This is sax guru Jerry Bergonzi telling you how to create a perfect embouchure. If you are like me, you will find that Italian subtitles spice up the dish.

Lambdoma?!

2009-09-15T21:09:00.001-04:00

Is a Lambdoma a tasty Turkish treat? Not quite. I may have stumped myself on this one. THIS SITE by Drew Lesso is for the math major in you. It is complete with music clips to illustrate whatever it is that I'm looking at.

Thank you sir, may I have another?

2009-09-15T20:47:00.000-04:00

So you enjoyed last week's post did you, you little bald friend of mine? Well HERE is another site to help you use your ears for more than holding up your glasses or looking suave.

Train your ears

2009-09-09T23:27:00.001-04:00

Do one's ears need training? Yes. They do. Practice THIS, young bald monkey.

My left foot

2009-09-09T22:37:00.000-04:00

I know there are a lot of drumming clips on this blog of mine. Further, I know that you are not all drummers. Yet there is something to be said for playing rhythmically above all else on whatever it is that you play. It's a primal thing. Somewhere in our DNA we are forced to connect with a good groove.

This clip is all about the CLAVE. A clave, according to Wikipedia, is a rhythmic pattern used as a tool for temporal organization in Afro-Cuban music, such as salsa. It's the Latin version of the groove. There are many many different claves, most of which represent specific types of dance. Rhumba, Salsa, Bossa-Nova and Mambo are a few well known claves. Now that I'm done explaining, dig Horatio Hernandez's left foot as you listen to him solo, that's where the clave is at. BTW, claves are often played on actual claves, but not always.

Give me a reason...

2009-09-09T22:08:00.000-04:00

Need a reason for playing? How about this...SUPERHUMAN HEARING! Click on that to check out the latest study.

Back in action!

2009-09-08T22:25:00.000-04:00

I don't know why, but I, your blog, feel a certain pressure to post something a little extra special after this long break. I've missed you, and I know you've missed me too. So let's enjoy this moment together. Aaah. That's it. Hug it out. We're reunited, and it feels so good. Now let's cherish the love we have of jazz.

O.K., now that you are in the mood, let's talk about your sound. Think of your sound as your voice. Have you ever lost your voice? It's a really important part of communication, isn't it? Now think about how you can change the sound of your voice. What is your best voice? What do you do differently with your mouth and breathing to create your "best voice"? Could you play with that "best voice" on your instrument? I think you'll like this extra special clip from the Smithsonian I've cooked up for you...

Enjoy your summer!

2009-07-01T23:53:00.000-04:00

I'll try and put some stuff on the old bloggy from time to time, but for now I'm just going to take in the skywriting on this beach in India.

"Sing it Jared!"

2009-05-19T20:45:00.000-04:00

This post makes me happy inside. It's not jazz, but Jared from PS 22 lays it down.

Odd, in Bb

2009-05-14T21:34:00.001-04:00

This link is odd, and will save you a trip to the east village or Brooklyn.

More Muppets!

2009-05-14T21:25:00.000-04:00

"What if you and I just get right down to it and do this little beauty, eh?" Zoot Sims is on the honks. "Forgive me Charlie Parker where ever you are." Classic.

Jazztown Heights, NY

2009-05-14T20:21:00.000-04:00

Feeling lost now that AP exams are done and the concert is over? Are you a senior perhaps? Before you take up needlepoint check out a few HS jazz band alumni. They were just like you not too long ago.

Let's start with some La Strada, an amazing band in Brooklyn. I feel like I'm listening to the Beatles when I hear this, wow. Devon Press, the bassist and Ted Lattis, the guitarist have both been forced to play the 12 bar blues in their pasts.

Now let's get hip to some Dorian Charnis, a composer, pianist, and all around fun guy to be around. Be sure to visit his music page, you'll be impressed.

Alright, you want to burn on some bebop right? No one is as burning as alto saxophonist Mike Dopazo. This is sickness...listen to Cherokee, listen to Chelsea Bridge, yikes.

On to some of saxophonist Dave Carroll's stuff with the band Love in Stockholm. Dave is an instrumental music teacher in Quincy, Massachussetts right now. I love the tune Allston, but it's all very funky and in the pocket. Pull the shades, or your neighbors will see you getting down with your bad self.

Speaking of your bad self, check out Jason Press's funk band...Joe Mamma's
Jason knows how to break it, break it, break it down.

That's all for the moment, but we'll keep you posted...literally.

The Economy...of notes

2009-05-14T20:03:00.000-04:00

This is what beautiful music is all about. Listen to Chet Baker sing (self taught), then listen to Chet play (mostly self taught) and then ask yourself how did he do that?
I'll give you the answer..........wait for it...........wait for it...(put a biscuit on your nose and salivate just staring at it's yumminess, it's more fun that way)...he's a great listener. He's using and trusting his ears! AND...it turns out you have a set of your own. Good job...eat your biscuit. Now start listening to yourself when you play, and create something cool.

"Pretty" Purdie

2009-04-08T23:53:00.000-04:00

Bernard "Pretty" Purdie is the world's most recorded drummer. Dig his pfft pfft on this clip. If you are surprised by the pfft, pfft, don't fret. He is surprised too, even after all these years. Pfft pfft. Surprise is where it's at.

Star Wars!

2009-04-08T23:40:00.001-04:00

I'm not sure what to say about this one, other than it's amazing!!! Stacy Hedger (a.k.a. Miss Douglas) is playing outside of the changes most of the time on this one. Fortunately, she can win you back with expressive choreography.

Autumn Leaves on the first day of spring!

2009-03-20T13:40:00.000-04:00

Enjoy this by clicking HERE, it rules! Look around while you're in there. Remember, 3rds and 7ths, 3rds and 7ths, back and forth. Look at the whole notes in the melody then figure out where those notes are in the scale for each chord and you'll see what I'm talking about.

Hey! Try this little exercise... pick a note and try and stay on that note for as long as you can as the chord changes move along. Jam out on it. Play it a few times to find a good note that works. Discover the relationship of that note to each chord. Make it your note. You own that note. You raised it. You pulled it out of obscurity. You and that note can hang out on the weekends. You and that note have a special bond. You and that note are going to prom together. Then solo, but always go back to your note, because you have history, you and your note.

Graph it!

2009-03-12T22:45:00.000-04:00

If "Duran Duran" had a board meeting, this is what you might find on the easel. Click HERE for some wonderful graphs illustrating your favorite songs. There are too many good ones to pick a favorite, but having lived through the eighties, I do lean towards the "Billie Jean" pie chart.

The importance of music

2009-03-12T22:17:00.000-04:00

Karl Paulnack is a pianist and director of the music division at Boston Conservatory. Click HERE to get his beautifully worded explanation as to why music is so important. It's an interesting read.. there is a little history, a little anecdotal stuff, and some touching moments that bring the whole point home. Special thanks to Mr. Goetz, master bassist and teacher extraordiare for passing this one along to us in Jazztown Heights.

The "Tristano" school

2009-03-08T12:50:00.000-04:00

A lot of players are heavily influenced by Lennie Tristano, most notably alto saxophonist Lee Konitz, who was a pupil in his "New School for Music". He is often considered part of the West Coast "Cool Jazz" movement, but his technique is certainly coming from a different place than Miles Davis or Chet Baker. His lines are are long and windy roads that take your ears on a complex harmonic journey. Not really the laid back West Coast thing that we're used to, right? Check him out.

Baby steps to "Giant Steps."

2009-02-25T22:11:00.000-05:00

You're probably wondering what this "Giant Steps" tune is that you keep hearing and reading about. Here is what you need to know...It's one of John Coltrane's most famous recordings, and one you should own a copy of. If a tune were a mountain, this one is a peak improvisers often attempt to climb.

In it, John Coltrane introduced a new way of improvising (and playing over a ii-v) using tonal centers a Major 3rd apart from one another. Let me explain...
If you start on G and go down a Major 3rd, it brings you to Eb. Then go down a Major 3rd and it will bring you to B, right? From there, another Major 3rd down takes you back to G. So it's G-Eb-B-G. Big steps, eh? One might say "Giant Steps." It's a tritonic way of splitting up an octave. (It's also an Augmented triad, but who cares? Not me.) So in his composition he substitutes this tritonic stuff for good old fashioned ii-v's and voila, a whole new thing.

Here is the subtitution for the first move from G to Eb. The regular ii-v would be Fmin7 to Bb7 to Eb. He does this...In the key of G, start with BM7 to D7 to GM7 to Bb7 and end on Eb. Up a minor third, down a fifth, over and over to the target. These are called "Trane changes." Sound complicated? They are and they aren't. Go HERE, this link will play it for you and visually show you what's up.

Listen up!

2009-02-17T01:24:00.000-05:00

Where do you hear music? As a deaf percussionist, Evelyn Glennie has a truly unique perspective on how we perceive music. In her presentation she asks the audience to "experience the journey of the life of the sound." Not a bad idea.

Now vs. Now

2009-02-06T20:32:00.000-05:00

Music is always changing. As Chris Rock said to the audience at the MTV music awards a few years back..."Don't make no plans for next year 'cause a lot of y'all ain't going to be here.... You know how it is in music: fickle. Here today, gone today!'' I feel like the drummer in this clip is on to something new. He has a garage band-ish sound like Nirvana, Red Hot Chili Peppers or The White Stripes, yet with his unbelievable chops and feel he's taken that sound in a different direction (and a different time signature - this little vamp is in 7). Let this clip heat up, it gets crazy. Notice how he keeps the hits together, despite going loco on his kit. The guys name is Mark Guiliana and he began playing music at 15. I think you might enjoy this little interview of him HERE. So this is jazz now.

Freddie Hubbard!

2009-02-04T22:18:00.000-05:00

If you've never checked out Freddie Hubbard before, or if you're looking to buy your first jazz album (and the store is out of Miles Davis's "Kind of Blue,") you should go pick up Oliver Nelson's "Blues and the Abstract Truth." On it you'll hear Freddie Hubbard, the 24 year old trumpeter in this clip, tearing up some blues based modal tunes. It's a classic album, but so are all of Freddie's albums. What I (your favorite blog) love about Freddie is the element of surprise that he brings to every solo. He is constantly challenging the listener- playing fiery, tight and intense one moment, laid back and free the next. He always keeps you wondering...what is he going to do next? Hey, what are you going to do next? Let's have a sandwich.

Duke Ellington and the band

2009-02-04T21:52:00.000-05:00

The one and only Duke Ellington. This clip features Cat Anderson on trumpet playing some ridiculously high notes, Paul Gonsalves (more on him later) on tenor sax, and Buster Cooper burning on the baritone. Yes, I said baritone! This tune is called "The Opener."