[Harp-L] Jamey Aebersold Jazz: anyone can improvise

[philharpn@xxxxxxx]

Just happened to discover this on my way to something else.... It was fun to watch it again after all these years ....


For those of you who have never heard of the Jamey Aebersold playalong jazz and blues books and recordings, his famous "Anyone Can Improvise" video is on YouTube. It may sound somewhat confusing but stick with it and it will make some sense even for the non jazzhounds.


One of his best quotes: If you hit the wrong note, you're never more than a half-step away from the right note.




The video runs about 95 minutes. And there is no guarantee that one viewing will make anyone an expert improviser. But watching the video will provide an excellent overview to how improvising works. 


Even if most of the video sounds confusing, there is probably enough casual information offered to make the 90 minutes invested in watching it. List price for the DVD is $20 from Jamey Aebersold and Amazon sells it for $15. 


If the video sounds interesting, it is closely aligned with Aebersold's books Vol. 1 -- How to Play Jazz & Improvise (w/ 2 CDs) $20 and Vol. 24 Major and Minor $20. A lot of the printed examples from these two books is shown on the screen.


It's important to note that while Jamey talks about jazz, his teaching applies to all instruments. Howard Levy has used Aebersold recordings during his workshops. Don't know if he still does. Don't know if anyone else uses it in a harmonica teaching program.


Jamey is a sax player, but demonstrates on a piano because the piano is the best and most logical way to explain how music works.


Here is the address for the video:


<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKvEMIxzVrc>;


I wrote a review explaining the video in depth back when it first came out in 1992 on vhs for American Harmonica Newsletter when I was contributing editor.


Hope this helps
Phil