Jazz Combo At The GPRC.

[tomgrosset]

Well, I’ve been meaning to put up something for a while now so here it is.

This is my combo that performed at the Grande Prairie Regional College on December 7, 2006. This combo was formed in October, and this footage consists of me on drums, Tessa on trumpet, Mirrah on flute, Patrick on guitar, Yusuke on bass, Megan on piano, and Bob on saxaphone. A few of the members couldn’t attend so Bob had to fill in for our other two saxaphone players, Mitch and Chris. We play several tunes by Herbie Hancock in this performance for those who are interested.

Thanks for taking this time to listen and any suggestions would be appreciated as well.

[mattsmith]

Well Tom, the first couple of clips were pretty dark, so they were hard to see. Then the last couple brightened up so I could get a better look at things. If you want my honest opinion, I thought you were the most seasoned player in a learning band...and that's certainly cool. You guys play great learning compositions, and your band director is an accomplished player. I'm not so sure your bass player was a lot of help to you, and the sisters rushed you big time on Stolen Moments despite your best efforts to keep them honest. But I bet those girls are a blast on the road.

I noticed that your playing would always improve a full notch groove wise when your director soloed. This is why I would love to see you playing with people as good or better than you, because I think then you could really show your stuff.

I couldn't get a very good look at your set. What was that funky cymbal in the front?

[tomgrosset]

Well Tom, the first couple of clips were pretty dark, so they were hard to see. Then the last couple brightened up so I could get a better look at things. If you want my honest opinion, I thought you were the most seasoned player in a learning band...and that's certainly cool. You guys play great learning compositions, and your band director is an accomplished player. I'm not so sure your bass player was a lot of help to you, and the sisters rushed you big time on Stolen Moments despite your best efforts to keep them honest. But I bet those girls are a blast on the road.

I noticed that your playing would always improve a full notch groove wise when your director soloed. This is why I would love to see you playing with people as good or better than you, because I think then you could really show your stuff.

I couldn't get a very good look at your set. What was that funky cymbal in the front?

Thanks Matt. I appreciate that.

Yeah, I feel I can communicate with Bob much more efficiently, because he has a good sense of how to solo, and the fact that he has much more experience gives him the upper hand. It's just really hard to find good jazz musicians with where I live, ya know. But I plan on jamming with some good musicians soon and getting some recordings up hopefully sometime soon as well if I can get some studio time.

I was holding back sometimes, because I didn't want to overplay. I was nervous as well, because I hadn't been playing with that combo for very long and that was our second gig.

I think you're referring to the splash which I didn't really use that much, and that was Bob's kit that I was using by the way.

[mattsmith]

It's just really hard to find good jazz musicians with where I live, ya know.

Don't I know it. I play in one of those band geek stage bands at school. I kinda chuckled today when I told my dad we were going to be playing Spain. He just shook his head and said Well good luck with that. It's pretty bad.

I was holding back sometimes, because I didn't want to overplay.

Yeah, I've been exposed to that little chestnut too. I quit the jazz combo program at this big time academy in Ann Arbor because I was always being railed about my intense mezzo piano volume covering up wind players who wouldn't put any air in their horns, pianists whose sustain pedal obsessions blurred their clarity, and upright bass guys who couldn't finger properly and brought no amplification. The horn players couldn't breathe because they were smoking weed before practice. So yeah, I get it. But you have no reason to be nervous. You sound good.

I think you're referring to the splash which I didn't really use that much, and that was Bob's kit that I was using by the way.

What kind of splash?

[tomgrosset]

Don't I know it. I play in one of those band geek stage bands at school. I kinda chuckled today when I told my dad we were going to be playing Spain. He just shook his head and said Well good luck with that. It's pretty bad.

Yeah, I've been exposed to that little chestnut too. I quit the jazz combo program at this big time academy in Ann Arbor because I was always being railed about my intense mezzo piano volume covering up wind players who wouldn't put any air in their horns, pianists whose sustain pedal obsessions blurred their clarity, and upright bass guys who couldn't finger properly and brought no amplification. The horn players couldn't breathe because they were smoking weed before practice. So yeah, I get it. But you have no reason to be nervous. You sound good.


Yeah, I sometimes get tired of playing with people who just don't make an effort to practice and could care less. It makes us all sound bad.
I also have problems with the volume coming from the other musicians. Sometimes I can't hear them and then I can't really do anything besides keep a basic groove. For instance, it's usually Patrick (guitarist) who never turns up his guitar amp enough (lol) as you'll see in "Cantaloupe Island" as he begins to solo.

Well, I got nervous during my solo which I totally screwed up. It was in the song "Blue Bossa". I had it planned out and I had a good idea with what I was going to do and everything, but I drew a blank and I tensed up and I didn't do as well as I thought I would. But yea, it happens.

What kind of splash?
I dunno man. I think it's a Zildjian if I remember correctly.

[tomgrosset]

Anyone else going to reply?

I would appreciate it.

[tamadrummer132]

you did great. i tried jazz band at my high school as a 3 year old drummer (as in 3 yrs of experience)
i had played no swing watsoever and was really nervous and played tightly.
its been aobut a year since then.. and i feel like iv become a much more experienced drummer, but i still dont feel comfortable playing witha jazz band and you did a great job

sincerely,
me

[theduke86]

Hey man, sounds good!
Everything's great, but that bass player is killing you.
If you want my opinion, I think you should stop playing a big beat one on every four bars, that resolves the comping, you probably want it to be a little more open.
Also, might want to count triplets and practice the ride cymbal pattern very slowly, counting triplets. I find that really helps me... I did it for three hours a day when I first got to McGill because of my somewhat insane teacher. It helped with the phrasing of my ride patterns.
Sounds good though man, BIG time improvement from the last one, keep it coming!

[Drummer Karl]

Hey, that was some goood work you and your band did there.
I also love this sax player...but maybe he could play sometimes a bit more "cheesy" or "sloppy"...with a more agressive tone maybe, I can`t describe it well, in Germany we would say for example "rotzig" for it.

Your drumming was cool, really solid timing and niiice brush work (I loved your accenting!). Maybe put a few more comping things into your swinging...maybe with some triplets in it. You maybe also know this typical fill-in you learn pretty early, it`s a triplet fill-in: Right hand, left hand, right foot. Or: Right hand, left hand, left foot (hi-hat if you are a right hander).
I wrote this one down, it`s a cool comping thing actually:

http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h84/Drummer_Karl/Bild024.jpg


Karl

[tomgrosset]

Hey, that was some goood work you and your band did there.
I also love this sax player...but maybe he could play sometimes a bit more "cheesy" or "sloppy"...with a more agressive tone maybe, I can`t describe it well, in Germany we would say for example "rotzig" for it.

Your drumming was cool, really solid timing and niiice brush work (I loved your accenting!). Maybe put a few more comping things into your swinging...maybe with some triplets in it. You maybe also know this typical fill-in you learn pretty early, it`s a triplet fill-in: Right hand, left hand, right foot. Or: Right hand, left hand, left foot (hi-hat if you are a right hander).

Karl

Thanks Karl.

Yeah, I was doing some triplet phrasing between the hi-hat, snare and bass but you couldn't hear it that well. I agree though, I should of put some Elvin Jones in my playing a bit more.

[ethiojazzdrum]

Hey man I have a Half and Half College High School combo. I'm only a sophmore in high school (drummer) but there is something you could do. Some of the tunes problem could be fixed if you played the style it written as for example, Blue Bossa wr.Kenny Dorham is a BOSSA NOT A ROCK. Listen to the recordings to get an idea of what to play. Watermelon Man wr.Herbie Hancock was solid but had no feel. Nostalgia in time square wr. Charles Mingus was played all wrong. You've got to listen to the originals because you can, take advantage of the previously performed work. When you think of solo you should have the head of the tune flowing through your noggin so that way you have FORM, TASTE, CONFIDENCE,
AND MOST IMPORTANTLY APPRECIATION FROM THE HORNS. Other than that it was pretty good but I would expect more from a college student.

[tomgrosset]

Hey man I have a Half and Half College High School combo. I'm only a sophmore in high school (drummer) but there is something you could do. Some of the tunes problem could be fixed if you played the style it written as for example, Blue Bossa wr.Kenny Dorham is a BOSSA NOT A ROCK. Listen to the recordings to get an idea of what to play. Watermelon Man wr.Herbie Hancock was solid but had no feel. Nostalgia in time square wr. Charles Mingus was played all wrong. You've got to listen to the originals because you can, take advantage of the previously performed work. When you think of solo you should have the head of the tune flowing through your noggin so that way you have FORM, TASTE, CONFIDENCE,
AND MOST IMPORTANTLY APPRECIATION FROM THE HORNS. Other than that it was pretty good but I would expect more from a college student.

Yeah man, I have listened to the recordings numerous times but haven't fully mastered them and still need to work on them to a certain degree. I had ruined my solo too, because I did not have the confidence to fully perform it which in turn impaired the form and taste. It happens, but whatever.

By the way, I'm 16 and in grade eleven.