Jazz Solo - Surrey With A Twist

[Maytridy]

Hey everyone,

Here is a recording of my jazz solo that I used for my all-county audition. Tho solo is a written-out level 6 NYSSMA solo, so I have to follow the ink. I received a score of 100 on the solo and I was selected for all-county! Wohoo.

If you would like to see the drum set that I recorded this on, check out my other thread here (http://drummerworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=37301) and scroll down two or three posts.

I mess with some of the "swinging" of the 8th note phrases because this solo is meant to imitate Philly Joe Jones and he often toyed with his phrasing in such a way.

--->Surrey With A Twist (http://media.putfile.com/Surrey-With-A-Twist)<---

Please feel free to comment.

[902Scott]

great man!
if theres one thing I wish I could do better, it's soloing in jazz.
any reccomendations?

[Maytridy]

Yea man, there are tons of things you can do to improve your soloing. This solo was written out, so I had to learn it verbatim for my audition. However, I get the impression that you're asking about improv solos. The best way is to improve your improvisational solos is through expanding your "vocabulary".


Listen to famous drummers like Art Blakey, Philly Joe Jones, Max Roach, John Riley, and many others. Transcribe their fills and ideas and practice them over and over again. This will help you adopt some of their phrases into your vocabulary.
Pick up a book such as John Riley's "The Art of Bop Drumming" which has many soloing ideas (especially the section with a full page of one-bar phrases) that will help you add to your vocabulary.
Incorporate ideas from the melody of the song you are playing and literally try to play that melody back on the drums. I find that this leads to some surprisingly good ideas.
Listen to the soloists! Repeat ideas that they put out earlier in the song and then add your own twist to the idea.
Listen, listen, and listen some more! You can't possibly listen to too much jazz, and the more you hear, the more natural and expressive your playing will become.


I'm sure some other drummers around here might have some of their own suggestions also. Let me know if this has answered your question.

[joshuacreamer97]

By any chance do you that transcription availble for us to look at. I would like to look at it while listening to you play. Very good.

[Maytridy]

Unfortunately I don't think that my drum teacher would be very fond of me posting parts of his book online. He even makes me pay $8 for the book of 6 solos.

[Michael G]

Wow

You're good, very good.

[Tryitagain]

Yeah... what Smoothjazz said!

Between this and the Riley play-along you posted, you got it happenin'!

If I played like that at your age, no telling where I'd be now! I can't help but think you'd be successful if you chose drumming as a career. You obviously love to learn technical stuff and you're open to criticism. Keep it that way! :-)