There was a time 30 years ago that lasted for around 15 years when I was a passionate evangelist for all things Apple. If Apple had sold underwear, I would have proudly worn it. After all, you supported pro users with products that just worked. But times have changed. Over the past 15 years, my […]
An open letter to Tim Cook and his senior staff Read More »
I’m assuming you’ve heard of the composer named Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou. Ok, maybe you know him as Vangelis (hard G). Vangelis passed away about a year and a half ago but lived a spectacular life. I’ve always considered him to be one of the all-time great film composers, having been responsible for greats like Chariots
An important lesson from this musical genius Read More »
One of the most popular pages on MusicSavvy.com is the post I wrote a while back called “Who Really Wrote Nardis.“ That article came from several discussions with Richie Beirach who is a passionate believer that Bill Evans wrote Nardis. End of story. I thought it would interesting to use Jazz Chat to pull out the
Point and counter points on the ‘who wrote Nardis’ argument Read More »
As I continue to improve and test Jazz Master Chat, my AI that uses interviews, course, blog posts, and books as it’s ‘brain’, I asked it two questions. 1. How can I learn to play the Blues? This was a question that can from last week’s member’s Zoom call. It’s a good question considering that
Examples of learning and entertainment from Jazz Chat Read More »
Think about playing using your right (creative) brain. It’s the part of your brain that, if connected well to your instrument, allows for the most personally authentic improvisation. Once you hear a note, you’re better finding it on your instrument or playing around it harmonically. Your instrument becomes the amplifier of your musical “voice”. But
How to develop your musical personality and style Read More »
The word “circle” within the name Jazz Circle membership has two meanings. The first is a reference to a group of people all sharing a common goal – in this case, how to learn improvisation. The second meaning is what I want to describe that refers to the Music Savvy courses and platforms that reinforce each other,
How to learn improvisation through the “Circle” in the Jazz Circle membership Read More »
In the introduction video I recently posted, I started by saying, “I’m trying to solve a problem.” I went on to say that the problem I’m trying to solve is the ingrained idea of so many jazz players that they need to be told what notes to play in order to be good improvisers. Here
A membership taking you full circle to jazz excellence Read More »
People’s desire to learn through video has grown steadily through the years. A recent survey shows that 68% of consumers prefer watching videos to learn about new products and services. In fact, as of 2023, 92.3% of internet users worldwide watch digital videos weekly. I have always enjoyed educating through video. Going back to my
More video lessons on playing jazz Read More »
With audiobooks becoming more and more popular and with the recent addition of audiobooks to Spotify, I thought I should record my last book with Richie, Teaching and Learning Jazz, for an audiobook. As I now read the book out loud for recording after the two years since writing it, I am reminded of the
Richie Beirach on unnecessary ornamentation in improvisation Read More »
I’ve always believed that the best way to gain skill as a musician is to develop one’s ear and its connection to the instrument. That belief led to the creation of tools and exercises that encourage musicians to prioritize ears over eyes. So for these tools, I’ve always asked myself, should you know the chord
Should you know the chord changes? Read More »
I recently watched a video performance by the amazing classical pianist Yuja Chang. I’ve seen her memorizing motion and heard her virtuosic playing before, but something hit me after seeing this latest performance. She is an example, as all at her level are, of the wider benefits of the musical ear to instrument connection. Yuja
The Benefits of the Ear to Instrument Connection Read More »
I have created a AI chatbot called Jazz Master Chat that draws from 75 hours of interviews from my Jazz Master Summit event a couple of years ago. I interviewed great players and teachers like Toshiko Akyoshi, Randy Brecker, Dave Liebman, Richie Beirach, and Jamey Aebersold. Consider this AI to be an index of everything
My AI on how to be a better jazz improviser Read More »
Tools for helping musicians at all levels learn about jazz and play to their full capability.
Web design and marketing by:
Michael Lake @JazzDigitalMarketing.com
