Improvisation

Getting out of the improvisation box harmonically
This is the final part of a six-part series on why and how to expand beyond the narrow ranges of dynamics, notes,

Get out of the improvisation box of articulation range Part 3 of 6
This is part three in the series I am referring to as getting out of the box. There are so many aspects

Getting out of the box of dynamic range Part 2 of 6
In part two of this six-part series of getting yourself out of the box in your improvisation, I want to discuss dynamic

Get out of the improvisation box Part 1 of 6
What is the improvisation box, are you in one, and how do you get out? The box refers to the limits that

Resolving a musical tug of war
I received an email the other day from a jazz player trying to know how best he should be practicing. I want

How to put more swing into your playing
I enjoy writing about this topic. After all, it don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing! I ask myself

The illusion of ego-less jazz
I was recently party to a heated email conversation between two very famous jazz teachers/players who hold polar opposite views on how

Michael Lake
Jazz/latin trombone, author, multimedia artist, marketer

Why is jazz taking a back seat to band in school?
As I frequently do, I was searching yesterday for high school jazz band directors with whom I can share some of the jazz educational resources

A conversation about jazz with an Artificial Intelligence
As artificial intelligence is creeping into so many applications these days, I thought I’d share what it “thinks” about jazz and improvisation. To do that,

A taste of the Ukrainian spirit
A buyer of my book Alto Trombone Savvy wrote me a very sweet email and informed me that he cannot directly receive the book but is making