Tag: jazz improvisation

A blog about jazz and related musings

How to develop your musical personality and style

How to develop your musical personality and style

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…

Recent posts...

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Some thoughts for 2025 on alto trombone
I’m often asked about alto trombone mouthpieces, equipment, and transposition, so when Joe Bjornson on JamTrek asked me to write something on alto...
Richie Beirach and Dave Liebman
Richie Beirach on how he comps for Dave Liebman
Richie called me up one day and said, “I want to talk about how I comp for Lieb.” After all, these two have known and played with each other...
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An introductory note on JamTrek
At this stage in my life I have the good fortune to work exclusively on projects I choose and enjoy. My latest is the launch of a new social media site I’ve...
Best female robot
What not to hate about tech
Over the past year I’ve populated my YouTube channel with several videos demonstrating the AI indexing tool I made called Jazz Chat. One of these videos...
Apple park
An open letter to Tim Cook and his senior staff
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...
Vangelis
An important lesson from this musical genius
I’m assuming you’ve heard of the composer named Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou. Ok, maybe you know him as Vangelis (hard G). Vangelis passed...
Miles and Bill Evans for featured image on Nardis chat post - darker
Point and counter points on the 'who wrote Nardis' argument
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...
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Examples of learning and entertainment from Jazz Chat
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...
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How to develop your musical personality and style
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...
Empty jazz stage
How to learn improvisation through the "Circle" in the Jazz Circle membership
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...
Picture of Michael Lake

Michael Lake

Trombonist, author, composer, marketer

Courses and books

Pocket Jazz

The Pocket Jazz course is a completely redesigned series of online videos of no more than three-minutes each. Most of the lessons also contain short excerpts of tips and wisdom from masters like Ron Carter, Randy Brecker, Dave Liebman, Richie Beirach, Toshiko Akiyoshi, and many more.

Teaching & Learning Jazz

From this book, Richie Beirach and Mike provide great stories of jazz wisdom, a reflection on university jazz education including how to choose a school, an analysis of the Hollywood view of jazz education, a look at the psychology of education, and many other previously unexplored essential topics for both teachers and students.

Available in soft cover and digital editions.

Trombone Improvisation Savvy

Trombone demands different physical abilities from other instruments, but certain skills are universal such as connecting your instrument to your musical mind. Learn from exercises and audio files specifically focused on trombone that will help you improvise much better.