Website Update: WE’RE MOVING!!

I am slowly moving all my educational materials over to my new blog, the Jazz Improv Institute. You can find them at https://www.jazzimprov.net/. If you are looking for a PDF or chords, please go to https://www.jazzimprov.net/ and click PDFs and you will see them there. I am working on self-publishing all my warmups and tune packets to help people learn music and jazz improvisation. Thanks for visiting! I am going to redo this website to remove all my educational materials…

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How to Play Blue Monk

Blue Monk is a bebop blues written in 1954 by the great pianist, Thelonious Monk. Below is a video of the first iteration of this tune as released on his Thelonious Monk Trio album. https://youtu.be/WZcTZycaBdg This website his several resources for you on how to play this tune. First and foremost, I encourage you to learn the melody from the recording. You can use a real book, but sometimes the chords are wrong, so I advise to use the recording…

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Blue Monk Chords

Below you will find the chords for the bebop blues tune, Blue Monk, as played by Thelonious Monk. Please note that these chords are different than the real book changes by design in order to match his initial recording from 1954 off his Thelonious Monk Trio album. Note that the real book includes an E diminished chord in measure six, which could be added in and still match the melody (but that's not how he played it on the recording.)…

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How to Play Lester Leaps In

Lester Leaps in is a "rhythm changes" tune written by Lester Young (tenor saxophonist in Count Basie's band) in 1929. Below is a video of Lester Young playing this tune with Count Basie's Kansas City 7 in 1939. In the Depression, and subsequent World War II, big bands wound up playing with their core personnel and swing started to move to the Bebop style, as evidenced by Count Basie's big band becoming the "Kansas City 7". Benny Moton, Basie's bass…

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Lester Leaps In – 2 Note Voicings and Bass Line

Below you will find the two note voicings/guide tones and an example bass line for vanilla changes for Lester Leaps In by the great tenor saxophonist Lester Young. You can download this by clicking the download button at the bottom. Lester-Leaps-In-2-Note-Voicing-and-Bass-Line-Full-ScoreDownload

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How to Play Route 66

Route 66 was written by Bob Troupe and performed the first time on an album by the same name by the Nat King Cole trio released in 1946. Below is a video of the trio playing, originally in the key of G. Most people play or sing this in F, but I went ahead and kept it in G for educational purposes. https://youtu.be/JTeR8UD43l8 This website his several resources for you on how to play this tune. First and foremost, I…

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Route 66 Chords

Below you will find the chords for the popular standard, Route 66, a blues in G. Usually this song is sung in F, but I chose to write it out in G to match the first recording of the tune. For this particular version, I took the chords off of Nat King Cole's 1946 album by the same name. I used "vanilla" chords, which is basically the least amount of substitutions, with the exception of the 10th measure of the…

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How to Play Tenor Madness

Tenor Madness is a tune written by the great Sonny Rollins premiered on his 1956 album by the same name released by Prestige records and featuring John Coltrane also on tenor sax. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MkUvZUTFUc This website his several resources for you on how to play this tune. First and foremost, I encourage you to learn the melody from the recording. You can use a real book, but sometimes the chords are wrong, so I advise to use the recording first. Once…

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Tenor Madness Chords

Below you will find a chord chart for Tenor Madness written by Sonny Rollins. Scroll down until you see your part. You can print the page you need, or use the Download button below to download the PDF to your computer. Tenor-Madness-Chords-v2-PartsDownload Below is the original recording of this blues by Sonny Rollins. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MkUvZUTFUc

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Tenor Madness 2 Note Voicings and Bass Line

Below you will find sheet music for Tenor Madness 2 note voicings for piano and a sample bass line with notes written in for convenience. When constructing a bass line, I incorporated a I - vi - ii - V7 turnaround during the last two measures, but that would be dependent on what others were playing on the bandstand. I also incorporated a ii - V7 turnaround in measure 8 per the recording (although this is not on any of…

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Why We Need Jazz Girls Day DC – Women in Jazz Research

According to Lucy Green (1997), gender and music education researcher, the active areas of music-making – composing, improvising, and conducting – are traditionally male, while women are left the more passive areas of accompanying and teaching. Although there may be a reluctance on women to solo and improvise due to comfort level or anxiety (Green, 1997; McKeage, 2004; Wehr-Flowers, 2006), that conclusion may be not only outdated, but it leaves out a discussion on women who are emboldened and willing…

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Sonnymoon for Two – 2 Note Voicings for Piano

NOTE: ALL MY EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS ARE MOVING TO THE JAZZ IMPROV INSTITUTE at https://www.jazzimprov.net/ . This blog post will be retired. Every musician should sit down at the piano and hammer out the 2 note voicings for every song they learn. In this case, these are the guide tones, or the 3rds and 7ths of each chord. The guidetones are the most important parts of the chord because they identify major/minor for the 7th and the triad. Sonnymoon-for-Two-2-note-PartsDownload

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Sonnymoon for Two Chords

NOTE: ALL MY EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS ARE MOVING TO THE JAZZ IMPROV INSTITUTE at https://www.jazzimprov.net/ . This page will be retired end of 2024. Here are the chords outlined for all different instruments for Sonny Rollin's Sonnymoon for Two. You can download the chords by clicking the download button underneath the PDF. On the recording, you will hear a very "plain" blues during the first head - the changes below are the soloing changes and include turnarounds in measure 8 and…

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How to Play Sonnymoon for Two

NOTE: ALL MY EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS ARE MOVING TO THE JAZZ IMPROV INSTITUTE at https://www.jazzimprov.net/ . This blog post will be retired. The great Sonny Rollins wrote Sonnymoon for Two which was released in 1957. Since then, it has become a jazz standard and was recorded many times. You will hear him play this on his live Village Vanguard album as well as the 2005 release of The Freelance Years, among other albums and collaborations. Below is a recording from the…

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Sonnymoon for Two Bass Line

NOTE: ALL MY EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS ARE MOVING TO THE JAZZ IMPROV INSTITUTE at https://www.jazzimprov.net/ . This blog post will be retired. Below you will find a sample bass line for Sonnymoon for Two. Scroll down till you find your instrument: a C chart, an Eb chart, a Bb chart, and a bass clef chart are included. You can print directly from the website or download the chart to your device or tablet for easy viewing. Only print the page you…

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How to Play Centerpiece by Harry “Sweets” Edison

Harry "Sweets" Edison, trumpet player for the Count Basie Big Band, wrote and released Centerpiece on his "Sweetenings" album in 1958. You can't find this album on streaming, but here it is on YouTube, below. Notice the tempo, nothing flashy about this version of the song! https://youtu.be/6ITiowBiMOs This website his several resources for you on how to play this tune. First and foremost, I encourage you to learn the melody from the recording. You can use a real book, but…

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Centerpiece Chord Chart

Here is a rhythm chart for C instruments, Bb instruments, and Eb instruments for the 12 bar blues, Centerpiece, written by Harry "Sweets" Edison. Notice the ii V7 turnaround in the fourth measure, and the diminished chord at the end of the 6th measure. This is very common in jazz, and creates tension which is resolved up to the chord in measure 7. There is another ii V7 turnaround in the 8th measure which goes toward the 9th measure. Then,…

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Centerpiece Piano Voicings and Organ Sheet

Below you will find 2 note piano voicings for Centerpiece by Harry "Sweets" Edison. You can use this as a guide and it has not been designed for you to play it exactly as written. Two note voicings are constructed from the 3rd and 7th of the chord. Listen to the recording to hear how Jimmy Jones, the piano player, comped behind the horns. You can use this as a guide for guide tones as well. https://youtu.be/6ITiowBiMOs Centerpiece 2 Note…

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Centerpiece Bass Line

Here you will find sheet music on how to play a bass line for the Ab blues, namely, through the song Centerpiece by Harry "Sweets" Edison. Notice the diminished chord - this is common in jazz blues that came after the bebop era. Below is a video of the recording as it was originally released on the album Sweetenings in 1958. https://youtu.be/6ITiowBiMOs Below you will find an example bass line playable on any instrument. Scroll down till you find the…

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How to Play Work Song by Nat Adderley and Oscar Peterson Jr.

Nat Adderley, the trumpet playing brother of Cannonball Adderley, wrote "Work Song" for an album by the same name released by Riverside in 1960. Be sure to pay close attention to the hits for the rhythm section on the head. This lesson is based off the recording below. https://youtu.be/VlepuNi40M8 This website his several resources for you on how to play this tune. First and foremost, I encourage you to learn the melody from the recording. You may need to practice…

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Work Song Chord Charts

Nat Adderly, the trumpet playing brother of Cannonball Adderly, wrote "Work Song" for an album by the same name released by Riverside in 1960. Pay close attention to the hits for the rhythm section. This is a 16 bar blues. Below are the chord charts with chords spelled out for each instrument. Scroll down to see your instrument. Download by clicking the button below the PDF. Work-Song-Chords-v2-Parts-1Download Below is a Rhythm Chart for Work Song. This chart gives you the…

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Work Song Piano Voicings and Resources

When I teach improvisation, I strongly encourage everyone to learn the chords on piano (doesn't have to be complex, can be 2 note voicings) as well as the bass line. I have resources for both 2 note and 3 note voicings. For pianists, consider stretching yourself into being able to play a left hand bass while comping right hand, like an organist. Click the links below for resources on how to play the piano parts. I have included a version…

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Work Song Bass Line

Below you will find a sample bass line for Work Song by Nat Adderly and Oscar Brown Jr. The music includes a part for concert pitch, Bb instruments (tenor, tpt) and Eb instruments (alto). Scroll down to find your part. You can also download this to your computer or tablet by clicking on the Download button below the sheet music. Work-Song-Bass-Line-PartsDownload https://youtu.be/VlepuNi40M8 https://youtu.be/tqUd7gXxqmc

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Sonnymoon for Two Chord Chart

NOTE: ALL MY EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS ARE MOVING TO THE JAZZ IMPROV INSTITUTE at https://www.jazzimprov.net/ . This blog post will be retired. Below you will find a chord chart for the great Sonny Rollins' Sonnymoon for Two, which was originally released in 1957. You will hear him play this on his live Village Vanguard album as well as the 2005 release of The Freelance Years. Below is a recording from the Freelance Years album. https://youtu.be/KCzV9PxGS30 Below is the chord chart. In…

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The Effect of Ego on Education and Flow

In order to learn, your mind has to be in a relaxed state. When relaxed, you can explore, inquire, and enter "flow". Flow is defined as that state of mind when you are focused, fully engaged, and deeply enjoying your task at hand. Game design theory is focused on getting gamers to "flow" state, which is why games are so popular, successful, and addictive. When jazz teachers are constantly talking about the "good old days" - they are reminiscing about…

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New Single: Cancer Free! Feat. Justin Taylor and Allen Jones

Read more about the article New Single: Cancer Free! Feat. Justin Taylor and Allen Jones

Cancer Free is now available on all streaming outlets, including YouTube. This song features Justin Taylor on organ and Allen Jones on drums was recorded live in 2017 at Upfront Audio in Fairfax. The song is about my experience getting tested for cancer and then finding out about negative results. Its designed to be the type of swing you can dance to and is written based off the chords to Bye Bye Blackbird. This was recorded by my Firebird Organ…

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