| Jamie,
I think the first thing you need to do is listen to lots of music and find out what inspires you as a jazz listener. When you find music you are drawn to and want to figure out what's going on within that music, then you have to start transcribing. Taking that solo, melody, chord change etc... and writing it down in a manuscript book and learning it on your instrument. You'll build up a ton of things that you can come back to and reference your entire life that way.
As far as basic jazz solos and recordings go, I can offer you some advice as to where I would start transcribing. But don't just stop there, use it as a key to open the door to wherever you want to go.
Transcription suggestions:
Miles Davis
Album: Relaxin'
solo's: if I were a bell, oleo, I could write a book
Album: Steamin'
Solo's: Surrey with the fringe on top
Album: Kind of Blue
Solo's: So What (trumpet/tenor/alto/)
chord voicings - Bill Evans on the entire record
piano solo on freddie freeloader - Wynton Kelly
John Coltrane
Album: Blue Train
Solo's: Blue Train/Locomotion/lazy bird/moments notice (tenor/trumpet/trombone) and pay real close attention to Philly Joe Jone's(drummer) intro on locomotion. listen to where the beat is and how his phrasing works. and how he comps throughout the album. a true innovator of the drums.
These are just two artists and just a few of their recordings. I've transcribed almost all of the solos from every musician in the band from all of the above mentioned records..... I really got inspired by this stuff in particular.
Also anything by:
Joe Henderson, Cannonball Adderly, Sonny Stitt, Sonny Rollins, Dexter Gordon, Zoot Sims, Thelonius Monk, Jackie Maclean, Steve Grossman, Dave Leibman, Joe Lovano, Joshua Redman, Brad Mehldau, Pat Metheny, John Scofield, Lee Morgan, Freddie Hubbard, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Charles Mingus, Gene Ammons, George Benson, George Garzone, Mark Turner, Chris Potter, Dave Douglas, John Mclaughlin, Hank Jones, Hank Mobley, Harold Land, J.J. Johnson, Horace Silver, Art Pepper, Stan Getz, Pat Martino, Lennie Tristano, Bill Evans, Gil Evens, Jim Hall, Joe Zawinul, Chick Corea, Johnny Griffin, Keith Jarret, Kenny Dohram, Kenny Garrett, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Lee Konitz, Lester Young.......... the list kind of goes on forever... and I'm missing a lot of important people from here, but I'm doing it off the top of my head. It's not a bad list. dig into it. learn it all. and forget about it. then let the information surface as something original of your own.
Easy,
Janek |
