Author Archives: Mike
Dreambox Media Record Label Profile
I had the pleasure of speaking with drummer Jim Miller about his local Philadelphia label, Dreambox Media. A major player on the contemporary jazz scene Miller shared his insights and thoughts on jazz, the role of record labels, and how … Continue reading
Review: Coursera Introduction to Improvisation – Final Thoughts
Having completed the 5-week Introduction to Improvisation course on Coursera, I do have a few thoughts to share for those considering trying the same course. First, though it is marketed as an introductory course, it does assume facility with one’s … Continue reading
Posted in Jazz, Pedagogy, Reviews
Tagged Coursera Reviews, Jazz, Music lessons, Pedagogy, Reviews
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Review: Coursera Introduction to Improvisation
The concluding week of Gary Burton’s Introduction to Improvisation course dealt primarily with thematic development. Throughout the course, Burton emphasized the role of the improviser as a storyteller, considering the solo as a logical narrative. To assist in realizing this … Continue reading
Review: Coursera Introduction to Improvisation
Week 4 of Gary Burton’s Introduction to Improvisation course introduced three new topics for improvisers. The first is the concept of guide tones. Guide tones are chord tones that are a step or half-step from a chord tone of subsequent … Continue reading
Review: Coursera Introduction to Improvisation
Sorry for the delay on these reviews, I’ll be posting about Weeks 3, 4, and 5 of Gary Burton’s Introduction to Improvisation class this week. Week 3 deals with the application of scales to harmonies in a vertical manner, i.e., … Continue reading
Posted in Jazz, Music Lessons, Pedagogy, Reviews
Tagged Coursera Reviews, Guitar, Jazz, Music lessons, Pedagogy, Reviews
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Album Review at All About Jazz
My review of the Daniel Bennett Group’s new album, Clockhead Goes to Camp, is now published at All About Jazz. Here’s the link. I think it’s a unique and captivating album, it’s definitely worth checking out.
Free Guitar Lesson: Freight Train
Here is the tab for the first part of my lesson on Elizabeth Cotten’s Freight Train. Here is the video, also available on Youtube. The notations for the second and third variations are available to subscribers to my newsletter. These are … Continue reading
Posted in Music Lessons, Products
Tagged Americana, Fingerstyle, Free lessons, Guitar, Music lessons, Products
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Yo-Yo Ma and the Chicago Civic Orchestra
Here’s a link to a great article in the May 2, 2013 Chicago Tribune, written by Mark Caro. Caro reports on a collaboration between renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma and the Chicago Civic Orchestra. The article describes Yo-Yo Ma’s “challenge” to the … Continue reading
Chet Atkins’ “Maybelle”
Just uploaded my 2007 performance of the Chet Atkins’ tune “Maybelle,” dedicated to the great Maybelle Carter. The song uses the Chet Atkins fingerstyle techniques, his take on “banjo” rolls for guitar, and Carter-style strumming.
Fabrizio Sotti Feature at Guitar International
My interview with jazz guitarist Fabrizio Sotti is now available at Guitar International Magazine. Here’s the link. One of the great things about writing on music is that I find musicians and albums I may have missed, and I get … Continue reading
