Tag Archives: Jazz

Book Review at All About Jazz

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Mike

A new book review entitled Trad Dads, Dirty Boppers, and Free Fusioneers: British Jazz, 1960-1975, by Duncan Heining is now available on the All About Jazz website. A very interesting read, in which Heining touches on the significant movements of the period … Continue reading →

Posted in Jazz, Reviews | Tagged , | Leave a comment

A Night in Dzodze Video

Posted on April 6, 2013 by Mike

Here’s a video slideshow of my original Afro-jazz tune “A Night in Dzodze.” You can view the leadsheet and score here. I’ll be adding more videos of my playing and original compositions to my Youtube channel over the coming weeks.

Posted in African Diaspora, Ethnomusicology, Jazz, Performance | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Michelle Chord Melody

Posted on April 4, 2013 by Mike

Here’s a new chord melody arrangement of Paul McCartney and John Lennon’s “Michelle” for solo guitar. In addition to being a pop tune, it has become a standard in the jazz repertoire.

Posted in Jazz, Music Lessons, Products | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Art Blakey’s Moanin’ at All About Jazz

Posted on March 20, 2013 by Mike

My extended analysis of Art Blakey’s seminal hard-bop album Moanin’ is now available at All About Jazz. This includes an extensive review of Moanin’, its place and function in jazz at its release date and historically, and an overview of the impact … Continue reading →

Posted in Jazz, Reviews | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Bye Bye Blackbird Chord Melody

Posted on March 11, 2013 by Mike

Here is my guitar chord melody arrangement for “Bye Bye Blackbird,” composed by Ray Henderson, published in 1926. A jazz standard, “Bye Bye Blackbird” has been recorded by many notable musicians including Miles Davis, Nina Simone, Frank Sinatra, Keith Jarrett, … Continue reading →

Posted in Jazz, Music Lessons, Products | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Jazz Styles at A Passion For Jazz

Posted on March 4, 2013 by Mike

A Passion for Jazz has a great breakdown of the styles of jazz, from its beginnings in the 19th century to contemporary jazz styles from the 1980s and 1990s. Each style is covered in a couple of paragraphs which describe … Continue reading →

Posted in Jazz | Tagged | 1 Comment

The Harlem Renaissance and American Music

Posted on March 3, 2013 by Mike

A new article of mine on the influence of the Harlem Renaissance on 20th century American music is now available at All About Jazz. It relates to a previous post on this blog, linked here: The African-American Experience in Jazz … Continue reading →

Posted in African Diaspora, Ethnomusicology, Reviews | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The African-American Experience in Jazz Suites

Posted on February 25, 2013 by Mike

Here is a link to another blogger’s post on jazz suites as they reflect the experience of black Americans (A Blog Supreme, NPR, by David Brent Johnson). This topic is very similar to that of an article I will soon … Continue reading →

Posted in African Diaspora, Ethnomusicology, Reviews | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Review: 98% Funky Stuff: My Life in Music, by Maceo Parker

Posted on February 24, 2013 by Mike

Just finished reviewing Maceo Parker’s new autobiography, 98% Funky Stuff: My Life in Music, for Jazz Books Reviews: 98% Funky Stuff: My Life in Music, released in February 2013, is the autobiography of legendary funk saxophonist Maceo Parker. The writing is … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , | 16 Comments