Mark Maxwell Music

The Path To Becoming A Jazz Musician: Listening, Playing Changes, and Keeping A Long-Term Perspective

GuestPoster — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 19:53:06 +0000

If you are interested in learning to play jazz, there are several things you should do when you are getting started. I have been playing jazz for several years now, and I can tell you that when I first started it was quite difficult to know where to start, what to play, and when to [...]

Active Listening Exercises For Learning To Play Jazz Music

GuestPoster — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 20:50:06 +0000

If you’re learning how to play jazz, or are a musician who wants to learn how to play jazz, then you are probably already familiar with the basics of music theory like scales, chords, arpeggios, and the like. However, one thing you may not yet be familiar with which all jazz musicians take for granted, [...]

Leon Russell’s This Masquerade

Mark Maxwell — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 03:27:06 +0000

If you can struggle through the intro, the original version of this great song is beautiful – much more haunting than Benson’s version:

Spooky, By Mike Shapiro and Harry Middlebrooks, Jr.

Mark Maxwell — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 02:46:18 +0000

Most people don’t know that the song Spooky, made famous by the Classics IV, was actually originally recorded as an instrumental by saxophonist Mike Shapiro in the mid 60s. It was later rerecorded by the Classics IV in 1967 after guitarist James Cobb and producer Buddy Buie added the lyrics. Apparently, Mike Shapiro had the [...]

Soul Vaccination

Mark Maxwell — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 19:49:01 +0000

I had to great thrill and honor of auditioning with Tower Of Power about 20 years ago. I remember quite clearly one of the songs we played was Soul Vaccination. I was reading the lead tenor chart and, man, all those syncopated notes just looked like dots flying by; it was really hard to read. [...]

Jump, Jive, ‘An Wail

Mark Maxwell — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 07:02:44 +0000

This cooks! Brian Setzer!

You And Me And The Bottle Make Three Tonight

Mark Maxwell — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 20:25:00 +0000

I’m on a Big Bad Voodoo Daddy ride! Sing along with me now:

Richard Searles – Earth Dance Music

Mark Maxwell — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 18:01:28 +0000

My friend, Richard Searles, is a interesting guy and a remarkable musician. Not only is he an excellent guitarist, but the music he records is both fascinating and superb. Here’s his bio: The music of Richard Searles blends elements of Celtic, Renaissance and World Music styles using both traditional and modern instruments to create a [...]

Music Should Be Fun

GuestPoster — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 17:35:08 +0000

Music should be fun! Players, educators, and students very often forget this fact about music. It is easy to be distracted by many things that have nothing to do with playing music. We all have a variety of circumstances or situations that may cause frustration, angst or anything else that gets in the way of having good time with music.

A New Independent Musician Strategy

GuestPoster — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 17:13:05 +0000

Independent musicians are a growing breed. Record labels are signing nowhere near as many musicians as they used to, so people are learning to fend for themselves in the music game. And to be honest, I think that’s a good thing. Before, people would get signed to major record labels, not get their music released, [...]