Pat Belliveau's Jazz Saxophone and Music Blog

From Jazz Pianist George Colligan....." A Good Read!!"

noreply@blogger.com (Pat Belliveau) — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 01:40:00 +0000

How To Be A Great Jazz Musician ..... In One Lesson!

The move from Winnipeg to Portland has been challenging, to say the least. But the last big challenge is over; I finally got my wife and 20-month old son on a plane to PDX. My wife Kerry, and especially my son Liam, are very jet lagged(even though it's only 3 hours difference between New York, where they spent most of the summer, and Portland. It's comical to watch Liam, whose natural state is in motion, but he can't fight the sleepiness around 4 pm.). So, they turned in early, while I ventured out to a jam session. The Camellia Lounge, located in the Pearl District, is a few minutes drive from my apartment. I had great time listening to and playing with the Sam Foulger Trio. But while I was listening/sitting in, some things popped into my mind; thoughts on how to teach musicians to play better. I think it's important to keep in mind how incredibly simple it is. But why do so many students get stuck in a rut for years?Is jazz really so complicated?

Whether I'm teaching, or practicing, or playing, I like to look at the big picture; I want to be able to always have a system of foundational principles to refer to, in order to stay on track. Think of it as a musical Ten Commandments, or the Jazz Constitution! If we can agree on the basics, then we can always take a step back from what we are doing and ask, which of our foundational principles is this serving?

I've had students who came to me for one lesson. They may have come from out of the country, or they just couldn't afford regular lessons, etc….I've always wanted to have a way to impart as much
"Your parents can only afford one lesson, so let's make it count!"
information as possible in one sitting, so that even that one lesson would have a lasting effect on the student. Maybe this is a blueprint for that idea of "How To Be A Great jazz Musician In One Lesson"!

I'm probably going to subconsciously, or even with full intent and acknowledgment, borrow from some of the known resources on the subject of practicing music. There have been many attempts to take away the mystery of musical self improvement. This is is probably more for me than for others, but if you like it, then by all means use it. If not, then as they say, "keep doing what you are doing!"

Lesson 1 Part 1: Learn Your Instrument

This is something that is actually very tangible. Whatever your instrument or instruments of choice are, there are countless method books and resources on how to play them properly and how to develop technique. This part has nothing to do with jazz. The masters were always aware of this. Most jazz greats did not start with jazz. They took private "classical" lessons. Clifford Brown practiced out of the Arban's book. Almost all of the great jazz pianists were accomplished classical pianists. Charlie Parker admitted in interviews his use of method books. And wherever you live, there is probably at least one person on your instrument that can show you how to play it better. So don't miss this crucial step.

The idea that "jazz players can't really play their instruments" is a load of bollocks. I'm amazed at how this myth persists. And I'm also amazed by how many young players I work with, who seem to want to play jazz, can't play all their major scales, let alone all the other scales you are supposed to know to improvise on basic chord changes! (A good friend of mine, who is running the jazz department in a major music institution, told me a story of meeting with the Dean to talk about how the jazz players in the school "couldn't play all their scales". The Dean replied, " How can YOU tell?", implying that "jazz musicians don't know anything about scales and technique!" On the flip side, my trumpet teacher at Peabody, Mr. Wayne Cameron, frequently admitted that "jazz players have to have MORE scale technique that orchestral players".

Lesson 1 Part 2: Learn The Right Notes

Again, there is no mystery here; if you are still reading "Stella By Starlight" from the Real Book, then you know exactly what you need to work on-playing "Stella By Starlight" from memory! How can you improvise convincingly if you don't really "know" the material? (Now, I will admit that some people have issues with memorizing. As I explained to one of my students who was having trouble with memorizing, "Cannabis can be detrimental to memory!" And as we get older, it gets tougher, of
Cannabis can affect memory! But then again, so can television and beer.....
course.) But more than memorization, I mean "Learning The Right Notes" in the overall sense of being familiar with many jazz tunes, and knowing what notes work over the chord changes. Again, this is not a magic trick; if you go on line, or get any of the Aebersold materials, or any of the Real Books, you can begin to add tunes to your arsenal, and learn how to play your basic jazz scales related to these
tunes. Again, I'm fascinated by students who will blow their way through a jazz tune, and then when asked "what are the changes to this tune?" they have no idea. Getting a fakebook and memorizing chord changes is not something you need thousands of dollars worth of lessons to do. You can do that on your own.

Additionally, I am always amazed by students who will show up every week for months and years to a jam session and STILL not know the tunes that are being called. Drummer Carl Allen had a very simple idea that he would preach to Juilliard students: " Every time you are in a situation where a tune is called that you don't know, WRITE IT DOWN and LEARN IT, so that next time it gets called, you know it." Simple? Yes. Do I see anyone do that? Almost never. Again, this will cost you nothing except a pen and a little notebook. Or type it into your smart phone and text it to yourself! There's no excuses!

Lesson 1 Part 3: Develop Good "Time"

This is a very crucial aspect of jazz playing; the roots of the music are in rhythm. And yet, so much of "jazz education" deals with notes and harmony and repertoire. I know for a fact that most of the players that really get the calls to play are called because "it feels good" when they play. So at the very least, be able to play with consistent time. Playing with a metronome can help this. I used to play a lot
Modern day Metronome: makes a great gift!
with Aebersold recordings, which not only helped my time become consistent, but it helped my "feel" because I was getting to play along with great rhythm sections like Ben Riley and Ron Carter. (I tried to get many of my students to play with Aebersolds; I get the sense that few of them actually do it. I'm not sure why. Maybe I need to wrap their heads with brass knuckles!) Playing along with recordings is also good, which brings us to:

Lesson 1 Part 4: Listen To As Much Music As You Can

I would have said listen to as much jazz as you can, but again, the masters listened to everything. I think just getting a feel for great performances is vital to becoming a great performer yourself. And the cool thing about jazz is that everything you hear can be absorbed into your own style. Transcribing solos falls under this category. You don't need to do entire solos; maybe take small phrases from your favorite soloists and learn them in all keys. But generally, the more you develop a love of listening, the more you are going to develop as a musician. Not just listening to recordings, but listening to live music, as well as listening to your bandmates while you play is important. The better you listen on the bandstand, the more relevant your playing will be, which will make people want to play with you more.

Lesson 1 Part 5: Patience

Many young players want to become Coltrane overnight; we know this is impossible. But I think this is why people are always looking for shortcuts. Indeed, in this day and age of computers, ipods, smartphones, and overnight celebrities, our society is losing our concept of patience. We want everything instantly, with no effort. Learning to play music takes time, in fact, it takes a lifetime. Students need to accept that they need to settle in for the long haul; they may not be where they want to be by the time they graduate from college. They might not be there by the time they are 30. Maybe not even by 40. I'm 41, and although I have had some great musical opportunities, I still feel like I
have a long way to go musically. And I think this is what's great about deciding on a life in music; it is a LIFETIME of discovery. Most people in the workforce don't live this way; they punch in at 9 and out at 5. Not that there is anything wrong with that! It's just that musicians can look at practicing and playing as a road to personal fulfillment for their entire lives, rather than just putting in time until retirement. This makes up for the lack of financial reward! I think……

I didn't say anything about "developing your own sound" or "being an original" , because I think if you follow these five steps, your own sound will come naturally. Furthermore, not everyone is meant to be "the most unique groundbreaking musician in history." I do think that it's important to have the tangibles down before trying to re-invent the wheel. And obviously, there is more to it than these 5 parts. However, it's good to step back and take a look at the big picture once in a while, especially if you feel lost, or in a rut. Above all, be patient, and love the process more than the goal.

It Was Just A Week Ago.........

noreply@blogger.com (Pat Belliveau) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 18:18:00 +0000

.....that I was in Las Vegas, and a week ago tomorrow that I saw "Earth Wind & Fire" AND Chicago do a concert together at the Hard Rock Hotel. My wife asked me if I was ever asked to do a tour with either of them, would I do it......of course I would, but I'd have to start training and working out cuz those guys in the horn section work their asses off!!

Later, I found out that the 3 remaining original members (Verdine White, Ralph Johnson, and Philip Bailey) are all 58 years old......man, they are growing old gracefully I'll tell you that!!

Then I started thinking about groups like EWF & Chicago compared to what the "younger generation" is listening to today, and how music business is conducted today, and I thought.....so where will so-called "artists" like Britney Spears and the Jonas Brothers and 50 Cent (sorry...."Fiddy Cent") be when they are 58 years old.....waiting tables?? Selling computer software?? In jail?? Washed up and heavily addicted to drugs and/or alcohol?? (or is that how things are right now??).

By the way....aren't the Jonas Brothers just a repackaged version of "Hanson" anyway?? (who is presently residing in the "where are they now" file if I'm not mistaken).

EWF started in 1968.....I was 1, and I'll be 43 in January......do you think their music is standing the test of time?? Hell ya!! They sounded fantastic....both groups did, but i have to admit, I missed Maurice White's voice with EWF and Peter Cetera's with Chicago.....two distinctive sounds that were missing, but, to their credit, they made it work.

I'm so glad I grew up with this music around me and not what is out there today....it's never been about the flashpots or fireworks or 35 friggin' backup dancers and bears on unicycles juggling oranges and monkeys in leiderhosen and all that other crap that helps you take your mind off of the fact that the music is mediocre (at best).

EWF and Chicago really played, and they played hard.....a 3 hour and 5 minute concert with just a 20 minute intermission, and I knew at all times that they were playing and singing everything.....no "backing track" bullsh*t......EVER!!

That, my friends, is what LIVE music is all about.

Wait....I'm hearing something......("Oops......I did it again.....I lip-synced my show".........Doh....did I say that or just think it??).

Cheers,

Pat B.

Looking Forward To Summer

noreply@blogger.com (Pat Belliveau) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 18:23:00 +0000

Hey Everyone,

As usual, it has been awhile since I came in here and blabbed onto this page......again, my apologies for that. Anyway, I'm looking forward to a nice restful summer and then hit it again come the fall. All is quiet right now (not that I'm complaining or anything) although this is the first year in the last 16 years that I haven't been performing at the Calgary Stampede Grandstand Show. Apparently, the terms "new artistic direction" and "budget restraints" are terms of this year's show where that's concerned....whatever the hell that means. One thing's for sure, I bet there's some sort of "story" behind it all, as one thing I have come to realize over the last 16 years is that the Board of Directors of the Calgary Stampede works in truly "mysterious ways" from time to time, so that "is" what that "is" (I don't look for the "logic" cuz it rarely exists).

On a more positive note, I'm heading to Las Vegas on July 23rd to see "Earth Wind & Fire" AND "Chicago" (the group NOT the musical) playing on the same concert at the Hard Rock Hotel......should be a HOOT!! I have wanted to see EWF for a LONG time, so I feel I'm overdue.

Having the extra time on my hands, I am working more on my "online business"......."online marketing" to be more precise, and that always keeps me busy and helps make ends meet when gigs are not as plentiful (like January and August).

SHAMELESS MARKETING PLUG.......you can view my online marketing blog HERE

Anyway, I realized a long time ago that certain times of the year are more lucrative than others, so it's nice to have something to "fall back on" during those times.

Well, that's the news, weather, and sports from my neck o' the woods......summer will be a bit slow at times, but that just gives me more time to hang out with friends and family, to travel a bit, and to make more money online, so I don't mind all that much......I look forward to the break. See y'all in the fall.

Have a great summer, and safe travels to you wherever you may be venturing to.

Regards,

Pat B.

I Got My Tickets.......

noreply@blogger.com (Pat Belliveau) — Sat, 16 May 2009 06:51:00 +0000

.....for "Earth Wind and Fire" AND "Chicago" (the band, not the musical) July 25th/09 at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas (Woo Hoo!!). Why am I telling you this?? Well, I'm not really sure.......but I had to tell someone!!

Best Regards,

Pat Belliveau

Hey.....I'm On Twitter!!

noreply@blogger.com (Pat Belliveau) — Wed, 13 May 2009 18:56:00 +0000

Hey Everyone,
Did I mention that I'm on "Twitter" now?? Come and follow me on Twitter at:

http://twitter.com/Saxman403

Looking forward to seeing you there!!

Best Regards,

Pat Belliveau

Clarification Is The Key

noreply@blogger.com (Pat Belliveau) — Fri, 08 May 2009 00:34:00 +0000

So, what do I mean by that anyway?? Well, the context in which I'm mentioning this is with music education.......and in this case........"theory".

You know, I've come across a handful of sites over the past while that are advertising "online music lessons" so I decided to check some of them out to see what they were about, and I didn't always like what I found. The way some of them were explaining theoretical concepts seemed to be doing more harm than good, and in many of the cases, they were on the right track, but there was not enough "clarification" about what they were talking about. I could see where someone could easily become sidetracked or confused when trying to interpret these concepts, and there's no need for it.

I come by this whole "clarification" thing honestly........from teaching jazz harmony at the university level for 13 years.......to "non-jazz majors". Now, if there's one group of people that you really want to be clear and consise to about jazz harmony, it's classical musicians who have had the rules and regulations of "tonal harmony" pounded into their heads for years. Maybe it's time that our "post secondary institutions" spent more time on 20th century harmonic concepts within their curriculuums since the last time I looked at a calendar it was 2009. Don't get me wrong, having a understanding of the concepts of "tonal harmony" has its place, but the reality of the matter is, I've never been turned down for a gig because I wrote 4-part Bach chorales that had parallel 5th and octaves. Perhaps if this were 1709 and not 2009 it would really matter, but that's not what my calendar says (but I digress).

Anyway, I came across a site that was talking about the "jazz melodic minor" which, when I saw this, I had to read further to see where this was going to go. The guy's concepts were (for the most part) accurate, but his explaination still bothered me. Now, stay with me here as I'm jumping in the theory arena now!!

Anyway, he was mentioning that the notes "C,D,Eb,F,G,A,B and C on top, represented a "jazz melodic minor" scale. My first reaction was "NO.....that's a C melodic minor scale......the melodic minor "ascending form" is also called the "jazz minor". Please be careful.....it's not a "jazz melodic minor" it is a "melodic minor" scale period......it doesn't belong to the jazz idiom exclusively, it's just that in jazz, the decending form (flattening the 6th and 7th coming down) is not acknowledged because it's the same as the "natural minor" or "aeolian mode" of the major scale. He also says the it has the same structure as a major scale with a lowered 3rd......yes it does, and that's something that you should know, but do remember, it is STILL a minor scale.

Maybe I'm a bit "hypersensitive" about this, but for God's sake CLARIFY!! Students are looking for answers, not "fancy-dancy" terms they can impress their friends with at parties!!

In my days of learning jazz harmony, I agonized over a whole bunch of stuff that I would have gotten through 10 times faster if I'd had the proper "CLARIFICATION" about things, so.....ya, I guess I AM kinda hypersensitive, because there's a lot of unneccesary B.S. out there that is screwing people up.....and there's no need for it.

I'm not saying that the guy on this website is full of sh*t......I don't think he is, but you've got to be careful as to how you're delivering your message........clarify, clarify, clarify........leave no stone unturned, and don't be satisfied until your student has it "down". Getting a handle on this stuff is difficult enough.......let's not make it worse.

Best Regards,

Pat B.

Man, I Suck!!

noreply@blogger.com (Pat Belliveau) — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 03:07:00 +0000

Geez......it seems like a lifetime since I posted anything in here (man, I suck for leaving it this long), and even now, I just wanted to come in here and pass along that I am waking up and smelling 2009 by adding a "Squidoo Lens" to my list of stuff to get myself in trouble with. Actually, I have 2 lenses, but the one related to this blog can be found at:

http://www.squidoo.com/jazz-saxophone-and-music

Please take some time to pop by and say "hi"......it's in its early stage right now (April/09), but I'll keep building it slowly, so be sure to come back and visit from time to time.

Best Regards,

Pat B.

Great Drumming, Squealing Trumpets, And Extra Strength Advil

noreply@blogger.com (Pat Belliveau) — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 18:43:00 +0000

Nice title for this post I think.....let me explain.
Firstly, sorry that the last time I posted in here was April. It's not like nothing has been happening since then, there's been plenty going on.

Back in late April, I brought up Chicago drummer Paul Wertico to play in Banff at the Rocky Mountain Music Festival and then pop over to Calgary to do a series of clinics at area schools. It was so great to hang and play with him again since it had been about 10 years since we last saw each other. After Paul had recorded with me on my disc in September of 1997, about 6 months later he played out in Vancouver with the Pat Metheny Group so I went out there to see him. That was the last time I saw him in person so it was great to reconnect with him. He sure is playing great and can sure "lay it down" in a small group or a big band. He performed with the Primetime Big Band in Banff at the festival, and he told me that he really doesn't do any big band playing around Chicago anymore...you sure wouldn't know it by how he kicked our asses, that's for sure, and the band really responded so we had some truly great moments. I hope we get a chance to play together again in the near future (and not 10 years from now). He sure is a class act and a fantastic musician.

This past June 2nd and 3rd I had the opportunity to perform at the 33rd Annual ITG Conference (International Trumpet Guild) held out at the Banff Centre for Fine Arts, and organized by that crazy trumpet guy from Edmonton now teaching at UCLA, Jens Lindemann. Now, ya gotta wonder just how fun this would be for a sax player in amongst all of those trumpet players with their chests all stuck out and struttin' around like peacocks. Well, it turned out pretty well I thought...after all, we sax players can play high and fast too ya know (nudge nudge wink wink).

Hanging with ex-Maynard Ferguson band guys like Walter White and Jay Chattaway, and other players like Allan Vizutti, Ingrid Jensen, Wycliffe Gordon and Sean Jones (from the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra), Andrea Tofanelli (direct from Italy), Chris Jaudes (from the studios and pit orchestras of New York City), and others, was pretty cool.

The jazz concert with the Primetime Big Band was a tribute to Doc Severinsen and it was truly great to perform with him as well. All in all, it wasn't bad having to deal with a bunch of trumpet players (hehehe). Needless to say, I went well equipped with a fully stocked bottle of "Extra Strength Advil". I may be dumb, but I'm NOT stupid!!

Anyway, I'm looking forward to the summer months and a bit of time off. I'm scheduled to perform in the Calgary Stampede Grandstand Show again this year (although that almost didn't happen). It's pretty cool playing for about 17,000 people every night for 10 days straight. This will be my 16th year playing the show which goes from July 4-13. After that, me and the missus are going to chill out on the Oregon Coast for a few weeks so I may not post in here again for a handful of weeks after this...ya, that's my story and I'm stickin' to it!!

Have a great summer everyone and get out and hear as much live music as you can this summer...keep the music alive and enjoy yourself while doing it!!

Best Regards,

Pat B.

Juno Awards 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Pat Belliveau) — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 16:42:00 +0000

Hey Everyone,
I know this may inevitably end up sounding like "sour grapes" to some, but that's not my intention here (although it will probably sound like it). Having said that, I just need to get a few things off my chest and I guess that's why I have a blog to begin with.

This particular post won't mean much unless you live (or have lived) in Canada as it pertains to the Juno Awards (Canada's version of the Grammys).

This years awards were held last night in my hometown (Calgary) and seemed to be quite successful. I have to admit that I find it strange that since the Junos started 38 years ago, this is the first time they have ever been in Calgary (what's up with that?). Anyway, better late than never I suppose.

I was at home this year relaxing on the couch with my wife watching the show and checking out all of the feature groups and so on and so forth. I was hoping that I would be able to see a fellow musician from Calgary somewhere up on the stage in a back up roll to someone who was performing. Being a horn player, as soon as I hear horns, I usually look in that direction to see who's making the sound.

So along comes operatic singer "Measha Brueggergosman" doing a tribute to the late Oscar Peterson, and I hear horns being played in the background.....alto sax and trumpet. At first I can't quite make out who they are but eventually the camera begins to zoom in with the horn players in behind, and as I'm about ready to see which "Calgary" musicians got called to do this great gig, I notice that it's John Johnson playing alto sax and Steve McDade playing trumpet.....both from Toronto!!

My first reaction is....WTF?? Why in the hell do they have Toronto guys up there on stage?? Now, don't get me wrong, both of these guys are very excellent musicians, this isn't about them at all. I also see that they are reading off of music stands and what they're playing is not especially difficult to play or very "technical". I was thinking that maybe if this was something they had to memorize and only they knew the parts to, then it would make a little more sense to me that they were on stage. Bottom line here is that there are many Calgary musicians that could have been up there playing those parts just as well as John and Steve did, but I guess the Junos isn't too concerned about saving money and "spreading the joy around" and would rather fly these guys out, put them up, feed them, and also pay them for the show. A similar situation has been happening for a number of years regarding the Calgary Stampede Grandstand Show.

So does that mean then that next time the Junos are in Toronto, the show organizers will call up musicians from Calgary to go out and do the show there?? Ya, good luck!! So, the "show" is in our hometown for the first time in 38 years and we can't even get our own musicians on the stage to perform during the show anywhere?? (and I don't mean the Mount Royal Youth Orchestra playing with "Finger 11" or my student, Ryley Bennett playing 45 seconds of Charlie Parker's solo on "Ko-Ko"), I'm talking about being where John Johnson and Steve McDade were last night on stage. And you know, I would love to have done that gig myself, but it doesn't have to be me....I would just liked to have seen a face I knew who was from here (and NOT me).

I think it's about time Toronto "got over itself" and realized that there are great players in every city across the country and they should be given the chance to do there thing when the "show" comes to town. This idea that the only good players in this country are in Toronto is complete and utter bulls**t. The idea that you really don't take your career seriously unless you live or have lived in Toronto is also complete bulls**t. Funny, I've spent much more time hanging out and studying with guys in New York than I have Toronto, but I guess that wouldn't matter as much either since it's New York and not Toronto.

Well, call this "sour grapes" if you want, but it is what it is. The fact that the Juno Awards comes to town and there's not one pro musician from Calgary on stage (that's not headlining)is ridiculous!!

So the Juno Awards are in Vancouver next year, and I can only hope that there will be some Vancouver musicians on stage backing up headliners, but I would bet HEAVILY on the idea that they will be replaced too, cuz there aren't any good musicians in Vancouver anyway......are there??

Ya......whatever!!

Peace Everyone,

Pat B.

What About Being A Versatile Musician??

noreply@blogger.com (Pat Belliveau) — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 18:33:00 +0000

Hey Folks,
I don't remember exactly why I was thinking about this today, but I thought I would jot something down pertaining to it.

I guess maybe it's because I'm working 25 hours a week in a high school right now that I start to think about younger players and what they are in store for over the next 10-20 years of their playing careers (those that decide to continue music after high school). It also made me think of a few casual gigs I did within the last year or two when I've had young players on the gig that are studying jazz at college or university. One thing I noticed was when playing through a jazz standard, the student's approach to harmony was very interesting....weaving through the change relatively well, some strategically placed licks that demonstrated some great examples of melodic and harmonic vocabulary, and some nice lines with some very valid musical statements.

Then the band leader called the 60's R&B tune "Soul Man" and there were no horn charts, so when it came to "faking" the horn line or knowing it from memory, they failed miserably. This made me think of a couple of things.....firstly, if I were the student and playing this gig for the first time, I'd probably try to find out what kind of material we will be playing, and ask if everything is charted. Secondly, would it not be a bad thing to find recordings of that tune and tunes like it??

This got me to thinking.......as a saxophonist pursuing a career as performer, wouldn't you open yourself up to every genre of music that the saxophone is known to be in?? Wouldn't that be a good idea?? Don't get me wrong here, you'll never be able to learn every tune in every genre, but if you're called to do a gig that "isn't" in a jazz club doing exploratory improvisations for a select crowd, shouldn't you have an idea what you're going to be faced with?? If you're playing a wedding, I think it's probably a good bet that the band leader or the bride and groom don't really care about the "tritone and minor 3rd substitutions" you're incorporating into your solo, or how you superimposed the "Coltrane matrix" over a given section of a tune.

This also got me to thinking about something else....jazzers get pissed off at classical players because they feel they are such music "purists" who feel that their music is far superior than any other, and jazz is not "real" music (and what is a common slang term that jazzers call classical music.....remember the term "legit"??). So, does that mean that jazz is NOT "legit"?? I have the same feeling towards the jazz "purists"....the musicians who believe that their narrow-minded belief of what good music and good jazz is, should be the way everybody views it. And why would you listen to something else other that mid-late 1960's "post-bop" anyway?? Geez....don't get me started!!

The musician who is well-rounded in their listening will be well-rounded in their playing as well. Being a "jazz snob" is as bad as being a "classical snob" just a different genre of music. At the risk of sounding "cliché", I think it is very true what Duke Ellington said when he commented - "There are two types of music....good and bad".

One CAN appreciate a style of music even though one may not particularily like it or perform it themselves. Let's celebrate the wide variety of great music that we have at our fingertips.

Let's not just be students of great jazz, let's be students of great music of many kinds.....there's so much to enjoy!!

Peace,

Pat B.

Music Is A Language Like Any Other.....

noreply@blogger.com (Pat Belliveau) — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 06:13:00 +0000

....and jazz is a dialect of that, don't you think?? Aren't musical phrases like sentences?? Aren't chords and scales etc. like nouns,verbs, and adjectives etc?? How do we learn how to say our first words?? It doesn't matter whether we actually know and understand what it is we're saying, we just hear it and then repeat it, don't we?? After the "goo goo gah gah" stage is over, don't we start repeating what we hear our parents say?? Ahhhh......ya. So, why would learning jazz be any different?? Why would you try to learn a language that you've never heard or never listen to?? Talk about taking the long way around!!

I work 25 hours a week in a high school music program.....because I wanted to, and the students at this school (for the most part) are very smart kids. The jazz band is not bad, but there are some things that need to be addressed. We have some great drummers at this school.......IF we were looking for a Neil Pert or John Bonham kind of thing. I'm not convinced that Buddy Rich, Mel Lewis, Louis Bellson, or even Art Blakey, Elvin Jones, Philly Joe Jones etc. are on their radar. We are trying to instill this in them, but it seems much more important to them to be rock drummers. So, guess how it sounds when it gets going......like the John Bonham big band (if there was such a thing).

Don't think that the drummers are the only ones that have this issue......it's in every section to some degree.

What if one of my regular gigs was a rock band horn section, but all I listened to and practiced was Bebop?? How would the rest of the rock band feel if all I did was swing every note and play bebop solos over rock grooves all the time?? I think you can see where I'm going with this.

There HAS to be a listening component to jazz education......it WILL NOT work without it. The notes are just black dots on a page until the player brings them to life, and if the player has no clue stylistically, they will be rather lifeless.

I'm likely not telling you something you don't already know, but we often forget, and I know that's true because I can tell when I hear a lot of these high school groups play. Learn the style accurately, after that the notes will come.

Notes without style are just........NOTES!!

And.....Keep Looking For The Nice Notes Too,

Pat B.

Hangin' With Bob Mintzer

noreply@blogger.com (Pat Belliveau) — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 21:01:00 +0000

Hey Everyone,
You know, I had a great opportunity to hang with New York saxophonist Bob Mintzer last week while he was up here doing some clinics and a concert with one of our pro big bands. I had a chance to hang with him at a club here about 6 years ago, but not for very long unfortunately. Anyway, this time I took care of the logistics of his stay and made sure he was where he had to be when he had to be there.

I got to know more about him which was very cool.....not just as a saxophonist but as a person too. One of the great things about music and why I do it is because of meeting people like him (and then getting a chance to hear and share the stage with him was the icing on the cake). I've followed Bob and his big band since I first entered university back in 1985 and hoped one day I would get a chance to meet and perform with him. I actually first met him in 1990 at a jazz camp in Kansas, but I never did get a chance to hang with him like I did last week.

He had some great concepts and ideas for the students as far as how to successfully navigate this dialect of the musical language we call "jazz". It was so great that he reinforced what I have been saying to my own students for years.....learning this music is like learning another language, and if you've never heard the language spoken before, how are you supposed to speak it yourself?? What is your "point of reference" for understanding how this music is played?? If you were asked to stand up and give a speech on "quantum physics" but knew very little or nothing about it, what would you say?? Basically, that is what you are doing when you are trying to play this music but have never taken the time to hear it played....live and/or on recordings.

One of the other concepts he covered which I think "hit home" with the students was the articulations, inflections, and stylistic traits that are associated with the playing of this music. Many young players learning to improvise play decent notes and ideas for their ability and age, but the notes are played very straight and with not much enthusiasm and/or "attitude". Playing the notes has it's importance, of course, but the "real" music happens with the performer brings those notes to life using the stylistic nuances characteristic of the music......and how could you best identify what those "stylistic nuances" would be or what they would sound like?? Well, how about "listening"?? (geez.....looks like we've come full circle, imagine that!!).

The Yellowjackets are recording another CD this coming January, and Bob let me hear a few of the charts he is writing for the group (with the help of the Sibelius music notation software) and they sound really cool. I'm looking forward to hearing the final product. By the way, right now I am using the "Sibelius 4" version of the software, and it's great.

Anyway, I can honestly say that it was truly an honor to have hung out with Bob as long as I did. He is one of my favorite New York tenor guys to listen to. Unfortunately, in recent years we lost two others I follow very closely......Bob Berg and Michael Brecker. So I truly hope that Bob Mintzer will be around for many years to come. I can honestly say after hearing how he played last week while he was here, he's got plenty of music left to share with all of us, and that's very cool!!

Best Regards,

Pat B.

Who's Blog Is This Anyway??

noreply@blogger.com (Pat Belliveau) — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 21:44:00 +0000

Hey Folks,
Well, I guess it only makes sense to give you some background information about me and my training, career etc.

I started playing saxophone in 1979 in middle school and have continued on right through the completion of a Undergraduate Degree in Jazz Studies and 1 year completed towards a Master's Degree in performance. I'm an "Artist/Clinician" for Yamaha Canada and I endorse the Yamaha "Custom Z" tenor saxophone. I play soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone saxes, some flute, and bass clarinet as well. Because I didn't attend one of the "heavy" type jazz schools (North Texas, Berklee, University of Miami, Manhattan School of Music etc.), I ended up learning mostly from recordings, private lessons with various jazz figures, jazz camps, personal practice, hanging out, going on the road, cruise ship gigs, asking MANY questions etc.

It was important for me to hang out at the local jam sessions, meet people, sit in, learn tunes and establish a network of people and musicians that I would later draw on for gigs, inspiration, advice, and so on. One of the things I tell my own students who are serious about going to post-secondary schools to study music is to always take the time to meet new people, hang out, and establish contacts. The contacts you establish in school will likely turn out to be the guys that will be handing you work when they can't do a gig or when they are asked to book or contract a gig.

Anyway, over the years I have been able to develop a decent network of people that I draw on and employ and work with on a regular basis, and a lot of those contacts are people I played/hung out with at university. Be a great player but also be a great guy (gal) as well.....that will make you employable. Leave your ego and attitude at the door and just enjoy playing music and interacting with others to create this magnificent art form.

Best Regards,

Pat Belliveau

PS - For more background information about me (if you're curious), check out my website: http://www.patbelliveau.com

Hey Folks!!

noreply@blogger.com (Pat Belliveau) — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 15:14:00 +0000

Hey Everybody in Internet Land,
I thought I'd start another blog (I have an online marketing blog too) based on my performing career and my passion. I'm also university educated in this field, have much practical experience as a performer and teacher, and just love to perform.

I hope many people will stop by and that this will be a destination point for them. As I'm sure many know already, musicians LOVE to "talk shop" and share ideas, comment etc. and that's what I intend to do here as well so please do check back from time to time for new material. Until then, keep swingin'.

Pat Belliveau